076 The Fly In the Ointment

Title: The Fly In the Ointment
Studio: Columbia
Date: 07/23/43
Credits:
Prodcued by Dave Fleischer
Director
Paul Sommer
Story
Dun Roman
Animation
Jim Armstrong
Volus Jones
Music
Paul Worth
Maurice de Packh
Series: A Phantasy Cartoon
Running time (of viewed version): 6:38
Commercial DVD Availability: -

Synopsis: Spider and fly have an unusually apparently friendly interaction before it all falls apart.






















Comments: I wanted to write down The Fly in the Appointment as the title, because it's a better joke. The bats are an unusual characterization; possibly meant to refer to something specific (putting their (father and son I think) hands on their heads and going "oh no no no"). Organ music as played by the spider reminds me of Carnival of Souls, but then organ music is rarer in regular rotation now (classic cartoon showings at grand old movie houses excepted, of course). The spider has a good looking design. The fly on the other hand does not. The spider feels similar to the vampire in (Transylvania 6-5000?). Showing a sweet tooth turning into sweets is WB-esque to my mind (tho not necessarily in cartons earlier than this; I'm not in a position to say who could be said to be ripping off who). Pulling a hat out of a rabbit. The audio quality of this, which I don't like, would become common in animated TV ads. Fly looks like a burglar. Ends up betraying and eating the spider. So it has the complete lack of a moral center that seems endemic to Columbia cartoons in 1943. Way better than the Fox and Crow cartoons tho. Creepy finger butt. Arsenic and Old Lace reference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRgkZtJQBgw