Marriage Wows

The marriage of "Bertha and Edgar" is announced with posters nailed to trees in the forest. They don't give the denizens much time as the announcement says it will be at "2:30 today." Below that, it says "your PRESENTS" will be welcomed."

This is a typical "Famous Studios" animated short in that is has decent Technicolor and is a combination of "cute" and sight-gags that feature puns. There are few scenes which would provide laughs, yet it isn't boring either. "Charming," I guess, would be another way to describe this and similar efforts by this studio, Director I. Sparber and writers Bill Turner and Larry Riley.

A lot of the jokes are how the animals get themselves spruced up for the wedding (a lion getting his nails done, feathered birds getting dusted, antlers getting cleaned at the "Jungle Parlor," etc.) I mean, where else but cartoons can you see a hyena painting her toenails or a hippo putting on lipstick?!

Near the ending we get one of those sing-a-longs as the audience is asked to follow "the bouncing heart" to the song "For Me and My Gal."

The actual ending is very good, which should draw a good laugh out of most people. Overall, it's dated but charming, wholesome and has enough laughs to recommend. It is a far cry from stuff you would see today.

The premise for 'Marriage Wows' did appeal to me somewhat, being somebody who has enjoyed many weddings of other people and likes the preparation process (fun when one knows what they are doing). Though it is another example of a premise that could have been cute and charming or too corny and saccharine. Do like Famous Studios as a whole, if more their earlier efforts from the early-mid-40s like with the Popeye theatrical cartoons than their 50s work.

'Marriage Wows' to me is one of the better cartoons in the uneven Screen Songs series. It is not a great and a far from flawless cartoon, doesn't wow, and one can make a good argument for it having not held up well. It is though an easy, inoffensive watch, with a lot of charm and liveliness as well as it being well made visually. It handles the wedding theme, not always an easy theme to depict in animation or anywhere, quite well and doesn't give one wedding blues.

Am going to start with the not so good things. The story is very weak, it is not just slight it is practically non-existent and tends to be a series of gags, Which actually sums up all the cartoons in the Screen Song series. On occasions, the pace is on the dull side especially when the cartoon runs out of gas in the singalong part.

While there are plenty of gags here, they can lack freshness from having been used before elsewhere with more impact and can be corny. It is, like with other Screen Song cartoon from the studio, at its weakest in the singalong section with staging that has not really dated well.

On the other hand, the animation is great. The colours are bright and colourful and the drawing is fluid. Even better is the music, which makes the cartoon and makes it come alive. It is full of energy and beautifully orchestrated, with a very sweet, but not overly sweet, rendition of "For Me and My Pal" providing that singalongs are your cup of tea. Wasn't a fan of the staging but did like the way it was performed.

Although not all the gags hit, others are amusing and are well timed especially those creative ways of sprucing up. The very end being the best part. The pacing on the most part is lively, while the characters are thin and come and go they are fun to watch and colourful enough without being stereotypical.

Summing up, above average and worth a look. 7/10.