Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company 'B'

This is my third review of a cartoon nominated for an Academy Award for 1941 having previously done so for George Pal's Rhythm in the Ranks and Friz Freleng's Rhopsody in Rivets. In this one, a black trumpeter gets drafted in the Army and is made to play "Reveille" every 5 am to the consternation of his fellow recruits. But then he gets a magic instrument that lets him play it Big Band-style to the delight of everyone within listening distance. Of course, the title song that was made famous by The Andrews Sisters is warbled by the enlisted men. The depiction of the black men with big lips isn't too offensive to me but I did cringe when one of them showed a pair of dice as part of his teeth! Nice gags throughout and Walter Lantz really keeps things moving so that's a recommendation of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.

The tall and gangly "Hot Breath Harry" wows the jazz clubs until he is drafted into the army. They can't tell the difference between a trumpet and a bugle, so he is charged with blowing the reveillé at 0500hrs. That doesn't exactly make him popular - and after an altercation with an hatchet he reckons that he might have more success jazzing up this early morning wake up call so he uses a trumpet! Success all round as the story now morphs into a mildly amusing skit on all things military whilst accompanied by the eponymous Prince/Ray musical number. This was made just as President Roosevelt started his recruitment drive in earnest, so has a very specific purpose I think. It demonstrates that the army is a fun, inclusive and welcoming place. Tosh? Well maybe with modern day eyes, but in 1941 this had a job to do, and it just about does what it says on the tin in a lively fashion.

. . . it is likely to soon be entirely suppressed, squelched, banned and forbidden, due to its controversial nature. The song for which this film is named was the subject of a recent copyright lawsuit, pitting the sects industry against Big Music. Some weak-kneed pseudo "authorities" still refuse to impute any blame on Dick Wagner for inspiring the rise of the National Socialist Party and World War Two. Similarly, there doubtless are ostrich-like apologists who will not admit any connection between the degrading evil of James Crow and the mayhem depicted during BUGLE BOY OF COMPANY 'B,' including the haphazard nonchalance in which a minority recruit is callously fed to a crocodile.

this cartoon is available on the new woody woodpecker collection that debut this week. This cartoon has not aged well, since it reflects the "Amos and Andy" stereotyping of African-Americans. However, if you can watch this cartoon for the way in which it tells the story of the famous song and how the song and animation interact it is neat in the evolution of cartoons.

Once again, I wish to state that stereotyping of African-Americans is shocking by todays ideas. Therefore, I would not recommend this cartoon to the general population of viewers, because it could be highly offensive.

If Woody Woodpecker and Chilly Willie creator, 'Walter Lantz' (qv) offered 'The Andrews Sisters' (qv) popular trio for their current hit, of same title, "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy" (of Company B), and the trio accepted, I am strongly sure it would have won the best animation short award of 1941, along with the fact it was nominated, despite the fact of different human races and a majority of people are racial. If Laverne, Maxene and Patty Andrews were the musical vocalists, along with their newest or current hit song, Walter Lantz surely would have earned one more award, among those that he had already won, and would win later, in his career.