Herr Heuschreck geht in die Stadt

This film used to play occasionally on daytime TV when I was a child. I must have seen it at least three times. Made by the same team (Gordon and Fleischer) that brought us "Gulliver's Travels", it's a charming little movie with a plot very similar to the later Pixar film "A Bug's Life." I remember first learning the name Hoagy Carmichael when I read the credits as an eight-year-old (my mother was astonished to know that I had heard of him.) If "Hoppitty" were ever released on DVD I would buy it in a heartbeat. I don't know anyone else who has ever seen it, though, which necessarily limits the amount of outcry over this deep injustice to a great little movie.

I have never read a review of this film that doesn't dump on it to some extent for not being Disney, or not being modern, or what have you. Like Rodney Dangerfield, this piece never did "get no respect." I understand that the date of its premiere was December 7, 1941! Needless to say, people in this country had other things on their minds. Having just found a used laserdisc of it, I viewed it for the first time since seeing it on television as a kid, and for anyone who fondly remembers seeing it like that, it's a powerful shot of nostalgia. While appropriately cartoonish, the drawing and animation is satisfyingly rooted in the real, physical world enough to make the figures and backgrounds come alive. So many of the "animation festival" pieces you see seem to be drawn by left handed gorillas, and the characters are rendered as formless blobs. But the glowing color palette, and the fine drawing and animation of "Hoppity" is a real treat to the eye. A very good-looking film. Moreover, it is just full of period charm (something which can be appreciated even by people like me, who were not around during that time). The characters, even the villains, are just so damn cute, and I should think anyone with an affinity for the earlier Disney animation (e.g. pre-World War II) would get a kick out of it. If you remember it fondly from years past, as I did, its a special treat. I just wanted to put in a few more nice words about this sweet, simple relic of the past.

Leslie Carbaga's excellent book on the Fleishers tells the whole story of the Fleischer's big move of their entire animation unit to Florida, and their subsequent ejection by Paramount.

Mr. Bug Goes to Town didn't destroy the animation pioneers' credit with Paramount, although it's often told that way, and this was Paramount's favorite version of the story. According to Carbaga, the big studio, more than anything, wanted to get their mitts on the animation studio and ease the famously bickering brothers out of the picture altogether. Mr. Bug provided them the pretext to do just that. --The sad closing of a great quirky, innovative chapter in American animation.

I wanted to comment, also, that the film actually debuted December 4, 1941, not December 7. That may have been close enough to do the trick, anyway, in terms of national mood damaging the film's success. But another part of the legend of this troubled little film is that it was killed by having the bad luck to be in the theaters at the same time Dumbo (released October 23, 1941) was still doing very brisk holiday business. I haven't done the research into box office numbers, but I'd say that Dumbo's concurrent presence in theaters likely had an impact on Mr. Bug. Movie-going was at an all time high at this period, and successful films could go strong in theaters for months. -- Something unimaginable in these typically short-run, quick to-DVD days.

"Hoppity Goes to Town" was the second and last full length animated feature made by Max and Dave Fleischer, who created a parallel universe to Disney. While Disney's films are well remembered today, both of the Fleischer films "Gulliver's Travels" and this one are forgotten.

"Hoppity" is a spellbinding original, not an adaptation like the first picture. That is a major plus, one would think. No, the critics, rarely on the Fleischers' sides to begin with, tore into them for this. Yes, the story is not as tight as "Gulliver", but how can you hate a film that flaunts itself so joyfully?

It is filled with great musical numbers and a very involving story, which would be a crime to reveal. The characters are lovable and charming and there is heart in this film.

The Fleischers' really outdid themselves here and never quite did so again. Most of their time would be devoted to one-reelers after this tanked at the box office. It's a shame they didn't continue making features. Who knows? Their next attempt may have become the masterpiece they were aiming for.

**** out of 4 stars

I was born the year this movies was made. Watched it first on T.V. in the early 50's when there were only three channels, and only black and white. As an adult I remembered the movie and the music. Not being able to remember the title, I had to search through many catalogs before finding the film. I have shown it at home to my children, and now my many grand-children. I never get tired of watching it, and the children love it. No matter how many time they watch it, they still laugh loudly, and listen intently during the music. The story line is great, the animation is unbelievable compared to todays computer animation, the color us bright and crisp, and the music is fantastic. If I could have only one movie, this would be it.