I don’t know why we’ve *never* put this cartoon up in the run of Thunderbean Thursdays…I was honestly surprised to not see it up!
First, a little Thunderbean news:
I feel like I’m getting back on track after some weeks working on finishing touches on a project I’ve been working on for some time. The Rainbow Parades 2 set should be going to replication within a few weeks, finally,and we’re preparing and dubbing a bunch of special sets to go out this month as well. We have a new special Christmas set that was listed last week at the Thunderbean Shop as well, and we’re starting to ship those this Friday. The Bunin Alice set is moving forward as well, and so many others.
Willougby’s Magic Hat (1943) is one of the stranger Columbia cartoons in several ways, but also one of the best. Directed by Bob Wickersham, with layout by Zack Schwartz, the film shares a kinship with the WW2-Produced UPA films as well as Hell Bent for Election (1944), where Schwartz would land a few years later.
The film stars a little character named Willoughby who tries on a hat that shows up in modern times, but is made from Samson’s hair. Just after discovering his newfound strength when the hat is on his head, he bumps into a damsel in distress, being shaken and choked by a giant human robot of some sort.
While the story is just survivable, the film probably has the most stunning layout in any Columbia cartoon, often framed tightly for extreme angles, drawn simply without much rendering. One wonders if Frank Tashlin short stint at the studio (in 1941 and 42) had some influence on the artists that made this production, even though by the time it was made he had left for Warner’s again. It certainly has a lot of Tashlin-esque exuberance.
The animation throughout the film is just fine, although not outstanding. The first minute and a half or so is done in a UPA-esque style timing-wise, with strong poses and very limited animation. The soundtrack is also a little strange in its editing and effects. It’s a really fun watch and fees oddly familiar in it’s timing sensibilities.
I imagine many of you are familiar with this cartoon, but for those that are not, it’s essential viewing for classic cartoon fans.
Here’s my old 16mm print, scanned some years back. If you’ve never seen this one I hope you like it!
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.
Willoughby looks a lot like the youngest of the spies in “Gulliver’s Travels.” The animation seems more limited than what was usual for most animation studios at the time, definitely a precursor to the style of UPA. Also, the scenes where the woman is being brutalized are quite disturbing–particularly when in repose she doesn’t seem to mind the violence.
Overall, an interesting film. Its Biblical and Greek mythological overtones lend an epic air to the proceedings, kind of akin to the underpinnings of the Donald Duck short “Trombone Trouble,” giving more weight and substance to something that might otherwise seem trivial–and providing an explanation for the extraordinary feats performed by an unassuming being.
Coincidental (or perhaps not) regarding Willoughby’s design considering Dave Fleischer was the producer of the Screen Gems shorts during this time!
Hmm. Thought I had heard every superhero origin story. Magic hat made from Samson’s hair is a new one for me
Every time I hear a mention of Bunin Alice, an angel gets its wings! Thanks
Just for the record, this 1943 Columbia (Screen Gems) cartoon “Willoughby’s Magic Hat” was produced by Dave Fleischer, directed by Bob Wickersham, written by Sam Cobean, with Paul Worth handling the music.
It’s a weird one, and definitely left an impression back when they’d show it on Captain Satellite’s show in the early 60s. The robot man was genuinely disturbing, finally morphing into a tank with a face. Nuts, even by cartoon standards.
There were a couple more. The next had Willoughby in the Klondike, rescuing a saloon singer from a Bluto type — somewhat more conventional, but had an intertitle stating what was happening to the villain was too violent for children to see. The last, in color, was comparatively mild. Willoughby, taken by a pretty trapeze artist’s poster, joins a circus and saves her from a gorilla. Were there any others?
I didn’t care for this cartoon the first time I saw it, and subsequent viewings have failed to improve my opinion. First of all, the intrusive, hammy narrator annoys me. After that lengthy historical introduction, it’s hardly necessary to be continually reminded that the hat is the source of Willoughby’s strength.
The music, too, leaves a lot to be desired. It’s mere background, adding nothing to the story. A more enterprising composer, a Bradley or a Stalling, would have devised musical motives representing the loss, and the regaining, or Willoughby’s hat and strength, and woven them into the score.
Also, the pacing is bad. There’s one point in the middle of the cartoon, after the monster departs for the railroad trestle and before Willoughby returns, where we are treated to the sight of a motionless background painting for no less than ten seconds. Rather a long beat, that.
Finally, the idea of a hat made out of human hair is disgusting.
“Willoughby’s Magic Hat” may be one of the better Columbia Phantasies, but that’s about as faint as praise can get.
It is interesting to compare this cartoon with the cartoon “A Dizzy Day” made by Van Beuren more than a decade earlier, which also features a visual style that foreshadows the UPA style.
Personally, I think VB’s cartoon is much more successful than “Willoughby’s Magic Hat” because it has the advantage of a much more elaborate musical composition that fits perfectly with the characters’ actions, making even scenes where there isn’t much action fun or entertaining. What’s more, not only is the pace much faster (which is in itself a feat for a VB cartoon), but the animation is also livelier and more fluid, even if it is not as sophisticated as in “Magic Hat.”
This illustrates once again how far ahead of its time “A Dizzy Day” was, as the musical and rhythmic qualities of this short film manage to surpass those of a cartoon made ten years later!
An all time favorite here. As you say, Steve, some odd and offbeat details. What’s with the 13 or so second hold on a blank wall while all characters are off screen (somewhere around the 4:12 mark)? But I’ve always thought it a winner.
A little fun fact for you all, Willoughby was named after Willoughby Ave., a road located parallel to Screen Gems’ then current location on 861 Seward Street. Walter Lantz would later take occupancy here, and funnily enough, created a character who also bore the name Willoughby. Willoughby Ave. is probably the only road in existence to inspire the names of not just one but two characters.
I had never seen this before. Thanks!
The comment about the “Willoughby” name for two different cartoon characters probably explains why i have avoided seeing this cartoon for well over half a century. i had seen a couple of the “Inspector Willoughby” cartoons somewhere (on TV or a theatrical showing, maybe) and I was not impressed. When I saw the title WILLOUGHBY’S MAGIC HAT … well, I expected more of the same. I also couldn’t remember what 8mm – Super 8mm – company sold it. I ASSUMED it was Castle Films, but if I had double-checked, the name “Offiicial Films” would have suggested something else. All I can say is, I’m sorry I’ve not seen this cartoon a lot sooner. I found it very enjoyable! Thanks, Steve!
Well, those Lantz shorts were directed by Paul J. Smith who directing skills were slowly deteriorating.
Actually, hearing narrator John McLeish loudly point out “the magical cap” over and over and over in this cartoon cracks me up. Also enjoy the bit from the followup Willoughby vehicle, MAGIC STRENGTH, in which, in a brawl-filled Klondike saloon, the little twerp tells the bartender, “I’d like a glass of milk please.”