I am apparently a tough judge of cartoons. While I noticed one reviewer gave EVERY Disney short from the 30s a 10, I am much harder to please. Sure, I've awarded some 10s and quite a few 9s--but also a few 2s and 3s, as some of these early cartoons are just dreadful despite the fine standard of animation they have achieved under Walt Disney's guidance. That's because through the 1930s, cartoons were nothing like they were in the 40s and 50s. They were rarely edgy and the emphasis in many of the toons was on cuteness--something many today would find hard to take. Disney actually avoided this more than many of the companies of the era, as the Harmon-Ising singing cartoons were REALLY cutesy and saccharine compared to Disney's. However, sometimes Disney released one that borders today on torture to have to watch--and I would sure like to see cartoons like "Lullaby Land" used to interrogate prisoners--though I am sure that Amnesty International and other human rights groups would complain about this being inhuman torture!!!
This cartoon finds an especially cute little toddler in some sort of dream world where again and again, he nearly kills himself playing with matches and doing other things kids are NOT supposed to do. I really think the cartoon was intended as some sort of indoctrination for the young ones--to tell them what not to do in a very heavy-handed sort of manner. To make it worse, there is a hellishly saccharine chorus that sings about safety!! Ugghhh!!! Make it stop!!! When the green Boogeymen appear, I assumed it would get better--but then they began singing and dancing, too!! Ultimately, some creepy wizard appears and rescues the tyke. It's the Sandman--no, not of the Neil Gaiman variety, but the type that sings the little kid to sleep (though I thought this was all already a dream?!). Ultimately, it ends on a note so sickeningly sweet that I am about to go into a diabetic coma. Please...do not watch this unless you are a masochist!
This cartoon finds an especially cute little toddler in some sort of dream world where again and again, he nearly kills himself playing with matches and doing other things kids are NOT supposed to do. I really think the cartoon was intended as some sort of indoctrination for the young ones--to tell them what not to do in a very heavy-handed sort of manner. To make it worse, there is a hellishly saccharine chorus that sings about safety!! Ugghhh!!! Make it stop!!! When the green Boogeymen appear, I assumed it would get better--but then they began singing and dancing, too!! Ultimately, some creepy wizard appears and rescues the tyke. It's the Sandman--no, not of the Neil Gaiman variety, but the type that sings the little kid to sleep (though I thought this was all already a dream?!). Ultimately, it ends on a note so sickeningly sweet that I am about to go into a diabetic coma. Please...do not watch this unless you are a masochist!