Blu-Rays of 1943: Puppetoons

There is a limited edition of the Puppetoon Movie coming out on Blu-Ray. Only 3000 copies, $50 plus shipping. As it includes the 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins as a bonus, it's applicable here.
http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-puppetoon-movie-on-blu-ray/
It's unclear to me if there will be single disc release as well; I'm in for the bonus materials at any rate.

121 Good Night Rusty

1943 Number: 121
Title: Good Night Rusty
Studio: Pal
Date: 12/03/43
Credits: -
Series: Puppetoon/Madcap Model
Running time (of viewed version): 7:26
Commercial DVD Availability: -

Synopsis: Boy tries his hand at the smoking arts.
















Comments: Pushing in on a house in the opening. Pal didn't really mix it up. Crossfades from the window to Rusty tho. Big gumpy hands on Rusty's parent. Head looks like a glittery figure of death tho. Rusty has been hiding a cigar. It doesn't make him sick at first when he smokes it. And he wants to be a gangster. Cigar goes limp; he starts (sweating I think), and his eyes googly. Music is Disney like in some ways. Interesting glasses duplication and animation. Anthropomorphic cigar. Bondage and cigar conga. Actually ends with a joke of cigars popping out of bed saying goodnight mother. Same house (and same kid) as in The Truck That Flew http://cartoonsof1943.blogspot.com/2011/08/082-truck-that-flew.html . He learned to smoke from watching his dad. The kid is basically a villain. Kubrick may have ripped this off for the traveling scene in 2001; the eerie voice music, the contorted faces, the launching into space... (Note that I'm kidding, internet.)

100 Jasper Goes Fishing

Title: Jasper Goes Fishing
Studio: George Pal
Date: 10/08/43
Credits: generic
Series: Madcap Models/Puppetoons
Running time (of viewed version): 8:09
Commercial DVD Availability: -

Synopsis: Jasper goes fishing, instead of (practicing a song for?) church.

















Comments: Opening title has people singing the way my grandmother sang in church under it. White people falsetto. Hey, starting with text. Then the regular push in on a building shot par for the course for a Jasper entry (to the crow on a bell tower). An adult black person with a face; I think that's new for Jasper cartoons. Is it really a temptation to go and watch someone fish? Fish also in church. Effect lenses (I assume; it could be slightly different for puppet cartoons. Those fish are very large; river monsters. Scary blind fish. Pirate ships. "Praise lord. we (scratch) the ammunition"; should be pass, but I think it's a pun. Ends with a white face gag (Jasper turns white and passes out). Lots of close ups of the scarecrow an the crow. Like always. The fish kinda look like Kure Kure Takora.

The 100th cartoon of the year by the numbering. Of course, some are missing, and there are a number of additional unnumbered cartoons, and the numbering could change so in the future. But look, a 1 followed by two zeros!

082 The Truck That Flew

Title: The Truck That Flew
Studio: Pal
Date: 08/06/43
Credits:
An Animated Puppetoon by
George Pal
Based on the popular book of the same name by Dudley Morris
Series: Madcap Models/ Puppetoons
Running time (of viewed version): 8:27
Commercial DVD Availability: -

Synopsis: Kid sick of fairy tales and angels wants a new narrative of his own devising, wherein he kills enemy pilots.
























Comments: Extremely long audio under the TV titles; almost a minute of the running time is the titles. I wonder what is missing from the theatrical prints. Based on a book I've never heard of, and that isn't in Book Finder. It was popular enough to license tho. Kid wants to drive cars, smoke cigars, stay up til 2, blow taps, and shoot Japs (that's a quote). Looks like a non squinty Speedy Alka Seltzer. The overall design seems different from most of the Pal stuff (as a variation within the models; it's still all by itself and together compared to cel animation of the time. Saturn looks good. Music number is calming. Then the bed gets shot by some pagoda topped planes. Crashing zeros make a V for victory. I wonder if the book itself was war related. Most of the trucks are disappointing looking. It seems dangerous to have such casual nostalgia for the ongoing war. Such is how propaganda works tho. Interesting gun sight camera shot. The kid kills three Japanese pilots, then smiles and says his prayers.

References to the book:

http://www.wattpad.com/14934?p=83
MORRIS, DUDLEY H.
The truck that flew. Pictures & verse by Dudley H. Morris. © 27Feb42; A162629. Margaret E. Morris (W); 22Sep69; R469047.

http://openlibrary.org/works/OL7661752W/The_truck_that_flew

http://books.google.com/books?id=f6kYAAAAIAAJ&q=%22truck+that+flew%22+dudley&dq=%22truck+that+flew%22+dudley&hl=en&ei=lCCzTcDuKeXiiAKFrcWvBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEQQ6AEwAQ