The Enchanted Square

After Max Fleischer and his brother were ousted from their own studio, Paramount reorganized the studio, titled it the Famous Studio (later called Paramount Cartoon Studio) and lasted another 25 years making more Popeye and Superman cartoons, as well as cartoons featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, Herman & Katnip, etc. In all honesty, even as a huge admirer of animation, I've never really been the biggest fan of their work, as much of their series were more formulaic than Tom & Jerry and they seemed to appeal more to children than both children and adults (well, some at least). That being said, I think one of if not the best cartoon they ever made was this Raggedy Ann cartoon called The Enchanted Square, mainly for how emotional and heart warming it is.

The short centers around a little blind girl in New York named Billie, who on Halloween is given a Raggedy Ann doll from the police officer Flanagan. Despite being blind, Billie is told by Raggedy Ann that she can see with her imagination (or in this case, her heart). And so, Billie imagines a beautiful voyage where she and Ann travel through a carnivalesque land based on the real world but much more imaginative and colorful. What makes this such a sweet tale is how emotional it is, as we see how even those without the ability to see can think outside the box and imagine a world far beyond our own. What could have been saccharine ends up feeling genuinely sweet and heartfelt, and the ending does a perfect job summing up how there may be more to the physically impaired than one might think.

Adding in to that, despite there only being one song, You Can See With your Heart gives the proper optimistic tone to help recreate reality into fantasy, and it's hard not to tear up when listening to it. In addition, the animation is very colorful, vibrant and harmonious, with the lusciously beautiful landscapes and environments Billie recreates, showing how the young can think up of anything. In all honesty, I think the only real gripe I have with the whole short is that I wish it was a little longer so we could maybe see more of a conflict, but then again, that's not really the main point. The short knows exactly what it wants to say, and it does its job beautifully and poetically.

Whoever said cartoons shouldn't make people cry? Overall, The Enchanted Square is not only one of Famous Studios' crowning achievements in animation, but I'd even go as far as to say that it's one of the greatest animated shorts of the Golden Age of American Animation. If you're a fan of animation or you have a kid of your own, check out this short any given time; it might even inspire you or them. In fact, I think the internet short Out of Sight might have taken some inspiration from this, who knows? Anywho, to wrap this up, I'm going to quote officer Flanagan. "There are some who see with the eyes in their head, and there are some who see with the eyes in their heart, and that's the Lord's own truth."

This cartoon deserves more than 10 stars, but 10 is the highest this website allows. I had seen the cartoon on YouTube, and discovered that it was part of the 600 Giant Cartoon DVD collection I had purchased some time ago. No matter how many times you watch this cartoon, it will still bring a tear to your eye. It does to me just thinking about it. This cartoon is in a class by itself, and I believe everyone should see it. This cartoon ends with one of the best lines I've ever heard in any movie, cartoon short, or TV show: "There's some that sees with the eyes in their head; and there's some that sees with the eyes in their heart. And that's the Lord's own truth." I would love to have seen this done as live-action, although I think it would have been too powerful. It's powerful enough as a cartoon.

Some of Fleischer's lesser-known works are equally heartfelt. Like someone else had said, the Fleischers were better known for their character-driven cartoons, like Betty Boop, Little Lulu, and Popeye, all of whom had funny and wacky adventures, all good for a laugh or two. The lesser-known cartoons are the ones that tend to stick with you for a long time, and have a more heartfelt message to them. They're lesser-known only for the titles. If you go to any forum or question/answer site, you will find many asking "what was that cartoon with the blind girl and the doll" or "what was that cartoon with the brother and sister who were poor and dreamed of eating ice cream and popcorn", with a few people being able to provide the correct answer.

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!

This is a true masterpiece of storytelling, one that has lasted me over 45 years when I saw it as a child. I hope to see it again as I have not seen it since then but have fond memories of its heartwarming power. In many ways I believe it has influenced my life's work in deep and meaningful ways. I'm a video producer who has devoted the past 25 years to creating videos the encourage people and uplift them. I wish we could have a network devoted to these treasures for new generations to be touched by. If anyone knows of other classic cartoons like this one I would like to know so that we could start a classic cartoon club and have home screenings to ensure that new generations get to see the artistry and storytelling from the past.

'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.