Il gioco del football

After your average Disney short - especially one from the 1940's that centers itself around a "how-to" demonstration of a specific sport - it almost feels as if you need a nap or a reassuring breather. The Disney shorts progress at a briskly-paced rate that almost defies all sense and time and even at their average length - a brief seven to eight minutes - they often race by at such an inconceivably quick rate that one needs to take a look at the time again. Jack Kinney's How to Play Football is no exception to the rules and the content and approach is the same as other "how-to" shorts from the global empire that included golf, baseball, and swimming. The film stars Goofy and gives us a simple yet kinetic look at the sport of football through the use of slapstick and anarchy, pitting together Taxidermy Tech against Anthropology A&M in a rousing and lawless game. The short features the trademark and expected traits of Disney's shorts, being very colorful and involving, but also, just plain entertaining and fun.

Directed by: Jack Kinney.

"Goofy" features prominently (well he plays everyone) and quite bravely in this. We start off with quite a sarcastic appraisal of the purpose of American Football - as opposed to the proper sort. It's all about kit, big stadia, huge crowds, hot-hog vendors, indeed virtually everything that has nothing to do with touching the actual ball! The teams align, realign, move a few yards, then it all happens again as they call out random numbers and 200lb players routinely squish their flyweight opponents before scrummages and penalties ensure as little as possible actually happens on the scoreboard. The narrative takes a swipe at not just the haphazardness of game, but at the relentless style of commentary frequently associated with the hype and hysteria these games encourage - matched only by the perfectly choreographed cheerleaders and big brass bands beside the pitch as "Taxidermy Tech" take on "Anthropology". It's quite a funny and honest observation this, and I quite enjoyed it.

From the 1940s even up to recent years, Disney Studios made a ton of the "How To" films starring Goofy. Most are pretty good (especially the last one, "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater"), though a few (such as the drivers ed ones) are a bit on the preachy and annoying side.

"How to Play Football" is one of the better shorts of this series. Much of the reason it's so worth watching is its great sense of humor and crazy and over-the-top action. As usual, all the characters look just like Goofy and the football game ends up being completely ridiculous--and fun. Excellent animation and quality make this one well worth seeing--even 66+ years later. Good entertainment for adults as well as children.

This short, nominated for an Oscar, is likely the best of the sports cartoons Disney did (most of them centered around the lithe, atheletic and graceful Goofy) and is a classic, although Tex Avery was there ahead of them, with Screwball Football in 1939. Tex more than holds his own, but How To Pay Football is hilarious and yet another in a long line of works with which Disney can be justifiably proud. This airs on the Ink and Paint Club periodically. Recommended.

Since there is little reality to this, we have to look at it for its comedic value. Goofy and his ilk are again there to teach us about a sport. This is college football and the most accurate part of it is the milieu itself. The game is silly but the whole surrounding business is quite well done. The fans, the doctors, the alumni, the coaches are the most fun. Of course, the game itself is just craziness. I saw this in my childhood or on The Wonderful World of Disney and got a kick out of it. I did like how the final touchdown was scored.