The Doughnuts

Back in the 70s in my NYC public elementary school if the weather prevented us from going outside for lunch/recess we all happily went to the auditorium to watch a movie. We were treated to either this doughnut movie or The Red Balloon - sometimes both. I still remember the cheers and claps in that huge darkened room when we all saw the doughnut movie come up on the screen. We loved it. (The Red Balloon was great - but sort of depressing...) Anyway- in high school a teacher of ours told us she was in the movie. She treated us to a private viewing. And there she was. Sadly I never saw it again. Wish it were out there to see for myself and to share with my kids. Maybe one day.....

Although the acting is not great, the characters at least mostly look right. Audio recording quality (on version I saw) is low.

BUT, faithful to book in look and presentation. The producers were not vain enough to think they could improve on a great children's book writer ... or McCloskey himself made sure it was not messed up.

I think they should have at least gotten a ganglier Homer. This movie is in full color (film, not video tape)

A for effort. B- for Execution.

P.S. Available on YouTube under "The Doughnuts," being before 1964, this work is quite likely in the public domain.

I watched this movie (among others) in my elementary school during the late 70s and also LOVED it. I have been wondering about it as well. Too bad a copy is not around. It was a great short. I also watched the Magnificent 6 and 1/2 as well as one about a ballade that was taken in or assisted by an urban child. Perhaps it was filmed in NY but I at least think it was a US city. I remember the Mag. 6 & 1/2 was British. As was another short about a boy and a balloon - no dialogue. Great flicks they used to show us on those rainy days. If anyone knows anything about these mentioned films, please post.

Bring back these gems if someone has a copy. Good to know I could at least research it. Thanks IMDb!

Homer Price is left with his uncle Ulysses at his diner while his mother goes shopping. Ulysses is trying to reassemble his automatic doughnut-making machine. He tells Homer to figure out what to do with a couple of small pieces while he goes to the barber shop. Homer reassembles the machine. With the help of a kind lady, he makes up a big batch of dough. The machine is turned on. It makes plenty of doughnuts for the late-night trade. But Homer can't turn it off! It makes more and more doughnuts!

It's an amusing movie, based on one of the Homer Price stories by two-time Caldecott Medal Winner Robert McCloskey. They were very popular back then and I read them in the grade-school library. Sixty years later, I still recall a couple of plot points. McCloskey died in 2003 at the age of 88.

What a great film! Whenever it rained during recess when I was in elementary school, the teachers would dutifully pull out the projector and show this film, The Red Balloon, or Paddle to the Sea. They should be available on DVD in a Rainy Day at Parkway Elementary School box set. Just for me. All three are great childhood films.

I'm surprised "The Doughnuts" is from 1963. I would have pegged it as from the late 1940s or 50s...but then I haven't seen it in 25 years. I only learned the title of it when I happened across an old Scholastic book by Robert McCloskey in which it appears ("Homer Price") - it's merely a chapter of the book where Homer visits his uncle and left in charge of his diner...and a doughnut machine goes haywire.

Does anyone know why this film was made? 1963 seems kind of late for theatrical live- action shorts/featurettes. Wonder if this was produced as a TV pilot and then just sold as a short film...?