Mini Conto Musical

Young Man with a Horn: Harry James; The Voice in the Wilderness: Frank Sinatra; Brass: Tommy Dorsey- Sinatra worked for him; Drums Along the Mohawk: Gene Krupa; The Pie-eyed Piper: Benny Goodman; Arkansas Traveler: Arkansas-born Bob Burns (with his so-called "bazooka"); So Big: James Durante; Daffy Duck dressed up as Danny Kaye.

The line "... so round, so firm, so fully packed... so (free and) easy on the draw" was in reference to a Lucky Strike cigarette commercial- in coincidence, the Sportsman Quartet (also in this cartoon) used to do commercials for Lucky Strike on the Jack Benny Radio Program.

(*Daffy Duck quote*) - "La Cucaracha... So round - So firm - So fully packed - And, so easy on the draw."

When it comes to "Looney Tunes" - I'd say that "Book Revue" has got to be one of the looniest of them all.

Between the music, the books, and, yes, Daffy Duck chewing up the scenery - "Book Revue" is an enjoyably haywire cartoon whose non-stop action is delightfully delivered (at full-throttle) by the imaginative animation team at Warner Bros. Studios.

Originally released back in 1946 - This animated short certainly benefited greatly by its impressive direction from American animator, Robert Clampett (1913-1984).

Of all the cartoons where books, magazines etc. come to life, Bob Clampett's 'Book Revue' is by far the finest. The problem with many of these kind of cartoons is that they rely on cultural references that have been long forgotten, inescapably dating the picture. Although there are many references to popular books of the day in 'Book Revue', it manages to sidestep the detrimental dating effect thanks to Clampett's typically engaging speedy pacing and the inclusion of Daffy Duck as a character. Daffy emerges from the cover of a Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies comic and proceeds to completely steal the cartoon away from all the witty book parodies. Ever the showman, Daffy opens with a Danny Kaye impersonation followed by the highlight of the cartoon, a phenomenal scat version of the Little Red Riding Hood Story. Mel Blanc must be given enormous credit for pulling this off so brilliantly but Clampett makes it all the better by matching this brilliant vocal performance with stunning visual, including the infamous moment in which Daffy turns into a giant eyeball. This is the sort of joke no other director would even attempt and Clampett pulls it off with grotesque glee, 'Book Revue' is so much better than all other cartoons of its kind because it doesn't get hung up on visual pun after visual pun. Instead, Clampett uses these books as the backdrop against which to stage a high speed chase. Unlike some of these reference heavy shorts, 'Book Revue' can be enjoyed whether you get the reference points or not. It's a classic cartoon bursting with energy and ideas.

Part of the reason that the Looney Tunes cartoons were so great is that they exposed children to high culture. "Book Revue" is one of the many cartoons that does this. Featuring a book store where the literature does impersonations of Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, and others, they go all out here.

One thing that I have to admit is that when I was six years old, I didn't get the references; I mean, how many six-year-old children can identify William Shakespeare or Dante's "Inferno"? I also didn't know that Daffy Duck was doing a skit based on Danny Kaye.

But even if you don't get all the jokes, it's still a hoot just for what they show. You're sure to love it.

I love both Have You Got Any Castles? and Book Revue, both are very colourful and clever literary takes, but if I had a preference I have to go with Book Revue. The animation here is wonderful, very colourful and vibrant, and the music is superb, especially liked the use of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at the beginning. The singing is top notch, and the references are recognisable and a delight to watch. And the main reason why I prefer Book Revue is because of Daffy Duck, he is absolutely hilarious, whether this is his best cartoon overall is up for debate as there are so many exceptional ones, but this is for me one of his funnier performances. Out of the supporting characters, the rapacious Big Bad Wolf is my favourite. The cartoon moves really quickly, the humour is spot on and Sara Berner and Mel Blanc's voice work is outstanding. Overall, superb cartoon and although I loved Have You Got Any Castles, I prefer this one but only marginally, probably the fact that Daffy's in it is to do with it. 10/10 Bethany Cox