The Hole Idea

Robert McKimson's 'The Hole Idea' was the director's "auteur" cartoon, which he not only directed but animated himself. McKimson was deeply proud of the cartoon and the result is often quite impressive although it is a tad too unfocused to stand among McKimson's best work. Presented in a stylised fashion, 'The Hole Idea' is based on a clever idea by Sid Marcus in which a hen-pecked inventor invents a portable hole, which is then stolen and used for evil by an anonymous villain. There's flashes of greatness in Marcus's script but it pulls in too many directions, attempting to weave in elements of the domestic cartoons that were popular in the 50s and 60s, which ultimately prove the weakest parts of the short. However, McKimson's witty animation redeems any shortcomings in the material and 'The Hole Idea' is often ingenious in its visuals. McKimson was often underrated as a director but was widely celebrated as an animator and it is the latter skill which is predominant in 'The Hole Idea'. One wonders how much greater it might have been with a little extra script work.

Thirteen years before "Yellow Submarine" featured a Sea of Holes (one of which Ringo picked up and stuck in his pocket), Robert McKimson portrayed portable holes in "The Hole Idea". It's certainly a clever cartoon. I guess that it's sort of a cliché to depict a husband who forgets anniversaries - thereby incurring his wife's anger - and a presumably good invention getting used for illicit purposes.

But overall, this is definitely a neat one. I can't understand what some reviewers have against Robert McKimson; in my opinion, his cartoons weren't the best to come out of Warner Bros., but he truly had some neat ideas. You gotta admire this one.

This is a funny, if somewhat one-note, cartoon concerning the invention of a "portable hole" and the benefits and attendent difficulties such a device would bring about. There are plenty of sight gags, as you can imagine, and the finale is most decidedly not Politically Correct! It's fun watching and enjoyable, if not terribly novel and well worth taking time to watch.

I love how DVDs of classic Warner Brothers films include some nice extras. With many of the 1930s, 40s and 50s films I've seen from them, they include at least a couple short films from the same year as the feature film--usually a live action one and a cartoon. "The Hole Idea" is a cartoon from 1955 included with another 1955 release, "Pete Kelly's Blues".

This Looney Tunes cartoon does not include any of the stock characters but is about Professor Calculus--the inventor of the portable hole. In this bit of fantasy, you can pick up this hole and use it to hide things, improve your golf game or give you a place to hide when the nagging wife is running amok. Unfortunately, a sinister green-skinned baddie steals this hole and uses it to start a crime wave. The cartoon is quite clever--and quite creative. I especially loved the final scene!! I enjoyed "The Hole Idea" very much and my only reservation is that the art style is indicative of the changes in the cartoon industry at that time--employing cheaper animation (particularly the backgrounds). Still, it's a lot of fun.

The Hole Idea is not one of Robert McKimson's best, the writing occasionally does try to go in too many directions, but it is still a very good cartoon with a clever if ever so slightly silly idea. The animation quality itself is detailed and colourful and the very best of the visual ideas are eye-catching. The music has much liveliness and character, the way it's composed fits perfectly with the gags, the facial expressions, gestures and how the characters are feeling. Apart from when it does try to do too much, the writing is still high in wit and energy, while the gags- the ending in particular is great- are as clever and imaginative as the idea, which is explored intelligently and to its full potential complete with snappy pacing and colourful characters. There are a few strands that are familiar(husband forgetting their anniversary to the annoyance of his wife) but dealt with in a fresh way. The voice acting from Bea Beanderet and especially Mel Blanc is wonderful. Overall, while McKimson has done better The Hole Idea is nonetheless very enjoyable, being clever in humour and animation. 9/10 Bethany Cox