The Milky Way

This is dated, big-time, with most of the "narration" done is song and in the old-fashioned harmony of the '30s singers. It's a trip through space by three little kittens in a makeshift air balloon.

The three little kittens had lost their mittens, so it was no milk and an early bedtime for them. They gaze at the stars, see the Milky Way, and figure if they could get up there, they'd have all the milk they want. So, with the aid of a basket and three balloons, they head up into the heavens.

Where the film must have impressed Oscar voters was the depiction of the cheese-filled moon, comets, shooting stars from Mars, the big and small dippers, and all the variations of milk products in the Milky Way. All of those were portrayed fairly cleverly, but nothing exceptional. In fact, the whole thing looks pretty primitive and one wonders what kind of competition there was for the award that year. To have this win an Oscar is very puzzling. It's okay, but that's it.....just okay. I mean, it's a "cute" cartoon but not funny.

I saw this as part of a Marx Brothers DVD which a double-bill with "Go West" and "The Big Store."

This cartoon is done reasonably well, is enjoyable enough and worth seeing, but, although I can understand why it won (monumentally cute with well-drawn backgrounds and the closest thing to a Disney style short that was nominated), I don't think it should have. It's competition included the very first Tom and Jerry and a Bugs Bunny directed by Tex Avery. The Tom and Jerry should have won hands down. The Milky Way has some nice touches, but the other two were more interesting and more novel for the time. Oh, well. The Academy has got more right than wrong in Animated Short over the years. This one shows on The Cartoon Network from time to time.

I had not seen this short before, and it is an overlooked gem. The short is based on the nursery rhyme about the three little kittens who lost their mittens. Their mother sends them to their rooms without dinner. From there, they sail on to the milky way for plenty of milk and other dairy products. Unlike some of cartoons of the era, it is easy to understand the voices of the "characters" and the technicolor hues are still vivid. Walt Disney won the Oscar for Short Subject (Cartoon) for the first eight years it was awarded (1932-39); this cartoon broke his streak and is clearly one of the best cartoons of the era. I saw it on Turner Classic Movies during the annual "31 Days of Oscar" broadcast. Hopefully, it will be distributed on DVD in the near future.

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.

'The Milky Way' is fairly typical of Rudolf Ising, leaning towards the cute kind of cartoon with a lot of sentiment in alternative to the laugh a minute and hilarious kind, the latter being the one that a lot seem to prefer (understandably, though am hardly biased against the former). This approach has varied with Ising. In some instances it has been very sweet and charming, in others it can be cloying and too cutesy. Generally 'The Milky Way' belongs in the former category, despite the danger of falling into the latter with the premise.

As to the debate as to whether it deserved to win the Oscar, which some don't agree with, personally do prefer 'Puss Gets the Boot' and 'The Wild Hare' but 'The Milky Way' has a lot to like and far from undeserving of a nomination.

Yes it gets a bit too saccharine in places, like with the lyrics of the narration, and it is best perhaps to not talk about the story because there really isn't much of one.

What 'The Milky Way' does so well however eclipses these problems. The animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. Composer for the prime-era 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons and regular Tex Avery composer Scott Bradley provides a lush and atmospheric music score.

It is hard not to fall in love with the irresistibly adorable kittens, and they have enough likeability and personality to not be dull. 'The Milky Way' is rich in natural sweet charm and some very imaginative ideas and visuals. There is not much hilarious and the cartoon's hardly laugh a minute, but a good deal of it does raise a smile. The pace avoids being draggy.

Overall, lovely cartoon. 8/10 Bethany Cox

OK, so I didn't love the squeaking singing as we meet the three little kittens who've lost their mittens - and it's freezing out there! Mama isn't impressed, so it's no milk and off to bed. These critters aren't happy that they've got no supper but are soon distracted by the Milky Way in the sky. How can they get there? There'll be loads of milk there, surely? Balloons might help, and a basket? There's the green cheese moon, the comet train, Martian shooting stars, and then they navigate the Dippers before arriving in a lactose Eutopia where there's loads of song-free fun to be had. Thing is, the moral of the story has yet to arrive! This is good fun with plenty of childish fun as the mice mess about in just about every milky substance know to man - or mice.