Yankee Doodle Swing Shift

Of the Swing Symphony cartoons, 'Yankee Doodle Swing Shift' was for a while the rarest. It is as of now available to watch, but even then not many people are likely to know of it and it is probably not seen a lot. The Swing Symphony cartoons are on the whole recommended, the best of them are great and even lesser efforts are watchable. The title of the cartoon intrigues, am one of those people that likes swing music a lot and the title song has always been infectious.

'Yankee Doodle Swing Shift' is not a bad cartoon and is to me above average. Personally do not agree with it being so little known. It is though rather uneven, starting off great but feeling too much like a different cartoon later on. As far as the series goes, it is a lesser effort and really do wish that the energy the first half had was maintained throughout. If one likes Lantz and the other Swing Symphony cartoons but have never heard of 'Yankee Doodle Swing Shift' there is no reason for one to not see it.

The best thing about it is, somewhat predictably (not meant in a derogatory way), the music, which is fantastic throughout the entire cartoon. Even when the story is uneven in pacing the energy and character in the music are consistent and in a great way. It is just so infectious and clever, one of those instances of wanting to get up, grab an instrument and start playing and dancing. Most of the animation is fine too, especially in the very vibrantly coloured first third, beautifully synchronised movements with the instruments and a lot of clever touches in the sight gags, especially in the middle third, can be seen.

Also thought that the first third had a lot of energy and a lot of funny and beautifully timed sight gags, like with the pictures on the music stand. It is also the closest to swing the cartoon got and part of me does wish that 'Yankee Doodle Swing Shift' stuck with that only. The vocal performances are wonderfully exuberant throughout.

However, to me 'Yankee Doodle Swing Shift' did start losing energy and had a running out of ideas feeling towards the end of the middle act. That the story was slight was absolutely expected, but was not expecting it to feel like a different cartoon once the setting changed to the extent that the first third felt irrelevant. It did start coming over as heavy handed when the preparing for war content came in and that and the swing style didn't come over as harmonious with each other.

Other Swing Symphony cartoons are more consistent in animation. The character designs do become less appealing later on and come over as on the primitive side, character designs that one would see in the late 20s and throughout the 30s but not when animation had come on significantly. The ending is very abrupt and tacked on-like, what it was trying to say was not needed.

In summary, above average if uneven. 6/10.

The Zoot Cats are laying down a solid beat when the scrap drive takes their brass instruments, the strings in their pianos, everything they need to make their music. So they're upset until they see a sign saying they are wanted for the swing shift. And they go to work turning those musical instruments into things needed to win the war.

I've never seen this Walter Lantz Swing Symphony before, and the reason is that it's nearly pure propaganda, but it's also doing what Lantz's cartoon factory did best at the peak of their production: making something entertaining, even joyous, with a lovely set of riffs on "Yankee Doodle" and some startling sight gags.