Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Michael Lah's six solo-directed Droopy cartoons (starting with 1957's 'Grin and Share It' and ending with 1958's 'Droopy's Leprechaun'), having co-directed with Droopy creator Tex Avery 'Deputy Droopy' in 1955', are a mixed bag. While a couple underwhelmed, especially 'Blackboard Jumble', others were very good. His fifth and penultimate cartoon 'Mutts About Racing' is to me his second best after 'Sheep Wrecked'. It's fairly predictable in terms of story and conflict but this is compensated by such clever and incredibly funny execution.
Regarding the animation, 'Mutts About Racing' gets my vote as the best-looking Lah-directed Droopy cartoon. It's more refined and has more imagination while the colours are suitably vibrant, even if it does lack Avery's creative designs and wild wackiness. Butch's expressions are done particularly well.
The conflict is one where the outcome can be seen from the outset but with such a lively pace and the cartoon containing some of the funniest and most inventive material of Lah's Droopy outings this didn't matter, the best moments being hilarious.
Droopy's personality continues to be very well established and he is very high on the humour and charisma factors, plus his determination is easy to root for. The voice acting cannot be faulted, with Bill Thompson giving his usual bravura performance as both Droopy and Butch. Vic Perrin makes for a very witty announcer.
Best things are the music score and Butch. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed. Butch is hilarious, deliciously over-confident, sharp-witted and conjures up some clever and uncompromising tricks. It's Droopy one roots for though.
Overall, excellent if not quite a classic. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Michael Lah's six solo-directed Droopy cartoons (starting with 1957's 'Grin and Share It' and ending with 1958's 'Droopy's Leprechaun'), having co-directed with Droopy creator Tex Avery 'Deputy Droopy' in 1955', are a mixed bag. While a couple underwhelmed, especially 'Blackboard Jumble', others were very good. His fifth and penultimate cartoon 'Mutts About Racing' is to me his second best after 'Sheep Wrecked'. It's fairly predictable in terms of story and conflict but this is compensated by such clever and incredibly funny execution.
Regarding the animation, 'Mutts About Racing' gets my vote as the best-looking Lah-directed Droopy cartoon. It's more refined and has more imagination while the colours are suitably vibrant, even if it does lack Avery's creative designs and wild wackiness. Butch's expressions are done particularly well.
The conflict is one where the outcome can be seen from the outset but with such a lively pace and the cartoon containing some of the funniest and most inventive material of Lah's Droopy outings this didn't matter, the best moments being hilarious.
Droopy's personality continues to be very well established and he is very high on the humour and charisma factors, plus his determination is easy to root for. The voice acting cannot be faulted, with Bill Thompson giving his usual bravura performance as both Droopy and Butch. Vic Perrin makes for a very witty announcer.
Best things are the music score and Butch. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed. Butch is hilarious, deliciously over-confident, sharp-witted and conjures up some clever and uncompromising tricks. It's Droopy one roots for though.
Overall, excellent if not quite a classic. 9/10 Bethany Cox