Academy Award in Short Subjects, Cartoons - 1932/1933

Academy Award in Short Subjects, Cartoons - 6th Academy Awards - March 16, 1934

In the early days of the Oscars, it was a relatively small event. Sometimes nominees skipped it because they were busy. But there were early signs that it would be a big thing.

The 6th Academy Awards covered an extended period due to a rules change that endeavored to make the calendar for the event match the calendar for the year. The nominees could be released between August 1, 1932 and December 31, 1933. The ceremony was hosted by Will Rogers, a major star of film, vaudeville, radio and a columnist.

The Nominees

The Merry Old Soul - Walter Lantz

This cartoon requires a content warning for the presence of caricatures from the film the Jazz Singer. These characters are depicted as wearing blackface. I felt Oswald's pain at the dentist. I've had a bit of dental work done. This Oswald cartoon features caricatures of popular actors like Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers. It's a very lively cartoon with a good variety of gags.

Building a Building - Walt Disney

The Mickey Mouse cartoon features the same overly repetitive motions of Mickey's Orphans. But they're not as noticeable because they didn't spend as much time with the scenes featuring the repetitions. This cartoon is not on Disney Plus so I watched it on YouTube. I feel the action of the cartoon is not dynamic enough to support the silence. The foley artist was lacking. This was the least interesting of the three.

The Winner

Three Little Pigs - Walt Disney

The Three Little Pigs made me wish for a Too Many Cooks style twist. It is basic retelling of the story. The pigs don't have personalities beyond the straw guy, the wood guy and the brick guy. The whole cartoon feels like prestige chasing. The highest praise I have is the Wolf's design is nice and the brick piano in the third pig's house is a nice detail. The portrait of their father being a picture of a ham hock is an interestingly dark touch. I've seen the joke before but it's not fair to judge a cartoon from the 1930s for having a dated joke. It's just a pretty gross idea if you imagine a human having a similar portrait. Their little song is brain curdling.

Who I Think Should Have Won

I love the work of Fleischer Studios. Betty Boop's Museum was released in December 16, 1932. The look of the museum, the creepy gags, Betty Boop. Koko abducts Betty for a trip to the museum. Betty becomes trapped in the museum after closing. Chaos and confusion ensue with an out of nowhere ending. It's another classic in my view.