Shinbone Alley

The animation is certainly different. Early- and pre-cinema enthusiasts will recognise some of the psychedelic effects as magic lantern chromotropes, and there are shades of Georges Melies in some of the sequences. Carol Channing is brilliant as Mehitabel! Good jazz-like sound track.

SHINBONE ALLEY is a fascinating mess. Given the discussions of sexual morality and that one musical number with the prostitute ladybugs, I'm going to assume this was not meant for children. It's a musical, but the songs are mostly forgettable. I only watched this movie last night and aside from Carol Channing's jazzy rendition of Shakespeare, I cannot hum any of it.

The story is very loose, more a character piece than a full-bodied narrative. The cockroach poet Archy is in love with the seductive alley cat Mehitabel, and in a Pygmalion impulse, seeks to tame her freewheeling ways in the guise of protecting her from predatory men. The film is also a member of that MOST 60s/70s of film genres-- the "New York City is an urban hell" film best exemplified by TAXI DRIVER.

On the whole, this is all interesting, but it can be a chore to watch. A lot of the characters just shout and screech their lines, and the story's meandering becomes tiresome.

Shinbone Alley is not like every other animated film. It brings a unique approach to animation. It is almost like viewing an animated jazz opera in some respects. The characters are well defined and quite good, and some of the backgrounds are almost works of art on the New York scene. It is true that some very small children might not understand it, but a vast majority of people who view the film will find aspects of it that they will love; like the George Herriman sequence when archy declares war on humans. Carol Channing is wonderful as mehitabel, especially when she sings Shakespeare. Eddie Bracken is great as archy. This is the type of film that can be viewed again and again, and you find something new and interesting each time you see it. It was definitely a style setter in 2D animation, and should be applauded for its unconventional approach. Throughout the years, there have been a handful of animated films that could truly be called one-off, style setting, animation treasures -- Fantasia, Yellow Submarine, Toy Story, for example. I feel that Shinbone Alley easily fits into this select group of animated films.

I have been a fan of archy and mehitabel for a long time. I like don marquis's commentary of life using a cockroach to speak for him. The animated film has music and wonderful voices to supplement the books of his columns. I have known several children that love the film too. It is not too depressing. Quite the opposite. archy and mehitabel show a remarkable joy of life even as they suffer from being an insect or an alley cat. Carol Channing was a favorite of mine for as long as I knew her. Her voice is unmistakable. Who else could have done Romeo & Juliette with such zest! Some of the musical scenes such as "flotsam & jetsam" are outstanding. archy's wonder of the passions of the world at ground level gives one pause for thought. He even envies a moth that wants to burn itself to death because of its desire for that one brief moment of intense beauty. He no longer wants to kill himself when he experiences so much richness, however mean and coarse it might be.

It's a shame this film has been buried from the start. It has some really superb music, written by George Kleinsinger, a couple of fantastic performances by Carol Channing & Eddie Bracken, - & best of all, it's based on the great Don Marquis series from (I believe) the old New York World - Archy & Mehitabel. The compilation book was illustrated by the peerless George Herriman (Krazy Kat - & Mehitabel really was Krazy Kat!) & some of the scenes in this film are Herriman-inspired, another reason to treasure it.

Pity the poor wimps who are traumatized by any animation that isn't filled with fluffy bunnies.