Señorella and the Glass Huarache

In the last Warner Bros. cartoon made before the studio closed its animation unit, a man tells his friend the story of Senorella, a Mexican version of Cinderella. Obviously, fairy tales are some of the easiest stories to work with, and the Warner Bros. animation unit had been doing it from very early on. I should note, however, that the animation looks kind of metallic here and the narration starts sounding like an echo.

Otherwise, "Senorella and the Glass Huarache" is worth at least checking out. As for possible stereotyping of Mexicans, it's nothing that we haven't seen in a Speedy Gonzales cartoon. Now available on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5. And if you ask me, considering that around the time that this came out was also about that time that the studio retired Bugs Bunny, they shouldn't have attempted anything after that (except for the compilation films).

Back when Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising made the first Bosko cartoon for Leon Schlesinger Productions in 1930 (which released its cartoons through WB), they probably had no idea that their studio would branch out into things like this.

From the viewpoint of a long-term animation fan, I did enjoy Senorella and the Glass Huarache. While it didn't wow me, it was interesting and did give me some pleasure. This said, I wouldn't go as far as say that Senorella and the Glass Huarache was great. The story, while the spoof and the concept are very interesting, could have done with some tighter pacing, and does feel routine and predictable. There are also some amusing moments, but nothing really hilarious or what I consider fresh. On the plus side, I did like the animation. It wasn't amazing, with some stiffness here and there, but the stylised style-with use of very thick lines-of it did look colourful complete with backgrounds that don't look too rushed or sparse(like the later Speedy Gonzales cartoons) and decent character designs. Bill Lava's music is another strong asset, the style working much better than it did in the Speedy and Roadrunner-Coyote cartoons, it is very catchy and gives a lot of energy to Senorella and the Glass Huarache. The characters are at least engaging, Senorella is wonderfully vivacious. True, they are stereotypes, but not overdone or offensive ones. Mel Blanc as ever excels in the vocals. All in all, amusing if not hilarious. 7/10 Bethany Cox

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, it's time to look at a fascinating attempt to adapt a classic folk tale with a foreign twist, Señorella and the Glass Huarache. Known as the final cartoon from the original Warner Bros cartoon studio to be released as the division had been shut down, this 1964 short film would ultimately mark the conclusion of a highly regarded era in the eyes of classic animation fans. Looking at the short today nearly 60 years following its original release, this take on the Cinderella story with a Mexican twist has just as much going for it as it has going against it.

Now arguably the biggest contributing factor of Señorella being a Mexican take on the Cinderella story lies in the art direction. As this short was directed by Hawley Pratt, known as Looney Tunes director Friz Freleng's longtime layout artist, the film looks gorgeous in its recreation of Latin American landscapes, caricatures and color palettes. One can tell how much inspiration the filmmakers took in recreating a more stylized flat looking short film as opposed to the more rubbery and geometrical slapstick cartoons in the Looney Tunes lineup, and the results are mostly well done for the type of short this is meant to be. In addition, composer Bill Lava's blending of retro Mexicano music and jazz ensemble suits the short splendidly depending on the scene, as the orchestrations flow smoothly in between many of the more saucy moments in the short. Lastly, while no particular character in the short is fleshed out at all, there are still a few humorous scenarios and pratfalls here and there to find amusement in Señorella and the Prince Don Jose Miguel, at least within the WB context.

With all of those qualities said, the short is unfortunately not that common from most takes on the Cinderella story, in that its too simple and straightforward for its own good. Since the short is told through narration by two men at a Cantina, the pacing is constricted by what's being told as the film progresses, leaving very little impact on any of the characters, humor or stakes. Also, as much as the Mexican influence is all set in stone, it's painfully obvious that no matter how much tribute is being paid towards one country, the short reeks of white people trying to replicate a certain style and falling short in stereotypical character designs, eye rolling Latina puns and an outdated twist ending related to the story that was no longer funny by the time of the short's release. Considering that we as Americans have come to better terms with respecting other countries through film and animation, this short is at least more tastefully done than other cartoons prior to its time but not close enough. It says a whole lot when the title is somewhat of an indicator on what you'll expect for both better and worse.

So as a final wrap up for the original Warner Bros cartoon filmography, Señorella and the Glass Huarache is a decent enough conclusion to a beloved era with as many strong points as it has flaws. For all of its Latin American influence going for its artistically, it still falls short due to its already routine storyline basis and impulsive need to romanticize the aesthetic it's going for. I would recommend this short on the grounds of judging it by its own merits as opposed to the final short from a studio cherished by animation fans, since it should be taken under admiration but with a grain of salt.

I first saw this short on the new Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 5 DVD set. It was the last short from the original Warner Bros. Animation studio before closing in 1963 and having DePatie-Freleng take over the Looney Tunes series. Coincidentally, this short actually DOES resemble a DePatie-Freleng cartoon! For one thing, it uses the "modernized" abstract Looney Tunes opening and closing sequence with the bizarre theme music that was used on all LT shorts from 1965 onward. The logo was originally intended for stylized one-shot cartoons from the original studio, the first two being "Now Hear This" (done in a totally-abstract, artistic style by Chuck Jones) and "Bartholomew Versus the Wheel" (drawn in a James Thuber-style and directed by Robert McKimson). This cartoon is somewhat stylized, but in a manner so it resembles the mid-to-late 1960s Pink Panther cartoons. Then again, many of the Warners' staff that worked on this cartoon went to work for DePatie-Freleng afterward, so it makes sense. This Mexican twist on the old Cinderella story is also rather amusing. Bill Lava's Mexican music works here instead of those crappy Speedy vs. Daffy cartoons he would later go on to score at DePatie-Freleng. The backgrounds look very UPA-ish and the thick-line drawings are pleasing to look at. I don't think Cartoon Network aired this very often when they were showing Looney Tunes. They might've been worried that it was politically incorrect and all that junk. However, this is one latter-day Looney Tunes short I highly recommend!

A Mexican version of the famous "Cinderella And The Glass Slipper" story? Yup, that's what you get here in this modern-day Looney Tunes cartoon. I say "modern day" because I don't recall seeing any cartoons in the LT Golden Collection DVDs made as late as 1964. I have seen all the collections but Volume Four, and can't recall any of the '60s.

The opening graphics are so different than the '40s and '50s it was almost a shock to see. The artwork was good, though: very colorful and done well in a new style for Looney Tunes.

The story would probably be censored by Politically-Correct Police of today as it uses names for Mexicans such as "Sarsaparilla, Tabasco," and other phrases; anything that sounds Spanish and the accents are a bit exaggerated. (I'm not on PC side unless it is overtly racist or mean-spirited to any group.) This has a nice side; it's not trying to demean Hispanics but by today's standards, it comes across as a bit condescending in spots. Not every Mexican is a bullfighter, or wears a sombrero everywhere, or can't spell or brutalizes the English language, etc.

Anyway, the humor is "fair," nothing super but not bad. I liked the colorful and modern artwork, and the faces and "latest dresses from Madrid" of the women, were a lot of fun to watch. This was a hoot for the eyes, even if the jokes were a little too corny to laugh.