{"id":231070,"date":"2025-05-08T16:33:32","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/animation\/scrappy-in-the-great-bird-mystery-1932\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T16:33:32","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:33:32","slug":"scrappy-in-the-great-bird-mystery-1932","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=231070","title":{"rendered":"Scrappy in \u201cThe Great Bird Mystery\u201d (1932) |"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Of course, before we dive in, I have to confess I have a more-than-normal love for Scrappy cartoons, and the best of them I\u2019m more fond of than the most beautifully animated Technicolor Disney short (with The Old Mill<\/em> (37) being an exception). I know some of you are Scrappy die-hards like myself \u2013 so you\u2019ll understand. While I\u2019ll admit this isn\u2019t one of the most rounded-out cartoons of all time, it\u2019s an enjoyable effort, and one we haven\u2019t ever talked about here.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dick Huemer really should be considered one of the great writers of early animation, even if he didn\u2019t think much of his Scrappy cartoons in the years following their release. The Great Bird Mystery<\/em> (1932) may or may not be a classic, depending on your opinion, but if one does a slightly deeper dive, you can observe some pretty complicated themes being explored: bullying, philanthropy, overpopulation, the unfairness and indifference of the US court system and being framed for murder. What I especially love about the Scrappy\u2019s from this period is that they\u2019re both really dark in themes and, at the same time, enthusiastically happy. While I really enjoy the other better-known films that have the theme of birds being killed by arrows \u2014 Disney\u2019s later Who Killed Cock Robin<\/em> (1935) and Fleischer\u2019s Song of the Birds<\/em> (1935)\u2014 both cartoons don\u2019t approach the denseness of story elements included in this otherwise innocent-seeming 6 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Scrappy and Oopy merrily build a bird house, with one particular little bird trying to get first dibs. Sadly, as soon as the house is finished, a gaggle of home-seeking birds take it over, destroying it- but still populating its now exploded husk. Our little hero bird, still homeless, is continually harassed by a large, mean, Simon-Legree-esque bird with a top hat (I can relate!) who threatens to kill him with an arrow. Scrappy comes to try and save the day, so the top-hatted bird bends the arrow and pretends he\u2019s been shot dead by it, placing the bow in the confused little bird\u2019s hands. Scrappy screams \u201cWho Killed Cock Robbin?!?!\u201d And hauls the framed little bird off the court, with the bird on the bent arrow in tow. I won\u2019t give away the ending, but I wonder what world Scrappy and Oopy are now living in where they can walk into animal court and be first up for trial. Sometimes I wonder if all the adventures Scrappy and Oopy are having are all in their imaginations. It would make a lot of these plots make a lot more sense.<\/p>\n

Fleischer\u2019s Popeye cartoons have, at times, had as much going on in terms of human tragedy, and UPA\u2019s Rooty Toot Toot<\/em> (51) also has a lot of mature themes going on in story ideas, but Huemer sure knew how to pack a lot into a plot. This sort of feels like three different cartoons in some ways. The animation is top-notch in this one, with well-executed camera moves and lots of action. While there\u2019s a few Fleischer-esque details in the picture, it\u2019s not so densely populated with gags as some other cartoons are, but it\u2019s really pretty interesting to see a cartoon with so many plot turns in the space of just over half a reel.<\/p>\n

Hopefully there\u2019s less Simon-Legree Cock Robins in all our lives. I think I\u2019ve managed to rid my life of them at the moment, and I hope yours aren\u2019t requiring you to be properly dressed.<\/p>\n

Have a good week everyone!<\/p>\n