Arts and Flowers

--EASEL DOES IT--will immediately recognize its beta version, ARTS AND FLOWERS. The later film became necessary to correct all the mistakes pervading the original version. The desperate writer had to go so far as to adopt an assumed name at a rival studio to make amends for his travesty with Woody. ARTS had left its few viewers racking their brains trying to figure out WHY a woodpecker would suddenly have a thoroughly disagreeable human for a roommate. Furthermore, ARTS hovered WAY over the heads of Woody Woodpecker fans, descending as it does into the esoteric depths of Italian abstract theater and Louie Pirandello. Who really cares if Reality and Illusion are in conflict?

Woody and an artist compete to see who can win a prize for the best painting of a desert flower. The competition quickly escalates into violence.

This very good Woody Woodpecker movie dates from the period when Tex Avery was a refugee at the Lantz studio and it looks like this one shows his influence in the pattern of rising attacks that Woody and the painter engage in. There are also a number of "paint them and they become real gags" of the type that Avery enjoyed doing, although that could simply be a matter of matching the gags to the story.

Let us put aside any speculation of Avery's involvement. The director of this one is Paul J. Smith. He entered the industry in the 1920s, working for Disney on the Alice comedies; went with Harman-Ising following the loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Mintz; worked for a few years for Schlesinger -- like many in the cartooning industry, he was a nomad. Then in 1943 he went to Lantz, first as an animator and then, beginning in 1953, as a director. He was still there in 1972 when the boss closed down the studio.

Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.

That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. He is a lot of fun here and is never obnoxious or a jerk. He is suitably manic and while a pest (as he originally conceived to be) he is an annoyance to his opponent but comic joy for the viewer. The painter is a good foil and they work very well together. 'Arts and Flowers' is very good and compares favourably among the other Woody Woodpecker cartoons from this point.

'Arts and Flowers' only real problem is the animation, which is pretty ugly and looks like it was made in haste on a low budget.

Otherwise, the story is one of the least predictable for any Woody Woodpecker cartoon and the ways that Woody and the painter compete against other is done very inventively.

Music is bouncy, energetic and very lushly orchestrated, not only synchronising and fitting with the action very well but enhancing it. The whole cartoon goes at a snappy pace, especially in the second half.

There are some inventive moments here and the humorous elements are timed beautifully and often hilarious. The voice acting is very good.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox