Christmas Night

As a history teacher and lover of films, I occasionally like watching cartoons that have been banned, as they tell us a lot about our society and how far we have come over the years. What was perfectly acceptable decades ago is now, in some cases, seen as gross and inappropriate. Occasionally, these cartoons which have been removed from screening aren't particularly offensive but often, as in the case of this cartoon, they are so god-awful it's hard to imagine that people would have laughed at and enjoyed these films! Thirteen of these cartoons have been packaged together on a DVD entitled "Cartoon Crazys: Banned and Censored" and while the print quality of many of the cartoons is less than stellar, it's a great chance to see how sensibilities have changed.

This cute little cartoon stars the comic strip character "Little King" and on Christmas Eve he picks up a couple hobos and treats them like friends in his home. The action is pretty cute and for a 1930s cartoon, it's pretty good.

Now as to why it was pulled, the main reasons are silly. In one scene, the three men are bathing together and some people at the Hays Office apparently were worried about perceived homosexuality!!! Come off it, folks--this is ridiculous. Other than that, there was a 3 or 4 second scene where the three are looking in a shop window and there is a "Sambo doll" in the window that would surely offend some viewers, though it also could easily be removed and the film still shown to modern audiences. I sure wish this did happen, as it is a cute little film.

Christmas Night (1933)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Little King was a very popular comic strip in The New Yorker Magazine and it eventually found its way to the big screen. This short from the Van Beuren Studios starts off with Santa getting people to write down what they want on a piece of paper. Later that night several of the characters are playing around with their toys when chaos follows.

This certainly isn't a great short by any stretch of the imagination but it's a pleasant and charming film that I'm sure kids would enjoy watching on Christmas. As other reviewers have pointed out, there's one stereotype scene that many will object to today but it can also be seen as a learning tool to teach how things once were. I found the animation to be quite good throughout and the B&W images really jump off the screen with their detail at times. There aren't any major laughs but the film will at least keep a smile on your face.

. . . "Rub-a-dub-dub" was a wholesome recounting of a young lad's education regarding the niceties of his future responsibility to select an appropriate spouse to insure that the family farm could be passed down for a few more centuries. This instructive verse tradition did NOT make any references to MEN in a tub! Back in these simpler times, men could not monopolize the process of propagating Humanity. Females were required to take part, so every country fair featured the three basic types of ladies usually around a small town. These subjects were displayed in a natural state of undress, often in an otherwise empty trough or tub, so proper distinctions could be made between those too scrawny, those too padded and those "just right" for the performance of necessary vital farm chores. CHRISTMAS NIGHT plunges viewers into the darker waters of three MEN in a tub, totally destroying the rub-a-dub-dub ritual.

FOLLOWING an outstanding beginning as a featured comic panel in THE NEW YORKER Magazine, THE LITTLE KING by Otto E. Soglow began an outstanding 40+ year run in the newspapers via syndication thru Heart's King Features Syndicate. The year was 1934 and the NEW YORKER Panel format was expanded to the comic strip form, or 'sequential art; as it is sometimes called.

MUCH like Carl Anderson's HENRY, mum, or rather 'mime' , was the word; for there was virtually no dialogue, no thought or speech balloons employed, and certainly never for the diminutive monarch.. The story and whatever gags that were inherent to it were brilliantly exposited without words.

ANOTHER hallmark that was always present was an unusually unique and highly stylized illustrative style. All characters were unusually curvy, tall, round, triangular, buxomly, etc. Uniform and clothing fashion in general is most stylish, if not too realistic. But, after all, it is all in a comic page and Mr. Soglow can make his world anyway he chooses.

IN the PALS (aka Christmas NIGHT) we have an entry in the series produced by Van Beuren Studios/RKO RADIO Pictures. This was the outfit that brought us TOM & JERRY (The original Human Duo, a sort of "Mutt & Jeff" team), CUBBY BEAR and the short-lived AMOS & ANDY Cartoons, with their two installments. They also later brought us the "Rainbow Parade" Color Cartoons with The Toonerville Trolley, Molly Moo Cow and a revived Felix the Cat.

WITH the release of this particular 7 minute cartoon short, the Van Beuren Crew displayed a keen sense of bringing us a succession of chuckles and guffaws (no real belly laughs); all the while making allowance for a seemingly tailor made score of incidental music and a coherent storyline to boot. Additionally, the team manages to keep the appearance of the characters, especially the King, his 4 ice skating sedan chair bearers and any other palace personnel, all in a strict conformity to the artistic style of the comic strip.

AS for our finding and having this film to view, it was discovered in one of those discount Toy Stores in a bin with many other cassettes of cartoons that have been copiously strung together; their only common cause being their status of being in Public Domain. This has proved an excellent source of finding some little, previously unknown titles and characters; which well deserves to be employed again and again.

CRITICIZING the cartoon short seems a little bit much of an effort; but we can give some short, thumb-nail sketch of a few impressions.

PALS or Christmas NIGHT, whichever title you prefer, is a straight forward rendering of just what the theatrical animated cartoon short's function was; namely, a sort of warm-up for what was to come on the day's playbill. It was to be pleasant, light and make the viewer feel good about being there in his local neighborhood picture palace; nothing more, nothing less.

WHEN we consider how it did just that; yet still was faithful to Soglow's character, we'd have to say that it has succeeded most readily. It is a great example of what the typical cartoon of the 1930's, early sound era was like.

NOW, Schultz, run out to the shoppin' mall and find it on a DVD or VHS cassette. It should only set you back about $3.98 or so.

POODLE SCHNITZ!!

Just rewatched this cartoon from the Van Beuren Studios on YouTube. The version I saw had the title Christmas Night which was the same title I witnessed when I first got this on VHS during the '80s. It stars The Little King, a popular comic strip character who is mute though other characters occasionally speak to him. Here it's Santa Claus who does the honors as he takes the King's request to deliver some presents to his palace for him and a couple of tramps he picks from a sidewalk window as they all look at the toys displayed. What they watch there is a little blackface doll tap dancing which is probably the only scene that would be offensive today in the entire cartoon though there is also a scene where all three are in a bathtub. Not too much in laughs though I was highly amused when one of the tramps revealed he wore a bra underneath his shirt! Best scene is the climax as all three ride in their cars or plane and wreak some stuff in the palace joyfully! So on that note, I guess I'm recommending Pals (or Christmas Night).