A beautifully produced post-war film for the Navy by UPA is today’s short!
A little Thunderbean news:
Thunderbean is humming right along, working on finishing sets and special discs. Im especially happy that the Rainbow Parades, Volume 2 set will be out soon, and the long out of print Mid Century Modern 2 set is coming back into print this month. I can’t wait to get the projects that are cooking finished, and we’re having fun getting the finishing touches on quite a few things.
Today’s film: The Sailor and the Seagull (1949)
Right now we’re in a holding pattern on the ‘Cartoons for Victory’ Blu-ray edition, while waiting for several keys films to be scanned. We’ve have been working to finish all but those four films, and as of a few days back we’re almost finished with the set other than the films we’re waiting for.
Becca, one of our restoration folks, just finished cleanup on the HD scan of The Sailor and the Seagull. The film was featured some years back on the DVD “More Cartoons for Victory”. We still have to steady the film a little more and fix a few small things
It’s a beautifully animated short, produced by UPA and directed by John Hubley. In the film, a Seagull plays devil’s advocate in helping ‘Mc Ginty’ understand the benefits of life in the Navy vs. the civilian world.
UPA must have bid low on making these well-produced films since it was stated by more than one of the principals of the company that the first time the studio was profitable was the Ford commercials produced the same year as this short. I wonder if there was an ongoing contract through the late 40s with UPA for these films.
The animation by Bob Cannon in this short sort of harkens back to the animation he did in some of the Private Snafu cartoons at Warners. Each of these films is much, much better animated than what one would think would be needed for these particular types of films.
Funny enough, one of the cameras that UPA bought from Oxberry (number 6!) is sitting in the basement here at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. I wonder if this short was shot on this animation stand.
The US national archives provided this scan to us, from the Kodachrome A/B rolls. It’s nice to see the short in HD and super clean. Let us know what you think of this little film.
Have a good week everyone!
Steve Stanchfield is an animator, educator and film archivist. He runs Thunderbean Animation, an animation studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has compiled over a dozen archival animation DVD collections devoted to such subjects at Private Snafu, The Little King and the infamous Cubby Bear. Steve is also a professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
It’s nice to see a short from UPA with fuller animation than would soon become their house style, although there are glimpses of economy here and there. The premise ie one that nearly anyone can relate to–discontent and dissatisfaction with the status quo. The character of McGinty is well-developed–too much of a sourpuss and people would dislike him, too much of a boot-kisser and people would despise him, so the character walks a very fine line. The ending provides an appropriate twist, legitimizing the “villain” once the point has been made. Though clearly outdated, the short is very watchable and even entertaining.
One of the best UPA cartoons I’ve ever seen. I’m sure the Navy men who saw it enjoyed McGinty’s dream of civilian life, sexy servant girls and all. “McGinty” is an amusing name for a sailor; in 1949 a lot of people would have still remembered an old comic song that goes: “Down went McGinty to the bottom of the sea….”
Whether or not the cartoon was effective in encouraging reenlistment, it may have given the audience a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice of those hard-working civilians whose tax dollars keep the fleet afloat. Few films — in fact, I don’t know of any others — make the point that life is easier in the military than out of it.
How about White Christmas and the number, “Gee, I Wish I Was Back In The Army”?
I forgot all about that! You’re right, and it ties in with the film’s subplot about the general who was a big shot in the army but is struggling in civilian life.
There was a Private Snafu, “The Home Front”, where griping Snafu is shown how his family is working hard to support the war effort.
I looked at the set on the Thunderbean shop for the “Cartoons for Victory” blu-ray and it didn’t mention this short
Is this a last minute add-on?
also, when can we expect the replacement discs (as promised) for Mid-Century Animation Vol. 3?
Victory came in 1945! This short is from 1949!
So this is the HD version of that copy I’ve seen on YouTube for years. It really does look beautiful, one of the best copies you’ve scanned, Steve. I’m eagerly awaiting its restoration.
Sounds like the cartoon was scored by Del Castillo, who scored some of the early Jolly Frolics directed by Hub.
Who provided the voices, was it Jerry Hausner?
The voices were by John T. Smith as McGinty and Daws Butler as all the others you hear. Not Jerry Hausner, although he was in many UPA cartoons from 1946-56.
Daws and John T. Smith are in it.
I haven’t watched it for a number of years. I wrote about it here.
https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-almost-return-of-miss-x.html
John T. Smith voiced McGinty, and Daws Butler voiced the other characters – one of Daws’s early roles in cartoons.
Recalling the wartime Snafu and Mr. Hook cartoons that just assumed everybody was getting out, and instead preached saving and buying bonds for a cushier civilian life. Also the later Warner toons, two explicitly selling re-enlistment (which this one oddly never mentions) and one appealing to high school seniors to sign up before they get drafted. The last, “Drafty, Isn’t It?”, keeps repeating that the army is NOT like it’s shown in cartoons.
An immediate postwar Bill Mauldin drawing had an officer addressing a roomful of soldiers: “It says here I have to ask. Any of you wish to re-enlist?”
Brilliant job! Love it….Pity about the script…