Little Gravel Voice

Down in the Grand Canyon, all the animals get along just fine. When the young burro shows up, everyone likes him. Then he opens his mouth, gives a screeching HEE HAW! And everyone runs away.

Well, some people must have finer tuned nerves than members of the theater audience. We all know how this is going to turn out; someone -- that wolf for example -- is going to threaten some esteemed member of the community, the burro will save him. Having achieved the rank of Useful Idiot, he will be permitted to associate with the critters. Hoo raw.

Rudolph Ising's work is excellent, as usual. The visuals are superb. I just wish he hadn't done this particular plot for the three billionth time.

All the animals avoid the little burro due to his loud braying. When a wolf attacks, the burro is able to scare it away with loud voice.

I like the story but I don't like the ending. The animals should not be scared of the burro. They should celebrate his loud voice. The joke ending should be the burro's loud voice still shocks them despite their acceptance.

'Little Gravel Voice' (1942)

Opening thoughts: There are cartoons of Rudolf Ising that are good, sweet, charming and amusing (if seldom hilarious). Then there are others that are not so good, too cutesy and tired with bland characters and barely existent storytelling. 'Little Gravel Voice' sees a bit of both extremes, though thankfully with more the former than the latter. Which was surprising, seeing as it has a premise that could easily be entirely the latter and also one that is not that great.

Bad things: It isn't perfect. It is too saccharine, especially going into the middle. Like with all Ising cartoons, the story is best forgotten as there isn't really one, what little there is has too much of a recycled feel and the pacing is not always secure.

The ending also is pretty anaemic and anti-climactic, with a sense that the writers didn't know how to end the cartoon and instead took the easy, safe option out.

Good things: However, it is quite cute and charming with a nice gentle pace and a few moderately amusing moments. The more eventful parts do excite. The characters are engaging enough.

Furthermore, 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.

Concluding thoughts: Overall, surprisingly nice and not what was expected from reading the premise.

7/10.