Paul Bunyan

This is my second review of an Oscar-nominated cartoon for 1958 having just done the same for Art Bartsch's Sidney's Family Tree. This one is another version of the Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan, the giant man who chopped lots of trees and helped log them with the help of his blue ox Babe. The story begins when he's a baby found on a beach with the town adopting him with everyone helping in sewing clothes for him as well as schooling him and him having fun at the swiming pool. As he grows, he gets an ax for a Christmas present and then moves out west after chopping trees at his hometown. In moving out, Paul meets Babe and...well, let's just say things get exaggerated concerning how certain natural wonders are formed. The animation is pure '50s with the typical limited backgrounds of the period but they're pleasing enough. Directed by Les Clark. Oh, and nice hearing the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft-best known as Tony the Tiger of the Kellog's Frosted Flakes cereal commercials-as the title character. Only one more nominee to go...

"Paul Bunyan" is one of a string of animated shorts that Walt Disney made in the 1950s. These comic book style films were about legendary characters in America's past. This is a good rendition of the tale of a man who cleared the forests of a growing continent in its early years. Paul and his Canadian blue ox, Babe, were the logging champions of all time.

Kids young and old should enjoy this fairy tale, in Disney style, even in the 21st century. Of course, today the public concern has changed from one of taming the land to one of preserving and conserving the world's forests.

I remember this from my childhood. Coming from Minnesota, we, like so many other areas, take credit for the legend. One day, Paul shows up in a gigantic cradle as a baby and is story begins. No need to go into details. Most of North America is created by him, the lakes, the rivers, the mountains. He has a strong personality but the West is only so defined. This is an adequate cartoon version of American folklore but not great shakes. I did enjoy the song, however.

I am drawn to this thanks to "The Simpsons" episode "Simpsons Tall Tales." That version is much more entertaining, and in that episode, the neighbors are cruel and express their dark thoughts without restraint, just like in real life. Here, being a Disney production, they are portrayed as angelic. However, this version has a bittersweet ending that has made me appreciate it more. Generally, it can be said that this short film presents a story that doesn't offer much, which can be dull, but coming from watching "The Simpsons," I found it interesting. It is also interesting to learn about other versions of the story.

This Disney short was created during the studio's creative free-fall in the 1950s. While the 1930s and 40s found the studio on top, by the mid-1950s, their shorts were dull, poorly animated and often overtly educational (yuck!). I am sure kids and adults alike longed for the old Mickey and Donald cartoons! Typical of the 50s, the animation style is VERY minimalistic--with exceptionally simple backgrounds and far fewer detail to the characters. This style was popularized by UPA Studio and Disney realized that making these cheap cartoons was profitable--though lacking artistry and sophistication--a trend that was to continue for the next several decades.

Despite crappy animation, the story itself isn't bad. It lacks a sense of humor (that's bad) but the song is very catchy and the story quite clever. It's certainly not among the best stuff Disney ever produced, though it's a good bit better than a typical film of the era.

By the way, listen for the voices of Thurl Ravenscroft (Tony the Tiger and many other cartoon characters) and Parley Baer (a TV regular and voice of Ernie from the Keebler commercials).