One Kris Kringle, a department-store Santa Claus, causes quite a commotion by suggesting customers go to a rival store for their purchases. But this is nothing to the stir he causes by announcing that he is not merely a make-believe St. Nick, but the real McCoy. The production is followed by a preview of scenes from the Fox feature film The Rains of Ranchipur, starring Lana Turner, Richard Burton, Fred MacMurray, and Michael Rennie. This behind-the-scenes portion was produced and directed by Joe Parker.
Blackout gags about the holidays. New Year's (the baby speaks to us). Valentine's Day (it's Leap Year, so the girl turns to the boy) Washington's Birthday (the cherry tree story). Arbor Day (a dog directs the placement of the tree). Easter (the bunny is menaced by the fox, who turns out to be a softy). April 1: no picture. Mother's Day: a decidedly low key reunion. Graduation day: the boy gets his diploma, and promptly joins a bread line. Halloween: the witch rides her broom, towing an advertising banner. Thanksgiving: A turkey for dinner, in more ways than one. Christmas: Santa's sleigh is an ice cream truck. New Year's: The Tournament of Roses parade; we see some floats.
Year: Release Date: Rating: Video Type:
1940
10/12/1940
Approved
Film Short Animated 7 minutes
B
Tex Avery
/ College Professor (voice) Sara Berner
/ Little Girl (voice) Mel Blanc
/ New Year Baby / Tommy / George Washington / Dog / Fox / Turkey (voice) Gilman Rankin
/ Various (voice)
It's Christmas Eve and the snow is falling thick and fast. Muggsy tries to convince Freddie the Freeloader to hop a freight train bound for Florida with him, but Freddie has other ideas. He plans to commit a minor crime and get himself sentenced to the county jail. With any luck, he'll be incarcerated in time to hang his Christmas stocking next to the other inmates'. Time after time, Freddie's plans are thwarted. The Maitre D at a fancy restaurant is convinced Freddie's a famous millionaire in disguise and won't charge him for his meal. Freddie tries to steal a bracelet from a jewelry store, but it falls through his pocket onto the floor. His attempt to assault a police officer fails when he slips on the proverbial banana peel. Frustrated and freezing Freddie walks in front of a church holding a Christmas Eve service and, listening to the uplifting music, decides that he's not too old to start life anew. In fact, a young choir boy promises him a job in his father's factory. Happy with
A partial updating of the Cinderella story. When the fairy godmother is late, Cinderella calls the police, who put out an APB and find her in a bar. Her first attempt at turning the pumpkin (canned) and mice into a coach produces Santa. Cinderella gets to the ball (in a stagecoach) and meets Prince Charming Egghead. They dance, and spend some quality time on the balcony. Midnight, dropped slipper, and all that; Egghead finds her house with the help of some neon signs, but all that's there is a note that she got tired of waiting and went to a Warner Bros. show. She pops up from the audience, and they head off to the tenth row together.
A collection of short gags based on classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales. Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, in her best Katharine Hepburn, tells us how her garden is really doing. Humpty Dumpty doesn't completely crack up. Jack and Jill go up the hill and have too much fun to come down. Little Miss Muffet frightens the spider off. The Three Little Pigs give the Big Bad Wolf a bottle of mouth-wash. A parade of wooden soldiers, in perfect formation from the waist up. Starlight, Starbright: A dog gets his wish a tree. Jack be nimble but not quite nimble enough. The old lady in the shoe made the old man very happy. (A gag involving Hiawatha, trimmed from the TV version.) Finally, the night before Christmas, and one stirring mouse tells the other to be quiet.
Year: Release Date: Rating: Video Type:
1940
05/25/1940
Approved
Film Short Animated 6 minutes
C
Porky checks into a hospital with a tummyache; he has the bad luck to encounter a patient posing a "Dr. Chilled-Air" who is a bit too eager to operate.
Year: Release Date: Rating: Video Type:
1940
08/24/1940
Approved
Film Short Animated 6 minutes
C
Mel Blanc
/ Porky Pig (voice) Mel Blanc
/ Bugs Bunny (voice) Mel Blanc
/ Dr. Chilled Air / Elevator Operator / Rabbit / Oliver Owl / Scottish Dog / Program Seller (voice) Ben Frommer
/ Various (voice) Sara Berner
/ Switchboard Operator (voice)
A man is murdered, and the detective tries to find out whodunit. But the house he's investigating is decidedly haunted, and he never knows just what's round the next corner...
Year: Release Date: Rating: Video Type:
1943
06/19/1943
Approved
Film Short Animated 8 minutes
C
Elmer threatens to give his dog a bath if he doesn't stop scratching, but the poor pooch is the victim of a hungry flea whose tools of the trade include pickaxes and dynamite.
Year: Release Date: Rating: Video Type:
1943
12/04/1943
Approved
Film Short Animated 8 minutes
C
After gang leader Rick is killed, his wife Molly takes over his gang but a robbery goes wrong and Molly finds herself in jail where she undergoes a personal transformation.
