Happy (Early) Valentine's Day with George, Gracie - and Classic Cartoons

Today's early tribute to Valentine's Day, which this year falls on the same day as the Super Bowl, begins with the hilarious George Burns & Gracie Allen.



Always marvel at the exquisite comedy timing of Gracie and George's skill as the greatest straight man ever.



As far as Valentine's Day goes, the question remains what's the single most romantic thing I have ever heard? Unquestionably, the answer is a bit I saw on the Burns & Allen TV show.



As far as love and romance go, this song and dance says it all. And George & Gracie could dance!



Wonder if, as their pal Benny Kubelsky's birthday was February 14, Burns and/or Allen ever performed this terrific song on The Jack Benny Show.

Transitioning from live-action to animation, am now thinking of favorite cartoons with a Valentine's Day theme. Since this blogger has received good-natured ribbing over unapologetic enjoyment of the Columbia cartoons by the Charles Mintz and Screen Gems studios, especially those featuring Scrappy for eons, here's a 1936 Columbia Color Rhapsody.



In our humble B-studio lovin' opinion at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog, IN MY GONDOLA, starring romance, Venice, canals, mischievous pups, insouciant lobsters, the underwater world . . . and (inevitably) Scrappy, with a rare supporting appearance by his girlfriend Margie, is genuinely charming and one of the best in the series.



This brings the Valentine's Day post to Rudy Ising, MGM and the 1941 cartoon, The Dance Of The Weed. Here, Mr. Ising's production crew created a very ambitious attempt to go toe-to-toe with Fantasia. It is beautifully animated and designed - and loses a great deal viewed on the small screen, as opposed to in 35mm, presented in big screen theatrical glory.



A LOT less elegant and romantic than the Rudy Ising crew's The Dance Of The Weed but equally entertaining is a classic cartoon starring the ultimate leading man. . . Popeye the Sailor.



Here's the Fleischer Studio's version of Popeye in FOR BETTER OR WORSER. By any definition, this cartoon is not just unromantic but downright anti-romantic! Popeye is "strong to the finich" but can't cook the simplest meal to save his life and, for that matter, do anything around the house successfully, so he consults a matrimonial agency to find a spouse. Unfortunately, so does Bluto, his perennial adversary - and also a hulking brute who can't cook, clean or do the most basic housekeeping functions to save his life.

In the following superbly animated Tom & Jerry cartoon from 1946, the tomcat's incessant and extremely unsuccessful wooing involves a rendition of Louis Jordan's hit "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby." Was it Bill Hanna, Joe Barbera or the crew's exceptional animators (Mike Lah, Irv Spence, Ed Barge, Ken Muse) who were big time fans of Louis and the Tympani 5?

While this blogger has posted a good number of Valentine's Day cartoons over the years, the best being Tex Avery's LIL' TINKER, somehow have neglected this 1942 classic directed by Bob Clampett, THE HEP CAT. The gag with the crazed girl-chasin' feline protagonist comparing himself quite literally to Victor Mature gets me ROFL every time.!

And speaking of creating a cartoon featuring a horny bastard as the star, here's the guy who Chuck Jones referred to as "the Charles Boyer skunk," Pepe Le Pew, as always utterly deluded, irritatingly romantic, alarmingly self-assured and less than picky about such matters as. . . species.



Continuing the Valentine's Day theme: the following Merrie Melodie directed by Friz Freleng. The star is a not-terribly-swift canine (voiced by either Pinto Colvig or Mel Blanc doing a dead-on impersonation of Pinto Colvig - must check Keith Scott's Cartoon Voices book to confirm) who falls madly in love with. . . a statue of a dog.

Bugs Bunny hits the dating scene with his usual aplomb and panache in Hare Splitter (1948), also directed by Friz Freleng. It helps that Bugs' rival is as dumb as a sack of rocks.

In THE STUPID CUPID, one of the funniest and wildest Daffy Duck cartoons, Frank Tashlin both got his two cents in on the topic of "dangerous wooing" and cast Elmer Fudd as Dan Cupid!



While DON'T LOOK NOW (1936) is definitely not among Tex Avery's top 100 cartoons but, as far as the often pedestrian mid-1930's Merrie Melodies go, remains quite entertaining - and has a very funny ending. Love the bit in which the main character, who has similarities with the star of 1950's Harvey Comics, Hot Stuff, has fire instead of water in his shower. Nothing will accelerate one's efforts to freshen up in the morning quite like a 97,000 degrees Celsius blast!

In closing and unrelated to the rest of today's post, we are saddened by the passing last week of the outstanding and prolific tunesmith Burt Bacharach. Been watching YouTube videos all weekend of Burt's numerous terrific songs, performed by everyone from Dionne Warwick to The Hollies to Dusty Springfield to Tom Jones, Ron Isley, Trintje Oosterhuis and (especially) key collaborator Elvis Costello.

Rest In Peace and THANK YOU to Burt Bacharach, one of the all-time greats.

Born on February 14th: Benny Kubelsky

February 14th is the natal anniversary of all-time comedy great Jack Benny. It is apropo that we pay tribute to the King Of Cheapskates and old time radio today, as a recent post was devoted to Jack's good friend Eddie Cantor.



The star of radio, television and (occasionally) movies was born Benny Kubelsky on this day in 1894. Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog respectfully tipped our top hats (originally worn by Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe Arbuckle in THE ROUNDERS) to Jack six years ago on his birthday - and are thrilled and delighted to pay tribute to him yet again.


We'll kick this tribute to the man hated by violins around the world off with an episode of The Jack Benny Program featuring a guest star dear to all of us at the Psychotronix Film Festival: the one, the only Vincent Price.



The biggest stars in show business appeared on The Jack Benny Program, both on radio and television. He wasted no time in enlisting silver screen icon Marilyn Monroe, the bombshell with a flair for comedy, as the guest star for the TV show.



Here's Jack with special guest star Humphrey Bogart.



On this live show with Bob Hope, bound and determined to crack Jack up on the air, ad-libs abound.



Hope would frequently return as a guest star.



Sometimes Jack guest starred on his pals' shows, with felicitous results.



As funny as the Jack Benny radio shows, especially those from 1946-1950 are, I consider Jack's TV shows of the early-to-mid 1960's among his very best work. The following episode co-starring Jack's chum George Burns is a scream.



Some of the funniest episodes of The Jack Benny Program involve guest stars who grab the opportunity to have a bit of fun with their silver screen images as bad guys. Peter Lorre (and Jack's writers) has a field day in the following show. It's not that surprising, considering how much humor slips into the Peter Lorre Warner Bros. movies in which he co-stars with Sydney Greenstreet.



Asking the question of what my single favorite Jack Benny TV or radio show would be, the answer, hands-down, would be the episode in which Raymond Burr co-stars as Perry Mason. Burr did several appearances with Benny and clearly, after so many years portraying the likes of that creep in REAR WINDOW and the Cherries Jubilee slingin' mob boss in RAW DEAL, clearly loved doing comedy.



Need lots of laughs right now, as the recent passing of music giant Chick Corea and the losses of two personal friends in 2020 have hit this blogmeister hard. Luckily, Jack's the guy to deliver the laughs!



For more info, read Jack Benny and the Golden Age of American Radio Comedy by Kathryn H. Fuller-Seeley (the William P. Hobby Centennial Professor of Media History at the University of Texas), as well as Jack Benny and the Golden Age of American Radio Comedy by Trav S.D.

And This Blog Loves George Burns & Gracie Allen

On a Sunday in which Hudson Valley temps hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit - rough on this "weather wuss" San Francisco Bay Area native - and physical energy is definitely flagging, we at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog are reminiscing about a dynamic duo that, like Adam West and Burt Ward, resolutely does not fall into the love 'em or hate 'em category: George Burns & Gracie Allen.



So today, while guzzling one cold drink after another, we continue the topic of comedy teams from our previous post - and find ourselves fondly remembering George and Gracie, who are still loved, almost 55 years after Gracie's passing.



We've posted the first Burns & Allen silver screen appearance, performing their vaudeville routine in Lamb Chops, Vitaphone Varieties #891, released October 14, 1929, at least three or four (or five) times on this blog. Never tire of seeing it!



George & Gracie reprised this routine beautifully on The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show.



The team began their movie career at Paramount Pictures, where, in 1930-1933, they starred in a series of very funny 1-reelers, some involving a "breaking the fourth wall" concept that would continue into their radio and television careers.





By the time Burns & Allen had made a few of these Paramount short subjects, they were regulars on radio's Guy Lombardo show. They would get their own popular radio show in September 1934.





The short subjects and success on radio led to appearances in a slew of Paramount features, starting with The Big Broadcast and including such comedian-packed movies as International House and Six Of A Kind.







Could George and Gracie sing and dance? You bet they could! Here they are, keeping up with none other than Fred Astaire in A Damsel In Distress!







A mystery novel, The Gracie Allen Murder Case, was penned by novelist S.S. Van Dine, with Gracie herself assisting super-sleuth Philo Vance on the whodunit. It would be reprised as a movie.



The Gracie Allen Murder Case even inspired a board game.



Gracie sings, dances and gets big laughs as an ace supporting player - for the most part unaccompanied by George - in the Eleanor Powell MGM musical Honolulu. This was the last feature film appearance by Burns & Allen.



Meanwhile, Gracie tired of the intense schedule involved in doing the movie shoots, so the team renewed their energies on the radio show.



Their success on radio led to a television show that ran for eight seasons.



Do we love The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show? Yes.



Anyone who has been lucky enough to enjoy at least a somewhat successful marriage or long-term relationship/partnership can relate to the following song, a great one George & Gracie performed lovingly on The Burns & Allen Show



Sometimes, George & Gracie would be guest stars on other TV and radio programs.



George is the guest star on a particularly wonderful and hilarious Jack Benny Program - needs to be seen from start to finish! Gracie (voice only), in one of her last show business appearances, has a very brief but memorable cameo.



While, admittedly, we're a couple of days late to celebrate the birthday of Gracie Allen (July 26, 1895), paying tribute to this wonderful and original comedy team pleases the old time radio and classic movie nuts at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog no end.



For more (and there's lots more), see the Burns & Allen Archive channel on YouTube.

What Would Christmas Be Without . . . The Funhouse Mirror Number From DAMSEL IN DISTRESS?

The following production number from A Damsel In Distress pretty much encapsulates everything I love about 1930's musicals and movies in general. While the video transfer here is definitely a tad on the muddy side, this scene sends Mr. Blogmeister into sheer delight every time, Take it, Fred, George and Gracie!

The Most Romantic Piece Of Footage I've Ever Seen

Take it, George and Gracie!

This Blog Digs Trailers From Bad Movies

Do we at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog enjoy trailers from bad movies? Yes - very much.





Probably a bit too much.







We even like trailers from 1930's programmers, which are several cuts above the aforementioned Z-pictures and schlockers but fun just the same.

































with some great versions of "What Is This Thing Called Love."









Have posted Valentine's Day cartoons, the best being Tex Avery's MGM cartoon LIL' TINKER, on this blog before. Here's one that's not among Tex Avery's top 150 cartoons but is not bad for mid-1930's Merrie Melodies and has a terrific ending. Besides, we love the bit in which the main character, who is more than a little reminiscent of Harvey Comics, has fire instead of water in his shower. Nothing will accelerate one's efforts to freshen up in the morning quite like a 5000 degree blast!

One way to honor February 14 would be to, upon ponderance of this day go ask Shakespeare, then read some sonnets! But also check out this incredible song by Burt Bacharach.



Love the excellent vocal by Rufus Wainright and the song's lyrics.

I've been hoping for a better day
It's a long time coming, but I wait anyway
'Til the dark clouds have all blown away
And the sun shines again

I keep trying, I've been holding on
Though the days are empty in a world that's gone wrong
Life's a miracle or a foolish tale
I don't know, go ask Shakespeare

Love's the answer, like I said before
It's the one thing needed, maybe now even more
Love's the secret we've been looking for
'Til the sun shines again

So I keep hoping and I'm holding on
There's a cold wind blowing, but I know love is strong
There will come a day when sorrow is gone
And the sun shines again

I keep hoping for a better day
It's a long time coming, but I wait anyway
Life's a miracle or a foolish tale
I don't know, go ask Shakespeare






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Burns And Allen, 1929