Bedtime Bedlam

One of Lantz's genius Woody's shorts, really funny and full of movements and action with some out-of-the-routine techniques ..

The episode starts with Woody in a babysitting office, he receives a phone call from Mrs J. T. MoneyBills asking him for his services for her baby for 50$, Woody accepts greedily thinking he'll have easy 50$ for just watching TV while the baby is asleep, When the baby starts to cry .. Woody discovers to his great surprise that the baby is a giant gorilla!! an African gorilla was brought by Mr and Mrs MoneyBills in a Safari trip to Africa ..

Woody starts his hard babysitting job by following instructions from a book, he starts by giving the baby giant gorilla a bottle of milk and trying to put him asleep, the baby gorilla refuses and hence Woody -in a series of funny and comedy scenes= tries to force him to sleep by tiring him by games, all the games and tricks comes against Woody, each time Woody gets angry from the job he remembers the 50$ to convince himself to continue in babysitting the baby gorilla, at last Woody puts him asleep by a huge rock on his head, the baby gorilla gets asleep and Woody goes back to watch TV, in an News flash Woody finds that Mr and Mrs MoneyBills has gone to Africa for a new Safari trip!! Woody shouts in desperation: My money!! .. as the money is lost .. Woody shots the plane in the TV !!, he goes to the baby and hits and annoys him .. the baby giant gorilla wakes up and cries .. Woody went back to the living room and starts to jump and dance all around the room A really good cartoon from the golden era of 50th cartoons, I watched this episode in the Woody Woodpecker show when I was about 6 years old I thought that I'd never see it again but I've watched again since about 10 minutes and I really found it joyful *** Lo'ay

This short is just down right demented. Woody is placed in charge of a freaking baby ape and he tries everything to either injure or nearly kill it! This is short is just demented in the best way possible. However, the premise is boring, and woodys suffering is difficult to watch and not all that funny. Despite this, the gags and sheer audacity of the cartoon make it worth a watch. Animation is solid, with nice colors and solid backgrounds. Voice acting is, as per usual, very well done. The pacing is nice and slow, which helps with the unexpectedness of the gags. Lastly, the ending is nothing short of hilariously macabre. In all honesty, it's oddly good despite having such an atypical premise.

Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.

Most of Woody's previous efforts were good to classic. While better than the previous cartoon 'Private Eye Pooch', like that cartoon 'Bedtime Bedlam' is not one of those good to classic cartoons. Nothing awful, nothing great, instead ranging from average to decent. Woody is amusing and never a jerk, and one does feel sorry for him too. Not just because of having to look after such a pest but also when later finding out that all his troubles have literally been for nothing.

The baby gorilla is a pest, but is cute and is enough of an annoyance to Woody while not grating on the nerves of the viewer. The two work well together. The music is characterful, lushly orchestrated and is not only dynamic with the action it even enhances it. Some of the gags are amusing, and at least it isn't too typical or repetitive.

However, there is still a feeling of being a little too subdued, Woody has been much more manic which is such a large part of his persona. The animation is rushed-looking and ugly with attention to detail scattershot with the colours flat and garish.

Pacing generally lacks frenetic energy, feeling a bit limp, and there is never really anything hilarious here either.

In summation, decent but there are far better Woody Woodpecker cartoons. 6/10 Bethany Cox

. . . as a professional babysitter shoots down an entire plane load of innocent crew and passengers aboard an African Clipper flight to gain revenge on a pair of clients whom he fears are about to stiff him on his child care fee. He then provokes his over-sized care creature, hoping it will wreak havoc against the many residents of an urban high-rise, and perhaps beyond that particular building. Mercenary bad actors within the child care industry have become even more prevalent since the release of BEDTIME BEDLAM, as miserly malingerers try to figure out how to make the maximum amount of money for an increasingly minimal level of service.