A little boy jumps on a real train and learns a lesson about safety.A little boy jumps on a real train and learns a lesson about safety.A little boy jumps on a real train and learns a lesson about safety.
Photos
Gertrude Lawrence
- Boy
- (voice)
- Directors
- Dave Fleischer
- Dave Tendlar(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe scene were the blue train runs around the mountain and into the tunnel, was filmed on a model train set.
- Alternate versionsThere's a French version on YouTube. Only the printing is changed, not the sound track.
- ConnectionsFeatured in American Ultra (2015)
- SoundtracksPlay Safe
Music by Vee Lawnhurst
Lyrics by Tot Seymour
Sung during the opening credits
Sung when the boy is at the controls of the train
Played at the end
Featured review
Very high quality cartoon of the era--though it looks a bit old fashioned today.
This film was included in the three DVD set "Saved From the Flames"--a collection of mostly ephemeral movies that have managed to avoid turning to powder, catching fire or melting--something that usually happened with the nitrate film stock used up through the 1950s.
According to the notes with the DVD set, this is one of the first non-Disney cartoons that was made with the new Three-Color Technicolor. It seems that the Technicolor folks and Disney had signed an exclusive contract that had just expired and the Fleischer Brothers were quick to jump on the Three-Color bandwagon. This cartoon does look amazingly vibrant for its time because of the Technicolor as well as because it has been restored for the collection.
"Play Safe" begins with an ultra-cutesy kid (the sort they loved to feature in the 1930s) playing with his train set. However, the kid is apparently mentally imbalanced and soon chases after a real train and nearly gets himself killed. When he's thrown from a speeding train and knocked out, he has a cool dream about trains--where he once again seems to have a death wish. Wow, I wonder if Freud ever got to see this film--what he could have told us about this character! However, instead of analyzing his phallic fixation or death instinct, the film is apparently a lesson on playing it safe--which the kid learns by the time the film ends when the family dog is forced to save his life.
As for the quality of the animation, it's really slick. They used a short sequence where they combined a toy train with animation--and it's nice. However, what really impressed me and which was a hallmark of the Fleischers was their 3-D look they perfected in the late 1930s. Very nice--and one of the cases where this studio actually was ahead of Disney. Worth seeing.
According to the notes with the DVD set, this is one of the first non-Disney cartoons that was made with the new Three-Color Technicolor. It seems that the Technicolor folks and Disney had signed an exclusive contract that had just expired and the Fleischer Brothers were quick to jump on the Three-Color bandwagon. This cartoon does look amazingly vibrant for its time because of the Technicolor as well as because it has been restored for the collection.
"Play Safe" begins with an ultra-cutesy kid (the sort they loved to feature in the 1930s) playing with his train set. However, the kid is apparently mentally imbalanced and soon chases after a real train and nearly gets himself killed. When he's thrown from a speeding train and knocked out, he has a cool dream about trains--where he once again seems to have a death wish. Wow, I wonder if Freud ever got to see this film--what he could have told us about this character! However, instead of analyzing his phallic fixation or death instinct, the film is apparently a lesson on playing it safe--which the kid learns by the time the film ends when the family dog is forced to save his life.
As for the quality of the animation, it's really slick. They used a short sequence where they combined a toy train with animation--and it's nice. However, what really impressed me and which was a hallmark of the Fleischers was their 3-D look they perfected in the late 1930s. Very nice--and one of the cases where this studio actually was ahead of Disney. Worth seeing.
helpful•30
- planktonrules
- Jul 9, 2011
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Inga vilda lekar
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime7 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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