The Enchanted Square

A little blind girl is given an abandoned doll (who just happens to be Raggedy Ann) by a kind-hearted policeman. Through Raggedy Ann the girl's imagination comes splendidly alive in this wonderful forgotten Famous Studios cartoon that is filled with vibrant scenes, touching characters, a good score and grand direction. This cartoon is highly recommended for animation buffs of all ages and especially families looking for good entertainment. The policeman may have been played by radio and cartoon actor/announcer Jackson Beck (Bluto of the Popeye series). Available in the Public Domain in very good quality. Find it if you can, it's a gem!

'The Enchanted Square' is one of those animated shorts like most of the other shorts from Famous Studios that has sadly gotten the s**t end of the stick (most of the non Popeye shorts produced by Fleischer & Famous Studios that were released by Paramont Studios got sold to various film distribution firms in the mid to late 1950's in 16mm to television stations,and subsequently got lost in a black hole in space in the late 1960's,making them extremely hard to find,although badly scratched prints have turned up on cheaply produced VHS video copies years later). This is one of the few Raggedy Ann shorts that Famous Studios produced. The story concerns a Raggedy Ann doll,found in the trash & found by a kind policeman (voiced by Jackson Beck),and is given to the mother of a little blind girl. When Ann comes to life (in the girl's fantasy),and points out to the girl about how she can see more than she can with eyes. This is a beautifully illustrated & animated short that is a depart from the usual laugh filled shorts (i.e. Popeye,Little Lulu,etc)that Famous was known for. Pity that these long lost shorts aren't available for a generation that could appreciate early cell animation.

Here is another great cartoon from my childhood, because I remember having this cartoon on a VHS tape as a kid a long time ago. But alas, it's been lost over the years, and I couldn't find it ever since. Of course, thank God for YouTube. On YouTube, I found a really exquisite high-quality version of this cartoon, and I was impressed that a cartoon from Paramount's Famous Studio could be, well, exquisite, even from them; sorry to repeat "exquisite."

The story is about Raggedy Ann, who was mysteriously thrown in the trash and found by a kind police officer. The officer gives the rag doll to a blind girl named Billie. Raggedy Ann teaches the child about seeing the world through the power of imagination. That is all I have to say about this cartoon, folks. You know, in 1944, Famous Studios did a Raggedy Ann cartoon called "Suddenly, It's Spring," where Ann went up to the heavens to make the sun shine to make the sick little girl who owns her well. Of course, I love this cartoon even more.

As I always point out in my reviews, I don't have a favorite scene because I love this cartoon from beginning to end. And also, I like to point out a message the cartoon has that, to me, is never too cliche.

This is a Raggedy Ann film where she ends up in the arms of a pretty little blind girl. They go to a place called Enchanted Square where there are so many things that she can sense without her eyes. This could be maudlin, but it works very well and has a soft landing. Nice animation for this period.

This was my first look ever at a "Raggedy Ann" animated short, so I had no idea what to expect. Being part of a package of old cartoons put on DVD, I expected some humor. However, this story - and maybe her others (I'll find out) - are not meant for comedy. This is simply an inspirational little movie, a really nice story with nice people and a nice message. It also has some dazzling artwork, although the copy I saw is in desperate need of some "restoration."

In a nutshell, this introduces a rag doll, the famous "Raggedy Ann," to a blind little girl named "Billie." Through the doll, the girl learns to use her imagination and "see" things, for the first time.

It is a very touching sentimental story. At first I thought this was strictly for little girls, but not so: the message and the way it's presented is pretty profound for people of any age and gender.