Senorella and the Glass Huarache (1964)

[LooneyLover81]

Hi,

What do you guys think of Senorella and the Glass Huarache (released on August 1, 1964), the last cartoon to be produced by the original Warner Bros. Cartoons division that had been started back in 1944 when Eddie Selzer took over from Leon Schlesinger?

Hit or miss?

One of the two guys narrating this Spanish makeover of Cinderella just happened to be married to Senorella's wicked stepmother. Jose married Senorella.

[nickramer]

Miss. The studio was rushing on this cartoon so they can quickly close the studio. I did like the ending, though. Luckily, Hawley Pratt got better on directing once he moved to Depatie-Freleng.

[CyberFox]

Basically, It's a Hit

It's an ingenious retelling of the Cinderella story

[ohmahaaha]

I had never seen it before watching it the other night from my LTGC 5 set, and I thought it was a hit .... I thought it was very well done and funny.

[Douglas E.]

I had never seen it before watching it the other night from my LTGC 5 set, and I thought it was a hit .... I thought it was very well done and funny.
I also thought that it was a good short. I don't understand why alot of people say it's a bad cartoon. It's not great, but still a good short IMO.

-Doug

[Matt the Y]

I would consider it mediocre. Not great, not bad, just kinda in-between and just "there". Parts of it were entertaining; others just kinda boring and uninteresting. A worthwhile if not entirely successful experimentation by a late-period WB entry.

[Alf]

I think it´s a Hit. Considering that the studio was not in its finest hour, it´s amazing to see that they still could deliver fresh, witty cartoons like this. I really like all those one-shot cartoons made at WB during its final years, when directors were trying to do something diferent rather than just stick to the studio´s regular characters, who by then had become too formulaic. This is true of Chuck Jones´ HIGH NOTE, NELLY´S FOLLY, NOW HEAR THIS, etc. and Robert McKimson´s BARTHOLOMEW VERSUS THE WHEEL.
And by the way, Looneylover, it´s a MEXICAN makeover of Cinderella, not a Spanish one (I should know it, since I´m from Spain!).

[Marty26]

It's a Hit. It's not really a cartoon I'd want to watch every day, but I found it to be a fine farewell to Classic Era WB cartoons. Even if it was more or less a rush-job to get one last cartoon out before the studio shutdown.

[Chow Hound]

Hit. Not as great as some of their one-shots, but not nearly the worst either. I found it quite funny.

[Patrick McCart]

Hit. The very modernized design and brisk pace make it a very appealing cartoon.

(Sorry, I had a brain fart - how the heck did I confuse the two?)

[Leviathan]

Hit. The very modernized design and brisk pace make it a very appealing cartoon. Coal Black will always be the ultimate Cinderella parody, though.

But Coal Black is a snow white Parody

[Cartman]

I would consider it mediocre. Not great, not bad, just kinda in-between and just "there". Parts of it were entertaining; others just kinda boring and uninteresting. A worthwhile if not entirely successful experimentation by a late-period WB entry.
I agree with Matt. It's in the middle. I think it's interesting that they decided to do a Mexican version instead of the traditional European setting. The backgrounds are actually pretty well done. Very interesting use of colors. The animation, on the other hand, not too great.

[Speedy Boris]

I need to rewatch it but I remember liking it somewhat. For some reason I'm having a hard time remembering many of the jokes off-hand. The ending was great, though.

The UPA-style stylings really came out during the dance scene, IMO.

[LooneyLover81]

If this cartoon was scripted as a "Mexican" rehash of Cinderella, why does it mention Madrid, the capital of Spain?

[Alf]

When the evil stepsisters are preparing themselves for the ball, the narrator says that "they were wearing the latest dresses from Madrid". Since Madrid is in Europe, this could have been created in order to add a touch of exotism in a cartoon set in Latin America. It would just like saying "the latest dresses from Paris". Only that Paris may have been replaced by Madrid because of the linguistic and cultural links between Spain and Mexico.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

The idea is interesting, but ultimately the cartoon is done in by economics. The low budget makes the cartoon look like it was intended for television, and not movie theaters. Not as bad as the Larriva Road Runner cartoons or Cool Cat, but still far from good. One might go as far as to say it's...mediocre.

[Andrew T.]

Having grown up watching them on Nickelodeon, I've always had a soft spot for a lot of the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies of the 1960s...even the subcontracted DePatie-Freleng and Format Films affairs. The studio may have been winding down at the time of Señorella and the Glass Huarache...and animation was limited by a tight budget...but I'll be darned if the clever plot, amusing dialogue, and vivid illustrations don't more than make up for that!

This cartoon is a longtime favorite of mine. I finally splurged and bought all five of the "Golden Collections" a few weeks ago, and was pleasantly surprised to rediscover this gem in the bargain.

I love how the music changes when Señorella appears at the dance, twirling that thing around. :p