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"The
Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives"
Merrie Melodies (cartoon-specific
titles)
Released: January 7, 1933
Length: 7:10 |
Credits:
Supervision by - Rudolf Ising
Drawn by - Rollin Hamilton,
Norm Blackburn
Musical Score by - Frank Marsales
Summary:
Toys come to life
in Santa's workshop.
Description:
Bells ring for Christmas
Eve mass, and the sounds of "Silent Night" emanate from inside
a church. A poor little street boy trudges through the snow outside the
church, holding back tears. He passes by the window of a family home,
and can't resist the urge to look inside. Through the window he watches
as children dance around a Christmas Tree and the many presents underneath
it. Just as he begins to feel sorry for himself, a strong gust of wind
blows him through the air until he crashes against the side of another
home. Snow slides off the roof and blankets the poor boy, but he climbs
out and soon returns to his run-down, empty house. He looks into the stocking
hanging over his barren fireplace, but he's saddened when he sees nothing
inside. He begins to sob against a chair, but suddenly the sounds of sleigh
bells can be heard outside. A sleigh passes by the window, and the door
swings open revealing Santa Claus himself, singing the title song. The
boy asks to go with Santa, and because he's been a good boy Santa agrees.
The boy hops onto the back of Santa's sleigh, but as it moves forward
he falls off. He catches up to the sleigh where Santa pulls him back on,
and they fly up into the sky. Soon they arrive at "Santa Claus Shoppe",
and as the boy enters he is greeted by the cheers of the many toys inside.
He begins playing with some of the toys, including a kangaroo doll and
the wind-up "Sambo Jazz Band". Nearby, a Napoleon toy (from
Red-Headed Baby) uses
tiny drumsticks to play percussion on Christmas tree ornaments and on
the large drum and cymbal set he's standing on. Next to him a baby doll
cries "Mama!", but after it falls into a can of ash it emerges
in blackface and shouts "Mammy!", and Mammy herself greets her
"Sonny boy!". Next, the Red-Headed Baby doll herself resumes
the title song, along with her two black backup singers. She then picks
up some maracas and starts shaking them to a rumba beat. Meanwhile, Napoleon
opens up a "Baby Bank", and a little girl doll starts inflating
a balloon. The balloon gets too large however, and all the air blows back
into the doll, inflating her into -- Kate Smith! Kate begins singing "Shine
on Harvest Moon", during which two dogs repeat the old "Are
you listening?" gag. We watch as a bear plays the trombone, knocking
the head of a jack-in-the-box into a drum in the process. Another toy,
bobbing on the branch of the Christmas tree, accidentally lets a candle
drop under the tree, setting it ablaze. "Fire!" he shouts, and
toy fire truck quickly speeds out of the "Toyland Fire Dept."
building. As various toys attempt to battle the fire, the poor little
street boy (remember him?) takes a nearby hose and plugs it into a set
of bagpipes. Three streams of water shoot out of the bagpipe, quickly
putting the fire out. The toys cheer and the boy smiles as the cartoon
irises out.
Notes:
- The animation of
the Red-Headed Baby doll and her backup singers is reused from Red-Headed
Baby.
- Obscure gag: "Are
you listening?" (spoken by two dogs during Kate Smith's song) was
a phrase used by popular radio personality Ben Bernie. A biography of
Bernie can be found at The
Jazz Age site. [JB]
Memorable
Scenes:
Video
Availability:
Laserdisc:
Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 3
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