Wild Wife

I love this cartoon from the 1950s because it reveals an interesting truth about how the woman's role was viewed. It reveals that although women may not have a standard paying job, their work as a housewife should always be valued. The husband represents every man who may not understand the unique contribution that women have on society. This is something that I really appreciate because this cartoon was made exclusively by men in the 1950s. Feminists often say that women were kept down by men and prevented from doing anything meaningful in society. However, this cartoon shows that men SHOULD appreciate women. Additionally, it's also nice that they didn't portray the wife as a weak individual. She wasn't a servant to her husband, she was a provider to the household. So, when Hollywood says they are creating a "strong independent woman"(as if that's something unique) they should refer to this cartoon. Women were never weak, even when they had different roles in the 1950s.

McKimson may not be quite among my favourite animation directors, but there is still much enjoyment to be had in his cartoons. Wild Wife is no exception, a couple of the attitudes I agree are outdated but that aside it is excellent. The animation is bright, colourful and crisp, with some of it also entertainingly wacky. The music has so much wit and energy and the way it is orchestrated is just beautiful, and stylistically from Carl Stalling it is very distinctive. The dialogue and gags are not what I call hilarious but they are funny and never dull things down, while there are some very sharp and interesting observations on 50s everyday life. The characters carry Wild Wife brilliantly, especially the title character, while Mel Blanc and especially Bea Beanderet characterise to perfection. In conclusion, excellent if not my favourite McKimson cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Robert McKimson's 'Wild Wife' is a curious entry in the series of domestic cartoons which were popular in the 50s and 60s. More akin to a sitcom than a classic Warner cartoon, 'Wild Wife' stars an entirely human cast as a chauvinistic husband questions how his wife could possibly have failed to mow the lawn when she has so much time on her hands. This triggers a flashback which forms the basis of the cartoon as the wife (sardonically played to perfection by Bea Benederet) recounts the events of her day. Ostensibly a pro-woman cartoon that implores men not to take their wives for granted, 'Wild Wife' still makes room for plenty of sexist stereotypes with gags about obsessive shopping, chocolate addiction and parallel parking. Still, it's an enjoyably down-to-earth short with several neat little observations about everyday life in the 50s. There's nothing uproarious here but the face remains largely fixed in a smile, even if its sometime provoked by some of the outdated attitudes. Caught between a feminist tract and a validation of conservative family values, 'Wild Wife' is an interesting glimpse at the past and an entertaining one to boot.

Just watched this Warner Bros. cartoon on YouTube. In it, husband John (Mel Blanc, of course) asks his wife Marsha (Bea Benaderet) if she's done various chores. When she replies "no" on the lawnmower question, he tells her she doesn't do enough work during her free time. Marsha rebuts with a tale of what her work day entailed...Director Robert McKimson fills this day-in-the-life-of-a-housewife premise with lots of hilarious verbal and visual gags that keeps building until the much deserved finale. And the stylized '50s design that was probably UPA-inspired is perfect here. And music director Carl Stalling, as always, provides many familiar music cues-like the "Powerhouse" score by Raymond Scott which is my favorite-their suitable moments in the short. So for all that, I'm highly recommending Wild Wife.

Watching Robert McKimson's "Wild Wife", I couldn't tell whether or not it qualifies as proto-feminist. Seriously, would Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem have recommended this cartoon as required viewing for gender studies, or wanted all copies of it burned? That I can't quite figure out. But whatever it is, one can see what a degenerate existence the suburban 1950s life constituted. Part of what "The Graduate" showed is that the "good life" that the parents' generation had created for the children was a lie.

OK, I've probably over-analyzed the cartoon. McKimson probably intended it as entertainment. Some of what happens certainly entertains. But I still say that it offers some insight into what status as a 1950s housewife really constituted.