Silly Superstition

It's easy to see why this, the second of three Lil' Eightball cartoons, shows up so rarely. He's a little Black boy with a voice (performed by an uncredited Mel Blanc) straight out of Amos & Andy. Director Burt Gillett, who did a whole bunch of color films for Van Beuren which did not age well... well... this is typical for the sort of cheap and easy project he got involved in.

Once you strip out the cultural changes, what you have is a mediocre cartoon as Lil' Eightball tries to prove to his dog that he is not superstitious. The gag sequences are classic ones that seem to be drawn out of Mack Sennett and Lloyd Hamilton silent comedies and are nicely executed. However, it's all been done before and the stereotyping is pretty hard to take almost seventy-five years later.

'Silly Superstition' (1939)

Opening thoughts: Have seen a lot of the cartune special cartoons over time (some first time viewings recently, others re-watches), and while they are a mixed bag in quality there are plenty that are well above average and more. Burt Gillett did do a good deal of great work in his earlier career, with some of the best Disney cartoons (i.e. 'Lonesome Ghosts' coming from him), but his later work varied with some good cartoons but also some rather average ones. Same goes for Walter Lantz.

'Silly Superstition' is one of three cartoons to star Li'll Eightball. Watching this and the other cartoons, which are not much better on the whole and for pretty much the same reasons, it is hardly surprising that he and his series didn't last long. This is very weak and one of the worst Cartune special cartoons and among the worst for both Gillett and Lantz. To the extent that there was real disbelief of it coming from them. It even manages to waste a legend and in my mind that's unforgivable.

Good things: It is not all bad. The animation is vibrant and beautifully detailed, with also some nice atmosphere.

Even better is the very characterful music, that is also lush in orchestration and rousing and does so well at enhancing the action rather than merely adding to it.

Bad things: Unfortunately, that is pretty much it for the praise. It badly lacks energy and is sorely lacking in laughs, in fact in material and atmosphere the cartoon has next to nothing to it. The story is pretty much non-existent and is very predictable.

Also found the titular character himself very unappealing and personality free, basically he is little more than a very bland stereotype. There is a lot of racial stereotyping here, even for back then, and they are hard to take, cliched and in bad taste (even when judging it for back then). The waste of the God of voice acting Mel Blanc is truly unforgivable.

Closing thoughts: Summarising, very weak.

3/10.