Cheer Up… Or Else!
Our pixie theme rolls on with today’s installment, “Sunshine Makers” — certainly the “Casablanca” of elf cartoons.
In a pre-Prozac world, relentlessly cheerful gnomes bottle sunshine (and, apparently, contentment) to distribute throughout the countryside, like little psychotropic milkmen. Meanwhile, some goblins dressed like undertakers seem to have the misery franchise sown up — they spend most of their day skulking around, singing about how great it is to feel rotten. Pretty soon it’s attitude adjustment warfare, with the sunshine makers forcing everyone to get happy WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT! A classic!
This is a pretty notorious cult favorite, theatrically released in 1935, but also used as an advertisement for Borden Dairy (check out the titles on this print.) Ted Eshbaugh, who directed “Sunshine” for RKO/Van Beuren had a habit of producing happy, jolly cartoons all featuring a rather dark subtext if you think about it too hard, so let’s not. Too bad the ‘happiness juice’ has that unfortunate x-ray side effect!
If you like these little guys, they’re back again in tomorrow’s cartoon (well, okay, they’re back again tomorrow, even if you don’t like them!)
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On August 23rd, 2006 at 12:00 am
hmmm…. little gnomes giving drugs to sad people “ADDICTING!”
I’m looking forward to watch the Flip The Frog Week
(only black and white, please)
It’s really nice, that you’re keeping our wishes in mind.
On August 23rd, 2006 at 12:00 am
Again with the All Flip Week! As I said, let’s look into It.
On August 24th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Okay, I’ll mention it not again! ^^