User Reviews

Long thought lost, this abstract animated short is mainly notable as the first credited directorial effort of innovative animator Gene Deitch. As the title implies, this was the initial effort of making a cartoon series of the popular TV puppet, Howdy Doody. Unfortunately, that puppet's creator and voice, "Buffalo" Bob Smith, didn't like the results (the fact that the whole thing had no speaking parts might have bothered him) and ordered the negative destroyed and if a copy hadn't been recently discovered at the Library of Congress, it would have remained so. Thanks to them and also to the Cartoon Brew site which put this up yesterday morning as the initial entry in their showcase of Gene Deitch rarities. As for the short itself, I just have to say how touchingly artistic the whole thing is with the leading character looking quite charming with the way he's being depicted as a painted and paper cut-off with like movements. That goes for many of the other players too like a big cowboy, a lion, and an eagle. And what beautiful music provided by the unique Serge Hovey who I previously enjoyed from a later innovative animated short he did called The Hangman. Others who deserve credit include the animator Duane Crowther, graphic designer Cliff Roberts, cameraman Ken Drake, and Bill Bernal who co-wrote the story with Deitch. They all deserve whatever recognition that comes to them from anybody that enjoyed this highly pleasing-both visually and aurally-animated short from the artistically independent UPA studio.