Hit or miss: "I've Got to Sing a Torch Song"

[frizfrelengfan]

This was the first Merrie Melodie released after the Harman-Ising era and only one of two WB cartoons directed by the much-maligned Tom Palmer. (The other was the first Buddy cartoon.) It's rarely seen but was shown on Cartoon Alley.

I say it's a hit. It doesn't have any plot, but it does have a theme, which is listening to the radio. There are many caricatures here, such as Bing Crosby (as "Cros Bingsby,") Ed Wynn, Jimmy Cagney, Marlene Dietrich and Mae West. There are others that I don't recognize. The cartoon moves along at a fast clip, and is not without humor. I get a kick out of the man working out with a punching bag in a room with lots of pictures of himself. The music is good. The only part I don't like is the ladies doing the Spirit of '76 - I think that's kinda silly. But other than that, there's really nothing not to like.

Perhaps I like this cartoon because I'm a fan of radio, although I deplore the state of American radio today. I'd like to know what others think of this early cartoon.

[lonesome-lenny]

Any cartoon with caricatures of the Boswell Sisters can't be bad! This cartoon does have period charm, and some decent gags.

Tom Palmer's cartoons often suffer from listless pacing, but it's obvious that he was out to impress with this important transitional WB cartoon.

I'm glad it was included as one of three B&W cartoons on WB's GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 DVD. The movie is great all by itself--talk, again, about period charm!--but the trio of vintage WB cartoons is a decided plus.

[Matthew Hunter]

I find it boring. Interesting as a cultural history lesson, but not funny or entertaining othewise.

[Fibber Fox]

Perhaps I like this cartoon because I'm a fan of radio, although I deplore the state of American radio today. I'd like to know what others think of this early cartoon.

Am I in the minority? I've never seen it.

FF

[frizfrelengfan]

Fibber Fox,

Although some of the people here have (almost) every WB cartoon ever made, I don't think you're in the minority. It doesn't get shown very often. I think I last saw it 40 years ago when old cartoons were shown on broadcast TV. If you have cable or satellite TV with TCM, watch for it on Cartoon Alley. Or as lonesome-lenny says, it's on the Gold Diggers of 1933 DVD.

[OurGangAlfalfa]

This was the first Merrie Melodie released after the Harman-Ising era and only one of two WB cartoons directed by the much-maligned Tom Palmer. (The other was the first Buddy cartoon.)\.

Actually Jack King directed the first Buddy cartoon.

[Marty26]

I've actually never seen this cartoon either. I'd like to, though.

[frizfrelengfan]

Actually Jack King directed the first Buddy cartoon.
Dave Mackey's usually reliable website (http://www.davemackey.com/animation/wb/1933.html) says that "Buddy's Day Out" was directed by Tom Palmer, and has a screenshot of the title card to prove it. He indicates that another source credits Jack King.

[OurGangAlfalfa]

Dave Mackey's usually reliable website (http://www.davemackey.com/animation/wb/1933.html) says that "Buddy's Day Out" was directed by Tom Palmer, and has a screenshot of the title card to prove it. He indicates that another source credits Jack King.
Sorry. I read that in Maltin's book. :o

[dandu]

But then again, Tom Palmer was fired for making a sloppy story etc, so Jack King might have tightened it up.

[Sogturtle]

The Turtle's two-cents worth...

Tom "no sense of humor" Palmer had "made a hash" of three cartoons for Schlesinger/Warners, they were actually so bad that they were rejected for release by the studio. At that point in time Friz Freleng received an agonized, panicked phone call from none other than Leon Schlesinger-himself, begging and pleading with him to quit Harman-Ising and come over to work for him, as everything that he had was tied up in those three rejected-by-Warners cartoons... Freleng acceded to Schlesinger's imploring and took the three cartoons and edited them down (and together) and evidently made new footage as well and thus came up with two at-least-presentable cartoons ("Buddy's Day Out" and "I've Got To Sing A Torch Song") which were accepted for release. Schlesinger left Palmer's name on the cartoons (probably at Freleng's request as it's hard to turn trash into diamonds;)) and Friz earned Leon's undying gratitude for literally saving the infant studio. Instant senior-directorship for Freleng.:)

[janiepooh34]

I find it boring. Interesting as a cultural history lesson, but not funny or entertaining othewise.

I agree with you! But now I need my cultural history lesson because I do not know who half of the people are in this cartoon.

[dandu]

The Turtle's two-cents worth...

Tom "no sense of humor" Palmer had "made a hash" of three cartoons for Schlesinger/Warners, they were actually so bad that they were rejected for release by the studio. At that point in time Friz Freleng received an agonized, panicked phone call from none other than Leon Schlesinger-himself, begging and pleading with him to quit Harman-Ising and come over to work for him, as everything that he had was tied up in those three rejected-by-Warners cartoons... Freleng acceded to Schlesinger's imploring and took the three cartoons and edited them down (and together) and evidently made new footage as well and thus came up with two at-least-presentable cartoons ("Buddy's Day Out" and "I've Got To Sing A Torch Song") which were accepted for release. Schlesinger left Palmer's name on the cartoons (probably at Freleng's request as it's hard to turn trash into diamonds;)) and Friz earned Leon's undying gratitude for literally saving the infant studio. Instant senior-directorship for Freleng.:)

Do you know what the third cartoon is called?
Was it reused (likely "I've Got To Sing A Torch Song") in another cartoon?

[Sogturtle]

Do you know what the third cartoon is called?
Was it reused (likely "I've Got To Sing A Torch Song") in another cartoon?

Dandu~

Friz never was specific as to the titles of the original three cartoons, nor as to how much of the three previously finished cartoons actually survived into the two that were released. (Obviously Schlesinger couldn't be out much more money on them though!).

Sooooo in other words, only drastically edited down parts of the three survive in the two, with some new footage to connect the surviving scenes and to add a little bit of levity. :buddy:

[frizfrelengfan]

I agree with you! But now I need my cultural history lesson because I do not know who half of the people are in this cartoon.
Janiepooh34,

The man who appears to be in love with himself punching the bag that looks like a globe could be playwright George Bernard Shaw. (There's a note on the floor that says "From Shaw to Shaw," and there's a picture on Wikipedia of Shaw in 1934 that looks like him.)

I don't know who the guy whose teeth fall out is. The tap dancers are Joan Blondell and Jimmy Cagney. I don't know who "the old maestro and all the lads" is, but he appears in several WB cartoons. I don't know who the men being cooked are, but one of them looks like George Burns. I don't know who "Yowza yowza" is. The cop and safecracker are probably famous people too. I think the girl between Marlene Dietrich and Mae West is Bette Davis, but I'm not sure. And the Statue of Liberty is imitating Jimmy Durante.

[Fibber Fox]

I don't know who "the old maestro and all the lads" is, but he appears in several WB cartoons. I don't know who the men being cooked are, but one of them looks like George Burns. I don't know who "Yowza yowza" is.

Ben Bernie.

FF

[janiepooh34]

Janiepooh34,

The man who appears to be in love with himself punching the bag that looks like a globe could be playwright George Bernard Shaw. (There's a note on the floor that says "From Shaw to Shaw," and there's a picture on Wikipedia of Shaw in 1934 that looks like him.)

I don't know who the guy whose teeth fall out is. The tap dancers are Joan Blondell and Jimmy Cagney. I don't know who "the old maestro and all the lads" is, but he appears in several WB cartoons. I don't know who the men being cooked are, but one of them looks like George Burns. I don't know who "Yowza yowza" is. The cop and safecracker are probably famous people too. I think the girl between Marlene Dietrich and Mae West is Bette Davis, but I'm not sure. And the Statue of Liberty is imitating Jimmy Durante.

Thanks for that, some I knew, some I didn't...and I actually knew Ben Bernie was the yowza guy. (One of the few I knew without question.)

The main one I am not getting is the guy that is running around in the fire hat always saying "When you hear the gong it will be 8 o'clock." I am sure it is some radio show thing I know nothing of.

[frizfrelengfan]

Janiepooh34,

That's Ed Wynn, who seems to be caricatured in more cartoons (by more than one studio) than just about anybody. (My fondest memory of Ed Wynn was in "Mary Poppins.")

[Rusty0918]

Is this one available online?

Or if not, does anyone have a screencap or give me one of the "Spirit of '76" number?

[frizfrelengfan]

My video capture program didn't work very well, but you get the idea.

[Sean Gaffney]

Janiepooh34,

The man who appears to be in love with himself punching the bag that looks like a globe could be playwright George Bernard Shaw. (There's a note on the floor that says "From Shaw to Shaw," and there's a picture on Wikipedia of Shaw in 1934 that looks like him.)

I don't know who the guy whose teeth fall out is. The tap dancers are Joan Blondell and Jimmy Cagney. I don't know who "the old maestro and all the lads" is, but he appears in several WB cartoons. I don't know who the men being cooked are, but one of them looks like George Burns. I don't know who "Yowza yowza" is. The cop and safecracker are probably famous people too. I think the girl between Marlene Dietrich and Mae West is Bette Davis, but I'm not sure. And the Statue of Liberty is imitating Jimmy Durante.

The three women doing the musical number are Greta Garbo, Zasu Pitts, and Mae West. Pitts is probably the hardest to pick out these days, though she was caricatured a lot in the early to mid 30s.