Sh-h-h-h-h-h

This is one of Tex Avery's later animated shorts that he produced for Walter Lanz, after M-G-M closed down it's animation department. This short features some of the usual deranged,kinetic humor that he was famous for (but also touches on some dark humor,too). The plot concerns a Jazz musician (Mr.Twiddle)who has a nervous breakdown being constantly exposed to loud horns. He is prescribed by his doctor to get some rest & quiet. He books a room in a Swiss hotel that is supposed to be super quiet. No sooner than he sacks in for the night, when the room next door is taken by a couple who spends the night laughing non stop & honking on a trombone (supplied here by 'The Okeh Laughing Record---a novelty record released in the 1920's). The rest of the short is Twiddle trying to get this barrage of noise stopped so he can get some peace & quiet. The surprise ending is a corker that will floor you. This was apparently,Avery's last animated short produced for theaters,as he would eventually move to television (as would most other animators of the era). Sadly,this animated short is rarely ever shown on TV,much less re-released in cinemas (why is Universal sitting on these screen treasures?)

As we all know Tex Avery has made more than his share of great animated works. From "Symphony In Slang" to "Who Killed Who?" to one of the best of the Droopy cartoons "Three Little Pups". But those were all with MGM. Avery was canned after MGM's animation department was shut down, so he found employment for MGM rival Walter Lantz."Sh-h-h-h-h-h" is the undisputed Master of the Crazed Cartoon's brilliant masterpiece. It was also his last animated short.

Our story tells us about a Mr. Twiddle, a little man who works in a VERY noisy nightclub playing percussion while the horn section blows their trumpets right in his ears, making him a nervous wreck. He goes to see psychiatrist, Dr. I.M. Jittery (get it?), who tells him that his nerves are shot and unless he goes away so he can get some quiet rest he'll just blow up. So Mr. Twiddle goes to The Hush-Hush Lodge in the Swiss Alps, a place that prides itself on absolutely no sounds made whatsoever. Not long after Twiddle hits the hay, the people in the next room start to badly play a trumpet while howling with laughter. Twiddle tries to get them to stop but no avail. Each effort he makes is met by an even ruder response from these pests who seem to be enjoying torturing him. For example: Twiddle slips a note under the door saying to please stop the noise. The people in return instantly slip a note under the door telling him to "Aww shutup". And it goes on. That's the source of the cartoon's gags and sure, you get the usual Avery-styled barrage of them. But the main thrust is that Twiddle - along with us the viewers - never see who these sadistic noisemakers are. They are kept a complete mystery until being reveled in the cartoon's ingenuous twist ending (which I downright refuse to tell you here). We also see the unfortunate fate that befalls poor Mr. Twiddle.

This is also one of the most downright bizarre and weirdest cartoons ever made. For starters the cartoon's underlying atmosphere concerning Twiddle's ordeal seems dark and the ending, while it is great, itself feels macabre. There is also little dialog spoken throughout - for the most part all we get are a sparse array of sound effects. But mostly it's that laughter that gets to you. It goes on and on and on. Even as the cartoon fades out in it's final seconds we hear absolutely nothing but that crazed laughter. You're left with a very strange, and even creepy, feeling after Sh-h-h-h-h-h is over. And this is what makes this cartoon brilliant. Only Avery could take something plain like a laugh recording and frame a cartoon around it in such a way that he not only makes us smile with his trademark sight gags but chills our blood at the same time with a vivid weirdness. And to me this is the genius of Tex Avery, of his being able to easily twist the viewer around, to make us laugh but instead of leaving us smiling we're creeped out. And this was the last cartoon Avery ever made. After Sh-h-h-h-h-h was finished it was semi-retirement with some occasional television work for him until his death in 1980. He definitely saved his best short for last.

For those of you who have been trying like hell to see this one (it used to play occasionally on television among the other Walter Lantz cartoons, but now it's seldom - if ever - played anymore) it is on the Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection (Volume 1) DVD boxed set. So now you can watch Tex Avery's brilliantly comedic and macabre final film and see just what made this man the legend he has become.

I have been asking around for simply years for this cartoon but I never knew how many H's were in the title to be able to search correctly.

Well, I will do my best to purchase it at whatever the cost.

This cartoon is by far of my dear favorites of all time. The hilarity of beyond funny. True comedic situations that is leaps and bounds in the same direction but way ahead of its time of the great Simpsons cartoons. Having realistic themes with outlandish results is what makes this cartoon fantastic. I cannot stop laugh when I see this or even think of it. On www.youtube.com I can only find this cartoon in french I believe it is in. If only I can find it in English, I'll be one grateful camper.

The horns, the laughing nurse, the signs at the resort ...everything is over the top genius.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. 'Sh-h-h-h-h-h' may not be one of his very best, only because his masterpieces were so many, more so than most other animation directors. Occasionally, limitations show in some of the backgrounds (in comparison to his cartoons from the 40s), but this doesn't matter quite so much because everywhere else in the animation it's colourful and expressive.

Many times it has been said by me that when Avery was not at his best he still fared much better than most other animation directors at their worst, some can only dream of having their best work on the same level as the masterpieces from Avery. Still think that.

Have not seen all Avery's work, though that's my goal as of now, but as of now have yet to see anything "bad" from him, even if there are perhaps a few very early efforts that are not at his usual top standard.

Clarence Wheeler is no Scott Bradley, but his music scoring proves him to be a more than worthy replacement. It's lively, lush and fits very well, if not quite action-enhancing as with Bradley.

'Sh-h-h-h-h-h' is one of those cartoons that is very funny, with plenty of clever, imaginatively timed gags that really deliver on the humour and makes the most of a very clever and brilliantly constructed story that is pure insanity and deliciously so. Nobody does insanity like Tex Avery.

Direction as to be expected is impeccable as is Daws Butler's bravura voice-work. One does feel sorry for poor Mr Twiddle, especially if you've been in a similar situation to him.

Overall, another brilliant work from a master. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Plot: Droopy is supposed to play watchdog over a bear hibernating for the winter, and is competing with another dog for the job.

My brother and I saw this some Saturday morning 30 years ago and we still giggle about it today. Too bad it's not on video; maybe someone can give me a shout it you hear otherwise.