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Wonderful realization of a long-time literary favorite. I don't know what that other reviewer's problem is with Titus Welliver - whom I had previously only thought of as "that guy from Lost". He is a fine actor and a credible Harry Bosch. I very much look forward to this series. Fine casting, intelligent writing and wonderful locations. When I saw Harry's house and balcony and heard the jazz music, I knew we were on the right track. Frank Morgan's Lullaby. Awesome.

Well, since IMDb requires me to write more, I would recommend that interested parties check out Michael Connelly's web site and Facebook page for an account of his total commitment with and enthusiasm for this project, and some background goodies For instance, the drunken Santa in an early scene is played by Connelly himself, with soup in his beard to simulate puke. Glamorous!

I remember when cable comedy held unpredictable gems like MST3K, early Pee-Wee and "the Higgins Boys and Gruber". Low key, offbeat and full of surprises (before cable comedy programming became the bland mush of stand-up and movies it is today) The host segments were unbelievably laid back - the boys just sat around the kitchen table sucking down coffee and cigarettes. The fat Higgins boy didn't look like he could walk a block. They made MST3K's Joel Hodgson (who created both shows) seem like a dynamo by comparison. And the content! Talking monkeys! A robot detective! (or was that another show - it's all a blur) Clutch Cargo! (er - well, it was darn funny at the time) I will bless them forever for showing kinescopes of Bob and Ray TV shows - a real treasure from the vault.

Bring it back on DVD!

This is a good cartoon, and a good example of wartime humor - which by 1943, when the war was really beginning to bite back home in the US, had quite an edge.

The phone booth gag is "Is that you, Mert?" a fossilized gag phrase from the period, taken from "Fibber McGee and Molly". It was a catch phrase that audiences of the period would react to as a conditioned response. If you like old cartoons, it helps to be familiar with old-time radio of the period, because the cartoons mined radio for gags constantly (and Mel Blanc was a star in both, as a regular on the number one-rated Jack Benny show). The cartoons are full of show catch phrases, advertising slogans, and caricatures of movie and radio stars and minor characters.

The pinup picture is startling. I remember glimpsing it on my VHS copy and grabbing the remote to rewind and slow-motion. It is quite explicit, and seems like it could have got Friz Freleng in hot water at the time. You can see on the back wall at the first appearance of "Shulz", when he marches across the bunker floor to report.

For real unvarnished Freleng/Warner Brothers wartime humor, check out the "Private Snafu" series, which were intended for distribution to the troops only.