Rooty Toot Toot

This film is commonly misunderstood and disliked these days, but thats only because people don't know why it is the way it is. Rooty Toot Toot, and most of UPA's work, was created with the intent to break from traditional animation and create something more relatable as fine or modern art. Something I think was highly successful. A film only appreciated by those willing to disregard the standards of loony toons and Disney.

The animation is zany and bizarre, the designs are fantastically simplistic. Watch for how the backgrounds only depict the minimum of what is necessary to visually represent what's going on. There's no need for full blown cell coloring here. I think the style matches the jazz perfectly.

This is the classic story of Frankie and Johnny and Nellie Blye. She catches him with Nellie and kills him. This takes a really cool jazz score and sets up a court case. Of course, the characters are quirky, but the judicial system we have today often reflects the one portrayed in this short. All testimony leads to what should be a guilty verdict. But don't turn your head for a second. There's much to come. Some reviewers give this ones and two because it's too loud and intense. A criticism was made that it isn't appropriate for children. Animation isn't always for children. Just watch the direction things have taken on television. There is biting satire and some pretty harsh stuff being presented these days. Why does the cartoonists craft have to be based on things done in the 1930's. This isn't a world beater, but it is creative and interprets the music well.

Just watched this UPA Jolly Frolics animated short on YouTube as linked from the Cartoon Brew site. It's the telling of the "Frankie and Johnny" tale as depicted in the courtroom with Frankie on trial for her murder of Johnny because of his adulterous ways especially with one Nelly Bly. Director John Hubley makes his unique line drawings quite fluid as the tale gets told entirety in song. This was nominated for an Oscar but lost to another Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry entry called The Two Mouseketers. Eventually, many UPA efforts would become Academy Award winners while those of other studios, exceptions being those of Warner Bros., would no longer dominate during the '50s. So on that note, Rooty Toot Toot is highly recommended.

Rooty Toot Toot (1951)

*** (out of 4)

Fun UPA short has Frankie catching her man Johnny with another woman so she shoots him dead. The film starts off inside the courtroom and then we flashback to the events of that evening. I understand that many people truly hate the UPA form of animation and while I'm not the biggest fan of it, this short here is something I am a fan of. I must admit that I thought the musical numbers were quite catchy and especially the way the Frankie and Johnny song were played out. What I also loved with the use of color in the film. Again, this here is something that a lot of people can't stand but I thought it was put to perfect use here and I especially liked the way colors express either emotion or tone. The flashback sequence gets this beautiful dark grey look to it just like you'd expect to find in a film noir. After the verdict is read we get a beautiful dark red which could mean several things but the femme fatale look is certainly there. I also liked the dresses constantly being worn by Frankie. The story itself isn't the greatest but I still think there's quite a bit to like here.

John Hubley's Academy Award-nominated "Rooty Toot Toot" depicts the story of Frankie and Johnny (as heard in a traditional song) jazz-style, with Frankie - portrayed as a film noir femme fatale - getting put on trial for Johnny's murder. It's a clever story, even though the animation is nothing impressive. That whole sequence with the bullets must've been fun to animate.

Outside of this cartoon, I originally learned the song from Sam Cooke's version of it. I later heard a different version in the Jean Harlow movie "Red-Headed Woman". What a collection.

Anyway, it's a fun short.