Toy Town Hall

Friz Freleng's "Toy Town Hall" has the feel of one of the really early cartoons from Warner Bros., before they figured out the really zany path that they wanted to take (I believe that that started with Daffy Duck's debut). In this short, a boy wants to listen to the radio but has to go to bed. But in his bedroom, the toys put on their own radio show, often featuring celebrity caricatures. Toys just know no limits, do they? For me, at least, one of the most eye-opening moments was when one of the characters - I think that he might have been an Eddie Cantor caricature - sings "Merrily We Roll Along". For the uninitiated, that's the song played during the openings of Merrie Melodies cartoons while the Warner Bros. shield approaches (Looney Tunes cartoons play "Merry-Go-Round Broke Down"). So in that respect, this cartoon was sort of a sign of things to come, if unwittingly.

Anyway, it's an OK cartoon, a common representation of their pre-Bugs Bunny days.

There have been at least some Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies shorts I watched growing up, but this is among those I didn't see at that time. After looking at a site that features title cards of many of these, I decided to check out a couple of '30s ones that have the rings in the intro to them and this was one of them (the other being Boulevardier From The Bronx) over a week ago. Although that's not the only reason, the title of this made me curious enough to want to watch it.

Again, I didn't watch the whole filmography from the Golden Era growing up nor did I know much history of these WB cartoons, but reading about it has been interesting. Anyway, for the most part, I found it alright, but it could've been so much better. It just consists of rehashes taken from five, previous, other shorts, not all of which I'd already seen. One part that's familiar to me was the jack-in-the-box performing what would become the Merrie Melodies shorts' most renowned theme, Merrily We Roll Along, previously used in Billboard Frolics, which I have seen. The part with the Mexican cockroaches and the female cockroach (I didn't know what they were supposed to be, at first), they were previously featured in Lady In Red, which I haven't seen. I agree with the blogger of the Likely Looney, Mostly Merrie site that they don't belong here. With the reused or recycled animation and references, it's hardly original, not original enough. When I was little/younger, I had no idea how many of the '30s shorts seemed to be lacking and the series would progress slowly before getting more toward a wacky start for which they would become much more renowned. The parts with the boy listening to the radio and before he was put to bed, and had that dream are probably the best parts, as there wasn't as much focus on him in the middle. I see how much this was at a time when the Warners studio was still trying to find its own identity. If I had seen this and others in that same vein sooner, I probably might had not gotten the Disney comparisons. There are later Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes from the Golden Era that would come along and find much better. Despite all this, I'd still recommend it, but only for those who are curious. Regardless of these flaws, it's still a nice enough short, but once again, it could've been so much better.

I agree with Lee Eisenberg's review. The Warner cartoons before about 1941 were, all in all, not especially good or inspired. When they finally discovered zaniness and great characters, they made the best cartoon shorts...period. But, as this is from 1936, it's in the dull old days for Looney Tunes. The artwork is good compared to most other studios and it is in color. But, it's also a bit creepy--especially the jack-in-the-box. There's also A LOT of singing--such that I assume kids would have been bored to death by this. It's really hard to believe that the same decade that brought us the great Hal Roach comedy shorts also brought a lot of horrid cartoons. Aside from Disney, they just don't hold up well to cartoons made just a decade later. Give me a Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry any time. However, despite disliking it a lot, I must give it a 4 because compared to non-Disney cartoons, it's actually better than average! Yikes!

For a six minute cartoon, you can't help but like the animation and the story about a little boy who dreams about listening to the radio rather than going to sleep. It appeared on the DVD with "Shall We Dance" and "Sheik to Sheik." There is not much to say in six minutes.

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.

'Toy Town Hall' 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, 'Toy Town Hall' is watchable though he would do much better later. Freleng's later efforts show more evenness and confidence in directing and the story.

It is quite thin in terms of story, the basic premise is predictable and melodramatic and not executed with enough freshness, and the structure is basically an excuse to string events along.

Content is similarly thin on the ground, lacking freshness and feels more tired than witty, a feeling that is accentuated by the fact that much of the cartoon is recycled from previous cartoons with a few differences, like the characters being made into toys. Laughs are lacking and there is a tendency to be a bit saccharine. Also found that the characters in 'The Lady in Red' part didn't really fit with everything else.

'Toy Town Hall' however has a few amusing and charming moments, as well as a couple of inventive ones. It is not a dull cartoon as such and it starts off well, the jack in the box character is very memorable and the most interesting in terms of personality.

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

Overall, very watchable but other than the animation, music and a few nice elements there is not an awful lot exceptional. 5/10 Bethany Cox