Sniffles and the Bookworm

Sniffles and the Bookworm (1939)

** (out of 4)

A mouse falls asleep in a book store when he is visited by a bookworm, which turns a bunch of book characters into moving creatures. We get appearances from various stories all leading up to the showdown with Frankenstein's monster. All in all I found this animated short to be rather bland because none of the characters were all that interesting and that includes our lead, the mouse. I wasn't even overly impressed with Jones' animation because it too comes off bland and without too much life. The story itself is an interesting one but not much is done with it. There's a musical number that I didn't care too much for but the one interesting this is that the death of the monster here comes somewhat similar to that seen the same year in SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.

Not sure who writes these views, but most critics think too much and therefore can't see the forest for the trees. This cartoon is excellent by all standards. It is witty, clever and all around enjoyable.

Chuck Jones's first star Sniffles was usually known as just plain cute. However, "Sniffles and the Bookworm" is different. This cartoon incorporates the "inanimate objects come to life" genre that twice portrayed books acting out their titles ("Have You Got Any Castles?" and "Book Revue"): Sniffles, a studious worm, and a group of classic novels have a hootenanny and inadvertently wake up Frankenstein's monster.

So, for once, we do get to see a different side of this mouse. Of course, I probably speak for most Looney Tunes fans when I say that Chuck Jones got really good once he started directing Bugs, Daffy, and the rest of the really famous characters.

All in all, worth seeing.

A mostly forgotten Looney Tunes character of the late 30s and early 40s is Sniffles. Sniffles was created by Chuck Jones and appeared in a dozen films. Initially, he was an annoyingly and cloyingly cute mouse. Later, probably due to the public's dislike of the character, he was turned into an annoying non-stop chatterbox...which hastened his demise at the studio! As for me, I hated Sniffles as a kid and still cannot warm up to him....so it's no surprise that I am not a huge fan of "Sniffles and the Bookworm"...though I did think the Bookworm was awfully cute and enjoyable....mostly because he didn't talk.

This 1939 cartoon is in color and has gorgeous animation....and it's the best thing about the film. It is very typical of many Looney Tunes cartoons of the era, as it has Sniffles and Bookworm wandering about stacks of books as characters from them came to life. It's not bad...mostly because Sniffles isn't so cloyingly cute in this one, though the cartoon also isn't all that funny. Worth seeing so you can see Sniffles at his best but otherwise a rahter unremarkable short.

Chuck Jones is widely considered one of animation's finest directors/animators and for very good reason. When he was at his best, his cartoons were masterpieces of animation, comic timing, characterisation and wit.

The Sniffles cartoon series were very early efforts for Jones, and, while they are interesting from a historical perspective, it is safe to say that from personal opinion they don't see him at his best(though they are a long way from bad). There is somewhat of a still finding his feet feel here, with the humour once he became a regular director for the Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons becoming much funnier, more constant and wittier and the characterisation far more interesting.

'Sniffles and the Bookworm' is one of the better Sniffles cartoons. The premise is a very familiar one and has been done with more imagination elsewhere, but actually there is not much wrong here. The predictable ending is where 'Sniffles and the Bookworm' is at its weakest.

What makes 'Sniffles and the Bookworm' one of his best is that it is one of the crisper paced, it's one of the most amusing ones and it is very charming while being a Sniffles cartoon that doesn't try too hard to be cute. The literary characters coming to life premise is not an original one as said but is still great fun to watch, very nostalgic and has its fair share of visual invention.

Have said before that Sniffles is not one of the most interesting and compelling characters, here he is sweet but has grown in personality. The bookworm is a good supporting character and they work very well together. The literary characters are wittily done and the chases are suitably merry.

As ever with Jones, the animation is very good. It is lush and vibrant in colour and meticulous and beautifully drawn in detail. The character designs are fluid, well drawn and distinctive Jones, if not the creative ones of his very best cartoons. Carl Stalling's music is lush and characterful, with clever orchestration and a mastery of not just adding to the action but enhancing it as well (Stalling was a near-unequalled master at this, though Scott Bradley gave him a run for his money).

On the whole, very good for a Sniffles cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox