User reviews

In the late 1930s, Tex Avery developed a recurring cartoon character, Egghead. However, he never really caught on and he disappeared after about a half dozen appearances. This is an early version of him and the later Egghead looked quite different.

Egghead, inexplicably, wants to be a boxer and takes a correspondence course on boxing. Soon, he graduates and his first match is against the champ! Can he stand a chance? And, more importantly, does anyone even care?

Although the cartoon looks good and is in Technicolor, it's really not especially funny or enjoyable. Not a terrible cartoon but a disappointing one.

Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton in my mind are hardly a legendary animation director duo. Am not saying this with malice or anything, have made me clear frequently about loving animation. Their cartoons were competently made but tended to be bland when it came to comic timing and on the too cute side. Am not saying that all their output is like that, that's not the case (again personal opinion).

One of their best efforts, along with 'Hare-Um Scare-Um' and their other Egghead cartoon 'A-Lad in Baghdad', is 'Count Me Out'. Not a mind-blowing cartoon but a very entertaining one and reminded me slightly of early Tex Avery (a compliment just to say). It is more than competent in how it is made, it's one of their funnier cartoons and is another one of their least bland. It is far from being too cute as well. Those who like Egghead will like 'Count Me Out' too, as it is one of his best as well.

While occasionally a touch on the corny side and the story a little flimsy, 'Count Me Out' has a lot of strengths that outweigh those relative nit-picks.

Animation is excellent. It's fluid in movement, vibrant in colour and very meticulous in detail. The pace has a good deal of energy and there are more gags than the usual Hardaway/Dalton cartoon, all amusing and more and also more imaginative than their usual stuff.

When it came to scoring animation/cartoons, Carl Stalling was one of the masters. The music here is It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.

Egghead is an entertaining and endearing character, while the voice acting is good as one expects. Cliff Nazarro really makes Egghead his own, but it's Mel Blanc that has the most to do and he brings his usual exuberance.

In summary, well done and one of Hardaway/Dalton's best. 8/10