Greedy Humpty Dumpty

This is more of a comment than a review. I vividly remember this as 5 or 6 year old in the 50's. For me then, it was compelling and also somewhat scary and surrealistic. The message certainly got across though!

Growing up as a kid in the 80s, "Greedy Humpty Dumpty" was one of the more memorable cartoons for me. This cartoon was, and still is available on VHS and DVD by numerous companies as it is Public Domain. Humpty Dumpty is the king and when he learns that there is gold in the sun he decides he wants it. He forces all the people who live in his kingdom (who are all characters from other famous fairy tales) to build him a golden tower that will reach the sun. When the tower is built Humpty Dumpty is too greedy and crashes to earth and shatters. Some segments of this cartoon were filmed with the rotoscoping process, in which live actors were filmed, and then those films were traced by animators to get realistic movement for the characters. This cartoon has very memorable songs.

I saw this cartoon accidentally on television one night when I couldn't get to sleep. It didn't help in the slightest. I found myself staring up at the ceiling, trying to forget that face. I could quite happily never see this cartoon again, simply because of that face.

Now, don't get me wrong - I love fairy tales and nursery rhymes as much as anyone. But this twisted and terrifying rendition simply is disturbing. It is mainly the cruel laughter, and the exaggerated features that terrify me, and I still have nightmares because of it. Please, I urge you not to allow your children to see this. It is far, FAR too scary. Please, I pray you, keep it away.

Although the copy of this cartoon that I saw recently on the Classic Arts Showcase (ARTS) was somewhat faded, it did show the artistic and technical skill for which the Fleischers were justly famous. It also shows the weird streak that runs through many of their films.

In this cartoon, Humpty Dumpty is not just the chatty fellow who fell off the wall, but a tyrannical king who has an insatiable appetite for gold, constantly bellows a sinister laugh, and turns cruel at the drop of a hat. He reminds me a lot of Tybo the Carrot Monster from the "Lost In Space" episode "The Great Vegetable Rebellion."

Little wonder that the Fleischers later produced "Superman" cartoons with larger than life villains and outlandish situations.

I love animation from Fleischer Studios, along with Disney, Rankin/Bass, Hanna-Barbera, and Studio Ghibli, and this is a great short. It is also one of my favorites from Fleischer's "Color Classics" series. I love it when all the Mother Goose characters warn King Dumpty that his greed will cause him big trouble. I always remember it. I also love the clever rhyming that was used too: "If you value your lives and also your health, do as I bid, for I want more wealth!"

You know, I have heard some negativity about the "Color Classics." But personally, I think the "Color Classics" are great cartoons.