Tubby the Tuba

I saw this at the age of 10 and was fascinated by the idea of this poor little tuba learning how to be something special. Later, in high school, I played the tuba in school band and, yes, I taught myself how to play Tubby's tune. It teaches the lesson that no matter who we are, or how we are regarded by others around us, we are each unique and special with gifts and talents of our own. One of the things that makes this cartoon stand out in my mind is its use of stop motion animation rather than drawings. When this was released on DVD, along with several other of George Pal's creations, I was one of the first to buy it. If you have never seen it try to do so.

The video (or soundtrack) teaches kids the members of an orchestra, from Strings to Winds, from Brass to Percussion. As each part of the orchestra joins in, the music become more and more rich. The Theme motif is such that all children will like it, as do every adult I have played this for. But more than that, it teaches about bullying and why it is so nasty. Tubby is a total delight, no matter what your age. I discovered this wonderful stop-animation cartoon in 1948 and have loved it since. The story is warm, so easy to feel Tubby's emotions as the story winds out. My sons learned the members of the orchestra with Tubby, perhaps yours will also. Tubby The Tuba was nominated for an Oscar the year it was released.

George Pal was a force to be reckoned with. After leaving Hungry to move to the United States,he inked a deal with Paramont Pictures to produce/direct/animate a long running series of beautiful stop motion animated "puppet" shorts for that studio. Tubby The Tuba,from 1947 is just one of those shorts. Adapted from a popular children's record of the time,Tubby dreams of being a soloist in the orchestra,only to be reminded that he's only an instrument in the harmonic section of the orchestra. Tubby,not listening to the others,decides to test his fate. Does he manage to fulfill his quest? All I can say is,just watch & find out (good luck,as the Paramont shorts have all but been sucked into the proverbial black hole in space,although 'Tubby'has turned up on a few video releases in the 'El Cheapo' budget video section in certain department stores. Not rated,but perfect for the small fry's

This is the last of four Oscar-nominated "Puppetoons" I watched as part of my ongoing Academy Awards marathon to commemorate George Pal's birthday. It is the most Disney-ish of the lot, involving an anthropomorphic orchestra. During rehearsal, a number of instruments get to play pretty melodies – while the tuba only supplies monotonous accompaniment; he pines for a chance at his own showpiece, but is ridiculed by the others for deluding himself. He goes off into the forest and runs into a frog, who teaches him that even an unattractive object can stand out from the crowd; rejoining the band, he breaks into a melody – surprising his colleagues who, after the initial shock, spontaneously join in and cheer the tuba's new-found strength. As with much of the era's animation, there is a moral at the heart of the narrative and it is usually a celebration of diversity and inner beauty. For the record, the TV-sourced credits in the copy I watched off "You Tube" misspell the title of this one as TUBBY THE TUBBA!

I first saw this when I was a little kid. I felt sad for the single instrument in a symphony orchestra. He has no melodies, only accompanies. But as he finds out, he can stretch himself to be the best at what he does. He's also an integral part to the overall sound produced. Quite a lovely little story for those who have something to give but don't realize it.