Earth Day Lessons in Cartoon Classics

BY GARY SCOTT BEATTY, PUBLISHER AND EDITOR, MUSKEGONONLINE.NET 

Brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, of Fleischer Studios, were city boys. Maybe that explains these characters' longing for nature.

Don't expect the urban, jazz crazy tales of the Fleischer brothers' early years in these Color Classics from 1935 (The Song of the Birds) and 1940 (Little Lambkins). Although their Koko the Clown dominated '20s cartoon popularity and Fleischer Studios' Betty Boop was a household name, the enforcement of the Hays Code in 1934 kept Fleischer cartoons from the racey, dark, city-oriented subject matter that made their early cartoons unique.

Parents be cautioned, though. The kids in these shorts are destructive and their "play" involves activities dangerous to children!

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In The Song of the Birds, a little boy uses his air rifle to shoot up his house, then turns on the neighborhood birds! At least this one has a moral, perfect for Earth Day month!

What toddler would prefer city life to a country home surrounded by nature? The kid in Little Lambkins, tampers with the electronic gadgets in his new home and creates chaos. Caution: children should not rip live wires from their homes' walls!

These Works are in Public Domain and not Derivative as specified by U.S. copyright law (title 17 of the U.S. Code).

Interested in classic animation? Visit Animation Resources, a 501(c)(3) California non-profit corporation dedicated to serving the worldwide online animation community. 

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