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These are my favorite shorts from the Fleischer Brothers' "Color Classics" series. You can find a lot of them on YouTube, but I'll explain each of them individually, and why I like them!

1. Somewhere in Dreamland (1936) This story is an adorable telling of how hope can be just around the corner, and if you believe in your dreams, they're sure to come true. Anyway, a brother and sister from a poor family are collecting firewood when they pass by different shops containing things they'd like to have (e.g. toys, new clothes, and sweet treats). As the kids go home, the merchants watching them feel sorry and decide to think of a way to cheer them up. When the kids get home to their single mother, all they ever get for dinner is hard bread and water. When they go to bed that night, the brother and sister sing a song about doing to "Dreamland", where all is possible. After going to sleep, the kids share a dream together where they wander a mystic place full of everything they could possibly want - a clothes tree with new clothes; an ice cream crop; a cake carousel; a popcorn field; and a place full of toys and comfy beds. When they wake up, the children are disappointed that their dream is over, but then they find that their kitchen is full of good food to eat, new clothes, and lots of toys; those were all gifts from the sympathetic merchants who wanted to cheer them up. The little boy pokes himself with a fork to see if this is another dream, but luckily, it isn't - it's real! Anyway, I really enjoy this short a lot, because I feel empathy for those poor kids, especially since this cartoon was released during the Great Depression. But like I said, dreams can come true if you believe, and sometimes help is just around the corner.

2. Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936) This short features Professor Grampy from the Betty Boop cartoons in his only solo short. But anyway, this cartoon follows several orphans who wake up one Christmas morning, but they are all sad, because they receive broken toys for Christmas. (If there were any adults responsible for this, I'd report them to the authorities right away! ) But Grampy, who is passing by in his "snowplow", hears their cries, and then decides to investigate. When he sees the situation, he comes up with an idea to make his own toys for the children by using whatever knick-knacks he can find in the orphanage's kitchen. For example, he makes a walking bird out of an alarm clock, forks, a sock, and a big ball of fluff; he makes a train set out of a coffeepot, some teacups, and silverware; and he makes a Santa costume from an old red towel. Then, Grampy poses as Santa to cheer the children up; the children are very delighted to find new gifts, and the episode ends with Grampy and the kids singing around a Christmas tree made from umbrellas and ornaments. And this was before McGyver or MacGruber!

3. Bunny Mooning (1937) This is a very cute short that has no arguments or big problems whatsoever. Anyway, a couple of anthropomorphic rabbits named Jack and Jill are getting married, and all the animals of the forest get ready for the wedding in different ways. (a lion gets a manicure with a rolling stone, a crocodile brushes his teeth, and a giraffe ties on many neckties) The bride and groom are married by a peacock minister, and everyone lives happily ever after in this short. Many of the elements of that story were reused in the Screen Song short "Marriage Wows" (after Noveltoons bought the Fleischer Brothers shorts with Paramount).

4. The Playful Polar Bears (1938) In this short, a group of polar bears spend their care-free days playing in the Arctic before they all take a nap (except for a little baby cub, who wants to catch a fish, but sneezes when he gets water on his nose). But soon, a group of hunters arrive on their ships, and then shoot after the polar bears, making them run away and hide. The baby cub gets struck in the head and knocked out when a hunter shoots and hits an icicle, making the mother polar bear think her baby is dead. When the hunters go off, the polar bears all have a little funeral for the poor baby (a sad scene), but then the mother's tears revive the baby, who sneezes and falls into some water. When the baby resurfaces, he has successfully caught a fish, and his mother kisses him before all the bears dance and play in the sunset. A bittersweet short that I recommend for those who like movies like The Lion King, Bambi, or The Land Before Time.

5. Ants in the Plants (1940) The ants' dialogue in this short is a bit hard to understand, but if you listen closely and watch the short, then you can understand. Anyway, a group of ants lives peacefully in their village, and their Queen repeatedly warns them about the hungry anteater. If any of the ants should come across this anteater, they promise to make sure he yells, "UNCLE!" and then run away. But soon the anteater arrives and captures most of the ants (including the Queen), but then some soldiers of the underground squad arrive and jump into his fur, making him itch like crazy! This is a great short from the days before "The Ant and the Aardvark".

6. Educated Fish (1937) This short teaches you to stay in school, kids! Anyway, some young fish happily go to the A-B-Sea School to see their teacher - except for a codfish named Tommy. Tommy would rather go out and do whatever he wants. After failing a lesson, the teacher sends Tommy to the closet, where the young fish escapes through a window. It isn't long before Tommy meets a Mae West-esque worm on a hook, who knocks him out and puts him on the hook. Tommy is terrified when he wakes up, and tries to escape, but the hook keeps reeling him in to a fisherman! Luckily, when Tommy gets captured, he bites the man's finger and swims off back to school. When he returns, he tells the teacher that he's learned his lesson, and promises to never play Hooky again. (and this is long before the SpongeBob episode "Hooky)

7. The Kids in the Shoe (1935) This is a great retelling of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe! The old woman sings about how she carries on with life, even though she has a lot of children and doesn't know what to do. At suppertime, the kids all feed their broth and bread to the cat, and the old woman sends them to bed early for punishment. She also forbids music at nighttime, since this is the time for sleeping. But guess what? As soon as the old woman is asleep, the kids get their instruments out and begin singing 1930s jazz all through the night! But then the woman wakes up and threatens to give the kids castor oil to make them puke, but that sends them back to sleep. At the end, the woman pulls away a label on the bottle of "oil", revealing it to be sweet cider that she guzzles down. I find it funny how some of the kids sing in deeper, adult voices while singing their song.

8. Little Lamby (1937) In this short, a sly and hungry fox reaches a town populated by cute little animals, and decides that he wants to eat a baby lamb. So he dons a fake beard and eyebrows, posing as an old judge for a contest. The contest is for the healthiest and cutest baby, and all the animal moms enter their babies into the contest. (almost like a very tame Toddlers and Tiaras) The lamb wins the contest before the fox reveals himself and kidnaps the lamb to his house in a tree. The other animals come to the rescue and try to break into the fox's lair, but the fox growls at them to go away. Luckily, an old billy goat rams the door down with his head-butting, and the mother sheep is able to save her daughter before she can be cooked into lamb chops. The episode ends with the animals pounding the fox on the head, and then the lamb makes him sneeze with some pepper as she proclaims in a cute voice, "Geshundteit!" A great episode with a happy ending (and good comeuppance for the fox)

9. Greedy Humpty Dumpty (1936) This Humpty Dumpty was Robin Hood's Prince John of the Color Classics era, but it's still a great story with a valuable lesson. Anyway, Humpty Dumpty is king of Nursery Rhymes as he possesses a golden wall and greedily counts his money every day. But one day, Humpty sees that the sun has lots of gold in it, and so he enslaves the citizens of his kingdom to build his wall higher to reach the sun, despite the others' warnings on not to build the wall too high. When Humpty finally reaches the sun, he tries to take some gold, but the sun's rays are p**sed with him as they give him a spanking and then use lightning-like bolts to ruin the very high wall. Humpty Dumpty then has a big fall, which ultimately ends with him breaking to pieces. The poor egg laments in song about how he's learned his lesson in not too be greedy and selfish, and then he crumbles to bits. MORAL OF THIS STORY: Don't mess with the sun, and don't act like Prince John!

10. Little Lambkins (1940 In this short, a toddler named Lambkin (who must've been the inspiration for Chuckie Finster in Rugrats) enjoys his carefree days of playing with a squirrel and raccoon, but one day, his parents unexpectedly announce to him that they are moving (like they couldn't have told him in advance long ago), and that makes Lambkin upset, because he has to leave his animal friends behind. He also doesn't like the new house in the city, but he soon finds lots of gadgets in the kitchen. Lambkin gets an idea as he moves the controls and plugs around everywhere, and then when his parents check on him, they find that everything in the house has gone crazy - thanks to Lambkin's antics! Ultimately, the family decides to move back to their old house, and Lambkin is happily reunited with his animal friends. (this was BEFORE Fairly Odd Parents, too)

Honorable Mentions:

- Poor Cinderella

- Tears of an Onion

- The Barnyard Brat

- Play Safe

- The Song of the Birds (remade into a Little Audrey short of the same name)

- Fresh Vegetable Mystery

- Little Dutch Mill

Blank meme:

All these shorts belong to their respective owners. I only own my blank meme!

Description

These are my favorite shorts from the Fleischer Brothers' "Color Classics" series. You can find a lot of them on YouTube, but I'll explain each of them individually, and why I like them!

1. Somewhere in Dreamland (1936) This story is an adorable telling of how hope can be just around the corner, and if you believe in your dreams, they're sure to come true. Anyway, a brother and sister from a poor family are collecting firewood when they pass by different shops containing things they'd like to have (e.g. toys, new clothes, and sweet treats). As the kids go home, the merchants watching them feel sorry and decide to think of a way to cheer them up. When the kids get home to their single mother, all they ever get for dinner is hard bread and water. When they go to bed that night, the brother and sister sing a song about doing to "Dreamland", where all is possible. After going to sleep, the kids share a dream together where they wander a mystic place full of everything they could possibly want - a clothes tree with new clothes; an ice cream crop; a cake carousel; a popcorn field; and a place full of toys and comfy beds. When they wake up, the children are disappointed that their dream is over, but then they find that their kitchen is full of good food to eat, new clothes, and lots of toys; those were all gifts from the sympathetic merchants who wanted to cheer them up. The little boy pokes himself with a fork to see if this is another dream, but luckily, it isn't - it's real! Anyway, I really enjoy this short a lot, because I feel empathy for those poor kids, especially since this cartoon was released during the Great Depression. But like I said, dreams can come true if you believe, and sometimes help is just around the corner.

2. Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936) This short features Professor Grampy from the Betty Boop cartoons in his only solo short. But anyway, this cartoon follows several orphans who wake up one Christmas morning, but they are all sad, because they receive broken toys for Christmas. (If there were any adults responsible for this, I'd report them to the authorities right away! ) But Grampy, who is passing by in his "snowplow", hears their cries, and then decides to investigate. When he sees the situation, he comes up with an idea to make his own toys for the children by using whatever knick-knacks he can find in the orphanage's kitchen. For example, he makes a walking bird out of an alarm clock, forks, a sock, and a big ball of fluff; he makes a train set out of a coffeepot, some teacups, and silverware; and he makes a Santa costume from an old red towel. Then, Grampy poses as Santa to cheer the children up; the children are very delighted to find new gifts, and the episode ends with Grampy and the kids singing around a Christmas tree made from umbrellas and ornaments. And this was before McGyver or MacGruber!

3. Bunny Mooning (1937) This is a very cute short that has no arguments or big problems whatsoever. Anyway, a couple of anthropomorphic rabbits named Jack and Jill are getting married, and all the animals of the forest get ready for the wedding in different ways. (a lion gets a manicure with a rolling stone, a crocodile brushes his teeth, and a giraffe ties on many neckties) The bride and groom are married by a peacock minister, and everyone lives happily ever after in this short. Many of the elements of that story were reused in the Screen Song short "Marriage Wows" (after Noveltoons bought the Fleischer Brothers shorts with Paramount).

4. The Playful Polar Bears (1938) In this short, a group of polar bears spend their care-free days playing in the Arctic before they all take a nap (except for a little baby cub, who wants to catch a fish, but sneezes when he gets water on his nose). But soon, a group of hunters arrive on their ships, and then shoot after the polar bears, making them run away and hide. The baby cub gets struck in the head and knocked out when a hunter shoots and hits an icicle, making the mother polar bear think her baby is dead. When the hunters go off, the polar bears all have a little funeral for the poor baby (a sad scene), but then the mother's tears revive the baby, who sneezes and falls into some water. When the baby resurfaces, he has successfully caught a fish, and his mother kisses him before all the bears dance and play in the sunset. A bittersweet short that I recommend for those who like movies like The Lion King, Bambi, or The Land Before Time.

5. Ants in the Plants (1940) The ants' dialogue in this short is a bit hard to understand, but if you listen closely and watch the short, then you can understand. Anyway, a group of ants lives peacefully in their village, and their Queen repeatedly warns them about the hungry anteater. If any of the ants should come across this anteater, they promise to make sure he yells, "UNCLE!" and then run away. But soon the anteater arrives and captures most of the ants (including the Queen), but then some soldiers of the underground squad arrive and jump into his fur, making him itch like crazy! This is a great short from the days before "The Ant and the Aardvark".

6. Educated Fish (1937) This short teaches you to stay in school, kids! Anyway, some young fish happily go to the A-B-Sea School to see their teacher - except for a codfish named Tommy. Tommy would rather go out and do whatever he wants. After failing a lesson, the teacher sends Tommy to the closet, where the young fish escapes through a window. It isn't long before Tommy meets a Mae West-esque worm on a hook, who knocks him out and puts him on the hook. Tommy is terrified when he wakes up, and tries to escape, but the hook keeps reeling him in to a fisherman! Luckily, when Tommy gets captured, he bites the man's finger and swims off back to school. When he returns, he tells the teacher that he's learned his lesson, and promises to never play Hooky again. (and this is long before the SpongeBob episode "Hooky)

7. The Kids in the Shoe (1935) This is a great retelling of the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe! The old woman sings about how she carries on with life, even though she has a lot of children and doesn't know what to do. At suppertime, the kids all feed their broth and bread to the cat, and the old woman sends them to bed early for punishment. She also forbids music at nighttime, since this is the time for sleeping. But guess what? As soon as the old woman is asleep, the kids get their instruments out and begin singing 1930s jazz all through the night! But then the woman wakes up and threatens to give the kids castor oil to make them puke, but that sends them back to sleep. At the end, the woman pulls away a label on the bottle of "oil", revealing it to be sweet cider that she guzzles down. I find it funny how some of the kids sing in deeper, adult voices while singing their song.

8. Little Lamby (1937) In this short, a sly and hungry fox reaches a town populated by cute little animals, and decides that he wants to eat a baby lamb. So he dons a fake beard and eyebrows, posing as an old judge for a contest. The contest is for the healthiest and cutest baby, and all the animal moms enter their babies into the contest. (almost like a very tame Toddlers and Tiaras) The lamb wins the contest before the fox reveals himself and kidnaps the lamb to his house in a tree. The other animals come to the rescue and try to break into the fox's lair, but the fox growls at them to go away. Luckily, an old billy goat rams the door down with his head-butting, and the mother sheep is able to save her daughter before she can be cooked into lamb chops. The episode ends with the animals pounding the fox on the head, and then the lamb makes him sneeze with some pepper as she proclaims in a cute voice, "Geshundteit!" A great episode with a happy ending (and good comeuppance for the fox)

9. Greedy Humpty Dumpty (1936) This Humpty Dumpty was Robin Hood's Prince John of the Color Classics era, but it's still a great story with a valuable lesson. Anyway, Humpty Dumpty is king of Nursery Rhymes as he possesses a golden wall and greedily counts his money every day. But one day, Humpty sees that the sun has lots of gold in it, and so he enslaves the citizens of his kingdom to build his wall higher to reach the sun, despite the others' warnings on not to build the wall too high. When Humpty finally reaches the sun, he tries to take some gold, but the sun's rays are p**sed with him as they give him a spanking and then use lightning-like bolts to ruin the very high wall. Humpty Dumpty then has a big fall, which ultimately ends with him breaking to pieces. The poor egg laments in song about how he's learned his lesson in not too be greedy and selfish, and then he crumbles to bits. MORAL OF THIS STORY: Don't mess with the sun, and don't act like Prince John!

10. Little Lambkins (1940 In this short, a toddler named Lambkin (who must've been the inspiration for Chuckie Finster in Rugrats) enjoys his carefree days of playing with a squirrel and raccoon, but one day, his parents unexpectedly announce to him that they are moving (like they couldn't have told him in advance long ago), and that makes Lambkin upset, because he has to leave his animal friends behind. He also doesn't like the new house in the city, but he soon finds lots of gadgets in the kitchen. Lambkin gets an idea as he moves the controls and plugs around everywhere, and then when his parents check on him, they find that everything in the house has gone crazy - thanks to Lambkin's antics! Ultimately, the family decides to move back to their old house, and Lambkin is happily reunited with his animal friends. (this was BEFORE Fairly Odd Parents, too)

Honorable Mentions:

- Poor Cinderella

- Tears of an Onion

- The Barnyard Brat

- Play Safe

- The Song of the Birds (remade into a Little Audrey short of the same name)

- Fresh Vegetable Mystery

- Little Dutch Mill

Blank meme:

All these shorts belong to their respective owners. I only own my blank meme!