Share Your Nostalgia – Round 3

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A while back, I asked some blogger friends if they’d want to write a piece for my Share Your Nostalgia feature. In the past we have looked at Favorite Childhood Toy and Favorite Childhood Book. Today, we go back to Saturday mornings. This was when we sat in front of the TV with our favorite cereal and watched hours of cartoons. So I asked my guests to write about their favorite cartoon or cartoon character growing up.

Today’s guest blogger is someone that I recently connected with on WordPress. I enjoy her writing so much that she has already contributed a guest blog here. Her blog, Regular Girl Devos, is full of gems. Some of her features are a Monday Motivation piece, Quotes that will make you think, Praise pieces, blogs to Find Your Purpose, and various Stories. I’m glad to have Dana here again. I wonder what her take on cartoons is …

Thank you, Keith, for inviting me to write about such a fun subject! I’m going vintage, so hop in my time machine as I dial in the spring of 1963…

My mom worked to make ends meet, so I spent my days at grandma’s house. Every Monday, grandma and I would go to the grocery store. As she drove the old Chevy, I would stand on the bench seat next to her, excited for the treat soon to come.

In my bare feet, I ran past the western pony ride in front of the store to the Kiddierama Cartoon Theater Booth, just inside next to the checkout lanes. Slipping past the red velvet-like curtain, I would slide onto the wooden seat and wait for grandma to push the button on the outside. It was dark, but not scary. As we were usually there on Mondays, I wouldn’t have to share my little movie theater with anyone. Soon, images would flicker on the small screen and the music would play.

I delighted in the dancing woodland creatures, insects, and even trees and flowers. I experienced all kinds of music, from classical to swing-time jazz and barbershop quartets. When it stopped, I hopped out to push the button again—no coins needed!

I remember many of these musical animated short films, but until I began my research, I didn’t realize how many studios produced them. Disney began making Silly Symphonies in 1929, and Terrytoons began the same year. Walter Lantz Productions followed with Swing Symphony, MGM had Happy Harmonies, and Warner Brothers had Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes.

Most of those I saw in that little booth were from the early days and I loved them! Stories told only with music and dancing violins, what is not to like? Here are a few links to my favorites:

Silly Symphonies, “The Cookie Carnival” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRB2YlQOSBI

and “Music Land” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dihJ1w48Jh0

Terrytoons, “Harvest Time” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7pxBkSVHy8

Of course, the most popular animated musical movie was Disney’s “Fantasia,” released in 1940. The cartoons produced during the “Golden Age of American animation,” from 1928 through the 60s, are the best!

Because I also love vintage movies, I enjoy the cartoons starring classic Hollywood actors like Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, and Jimmy Stewart, just to name a few. One, by Merrie Melodies, is called “Hollywood Steps Out.” It includes caricatures of over 40 of Hollywood’s most popular performers. Here is a link to IMDb if you would like to learn more: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033724/?ref_=ls_t_2

If you appreciate vintage comedy, watch this one by Looney Tunes from 1942 of Abbott and Costello called “The Tale of Two Kitties.” It is hilarious!

Does anyone else remember these tiny theaters in the stores?

“A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

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Published by nostalgicitalian

I'm just a guy who likes the classics. I love Old Time Radio Shows. I love Classic TV. I love Classic Movies. I love songs from the "Great American Songbook". I dig songs from the first decade of Rock and Roll. Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to newer things. My musical taste ranges from Classical to Classic Rock and Country to Rap. I love a good book and am always looking for something to read. I tend to lean toward historical fiction, biographies, mysteries, and more. I have always believed that our past (and the things we've experienced in it) make us who we are today. That being said, after reading through some old My Space blogs (yeah, that's about how long it's been since I blogged regularly), I decided that I should once again write. Welcome to my blog. I hope you find it interesting, thought provoking, and entertaining in some way. CONTACT ME AT - nostalgicitalian@yahoo.com

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18 thoughts on “Share Your Nostalgia – Round 3”

  2. Thanks, Dana for writing such a great piece. Those early musical toons were a joy to watch. Hollywood Steps Out is a favorite. I love how they worked the stars in it and their interactions. I remember hoping there was some sort of sequel to this because I loved seeing the stars as cartoon characters.

    I truly loved when a star made a cameo in cartoons. I remember the Bugs Bunny one where Bogart is asking for a dime throughout the toon. There was one where a chicken, who was Sinatra, sang and made all the hens lay a gazillion eggs. My favorite is where Porky Pig is a talent agent and Bing Crosby, Sinatra, and Al Jolson sing April Showers.

    Thanks for spotlighting them.

    By the way, I am old enough to remember those movie players, too.

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  3. wow, that’s interesting! I don’t remember those booths, perhaps they weren’t in Canadian grocers, or else were just a bit too much ahead of my time. But sounds like a great way to keep the kiddies busy while you shop (of course in today’s paranoid society, no one would allow that anymore). Animation looks good – I agree, the simple early animation was good . You mention ‘Fantasia’ and at least I have seen that – it is impressive

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    1. Dave, you are right, those booths probably would not be such a good idea today. On the early animation, I just watched an interesting documentary called “Pencils vs. Pixels.” Although it seems computer animation is all the rage, 2D hand-drawn animation is making a big comeback and is getting the recognition it deserves as a true art form.

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  4. Those booths sound cool, we didn’t have them in the UK in the 60’s but they would have been very popular if we had.

    ‘Hollywood Steps Out’ directed by Tex Avery looks amazing, I just watched a short clip on YouTube featuring Peter Lorre and it didn’t disappoint.

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      1. I remember that one. I love those old WB ones…I almost did just one…One Froggy Evening
        about the frog that was just start singing when that dude was around.

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