Out Again, in Again

The previous Heckle and Jeckle cartoon, which immediately preceeded 'Out Again, In Again', 'Free Enterprise' was good fun, well made and entertaining. At the same time it was also not one of the duo's best or funniest, and by Heckle and Jeckle standards at this point of the series it was reasonably tame and not as true as other Heckle and Jeckle cartoons to the series' generally darkly anarchic and "holding little back" tone.

Following on directly from where 'Free Enterprise' left off, 'Out Again, In Again' is the better cartoon. Also think that it is one of the better and funniest entries of what is to me Terrytoons' best and (certainly in the earlier years) more consistent theatrical series. It is not a classic, but it is on par with being among the best that the studio, whose output was very inconsistent (their best work being very good and their worst terrible), did. As far as the 1948 Terrytoons cartoons go too, 'Out Again, In Again' is one of the best in a pretty decent year for the studio.

'Out Again, In Again' has very little to criticise. Like the previous reviewer, my only major issue with it was the ending. For me it was rushed and it was obvious from the get go how it was going to end which took away a little from the tension, which did already begin to run out of steam in the last minute and a half. It is agreed that the title is far too much of a giveaway.

However, 'Out Again, In Again' starts off really well with lots of wild energy and a degree of suspense. Where it really comes even more to life is the action on the train, which contains some of the funniest, wittiest and most inspired Heckle and Jeckle action of the series. Also making one feel nostalgic for the Marx Brothers, who the two magpies impersonate hilariously towards the end. There is nothing tame about the humour here, while other cartoons in the series are more malicious the anarchy is fast and furious as well as very witty. There are plenty of gags and nearly all of them hit, apart from when it became predictable in the last minute and a half.

The character interaction is witty and sparkles at its best. Heckle and Jeckle are highly entertaining characters, their movements, the way they talk (in the use of language and the voices themselves) and their expressions make them quite unique characters for Terrytoons, although other cartoons see them more malicious. The guard dog is a nice contrast as is ever amusing and rootable Dimwit.

Likewise, the animation is still good, with vibrant colours, nice attention to detail and far from static or simplistic backgrounds. The drawing is so much smoother than when the studio first started and the transitions are much more fluid and less choppy, nowhere near as much recycling or cutting corners either. The music never disappointed with Terrytoons, always the best asset of their worst efforts and it is one of the best things here still. Actually would go as far to say that it's even better than the animation. It is so lovely to listen to and there is such an uplifting vibe hearing it because of the snappy character it has.

In conclusion, very well done and an improvement over the previous Heckle and Jeckle cartoon. 8/10.

In this sequel to FREE ENTERPRISE, Heckle and Jeckle escape from prison, with the bulldog, now a prison guard, in hot pursuit. They clamber aboard a train, where Dimwit is now a conductor. Having no ticket, he tries to throw them off.

Good luck to him in that! There are lots of disguises, including dressing up like Groucho and Harpo Marx, and a fast-moving chase through the train. Will the talking magpies wind up back in prison? Will this sequel have a sequel? Aren't they all sequels, in a way?

This was Terrytoons best series, and it's because the two birds have a lovely two-act that reminds my partially of confidence tricksters and partially of Laurel & Hardy. Plus they pull off cartoon gags even more freely than Bugs Bunny.

'Out Again, in Again' is one of the funniest Heckle & Jeckle cartoons. This toon begins in a surprising way. A few weeks before this epic was released, the two magpies had starred in 'Free Enterprise', a cartoon that ended with them both in prison. 'Out Again, in Again' begins like the latest chapter of a serial in progress, with a nasal-voiced narrator informing the audience that "in our last episode" Heckle and Jeckle were in prison, and then picking up the action from there. So 'Out Again, in Again' is explicitly a sequel to 'Free Enterprise'.

The magpies were strongly influenced by the Marx Brothers, and they just occasionally acknowledged that debt ... as in their cartoon 'King Tut's Tomb', which features a brief appearance by a cartoon version of Harpo Marx. Here in 'Out Again, in Again', when the two boids break out of bird, they hide out aboard a moving train, on which they disguise themselves as Groucho and Harpo. Heckle does a devastating vocal impression of Groucho, getting off a couple of wisecracks that are worthy of Groucho himself. It's a shame that the voice artist who did this impersonation is uncredited.

The gags are fast, funny and unexpected in 'Out Again, in Again'. My only complaint is that the toon's title gives away the ending. My rating: 10 out of 10.