Along Flirtation Walk

Merrie Melodies short, directed by Friz Freleng, about the students at a bird college. We see them dancing, singing, and having fun the night before a big game. Then we see the game itself, which looks like it will be football but turns out to be egg-laying. Funny and mildly gross. The animation is decent but nothing special, even for its time. The music is upbeat. It's all light and fluffy and silly. Many viewers will find it corny I'm sure. There's something to be said for the idea of the birds playing a game that involves egg-laying but beyond that there isn't a lot to work with here. Harmless enough but doubtful anyone will be impressed by it.

With all the talk that we often hear about athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to win competitions, Friz Freleng's "Along Flirtation Walk" becomes all the more interesting. It starts out with a dance in Plymouth Rock College - which reminded me just a little of the dance in "The Way We Were" - a college for chickens. The next day, there's the big game against the Rhode Island Reds. It looks like it's going to be football, but it turns out that they're laying eggs. That's when the cheating starts, as the Reds ingest billiard bills so that they keep laying. More surprises lie ahead.

I know, the people making this cartoon probably never intended for anyone to interpret anything about athletes taking drugs. It's just that I always like to associate the portrayals with things about which I hear in the news. If that makes me a weirdo, then so be it.

All in all, an OK cartoon.

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. Actually appreciate it even more through young adults eyes, due to having more knowledge of it, various animation styles, studios, directors and how it all works.

'Along Flirtation Walk' is not one of Friz Freleng's, a director who did many great cartoons and a director held in high admiration by me, best, not being one of his funniest, wittiest or freshest. For relatively early Freleng, 'Along Flirtation Walk' is decent though he would do much better later. It is never what one would call properly hilarious (but is never unfunny), Freleng's later efforts show more evenness and confidence in directing and the story.

It is quite thin in terms of story and the structure is basically an excuse to string the gags along. The gags in the first half lacked a bit in wit and did lack invention and sometimes energy even. While most of the characters are fun enough, others are not particularly interesting.

However, many of the characters are fun, even if there is no discernible lead.

The cartoon has a lot of very amusing moments in the second half, some variety and there is a good deal of liveliness. The fun and danger of the game can be well captured, even if it could have come more consistently.

Animation is very good, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading, vibrant and very meticulous in detail. The music is lovely on the ears, lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.

Conflict is good fun.

In conclusion, decent. 6/10 Bethany Cox