WW2 Cartoons

I'm a fan of Hollywood's Golden Age which includes movies of course but I also love the cartoons of the period especially World War 2 themed ones. Film studios were at the peak of their power in the 1940's and I think it shows through in the quality of their work. Here's a few of my favorites.



Walt Disney made a lot of cartoons supporting the war effort. "Der Fuehrer's Face" and "Education For Death" are famous examples but I also like "The Spirit Of '43" starring Donald Duck which subtly reminds Americans to pay their income tax.



"Draftee Daffy" may be my all-time favorite Warner Bros cartoon. Besides the manic off-the-charts energy, it also shows Daffy's transformation from lovable psychotic to the cravenly coward he'd become in later Bugs Bunny shorts.



What's funnier than Hitler as a duck? How about Mussolini as a goose? Yeah, ducks were the default animated characters in that era. Back then nobody had the idea yet to create an animated character out of a sponge or a wad of hamburger meat.

The Axis powers had their own propaganda cartoons too. They didn't exactly have that Hollywood polish but the message comes through. Actually, I'm not sure if the message came through either. Watch these and decide for yourself.



This first one was made by the Nazi-supporting Vichy government of France. Mickey Mouse, Popeye and other American cartoon stars bomb the hell out of French civilians.



And this cartoon from Japan is a complete mystery. Who are the rats and snakes supposed to represent? Chinese? Americans? Imperialists in general? Your guess is as good as mine.

Crush The Castle

I guess there are worse ways to kill 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. It's a fun game if you're into medieval weaponry or just like demolishing stuff.

My Favorite TV Musical Performances

Music on television is often a pretty disappointing affair. When I watch a talk show most of the time I change the channel by the time the musical act takes the stage at the end. Even when it's a band I like they're usually just lip-synching or going through the motions confined by the program's rules and regulations. However, there are some exceptions...


You'd think They Might Be Giants and the Tonight Show band led by Doc Severinsen would be an odd combination but together they did an amazing version of "Birdhouse In My Soul". Love the way the guy with the flattop is bobbing his head along to the music.


After playing "Less Than Zero" for about 10 seconds, Elvis broke into "Radio Radio" a song he'd been forbidden from playing on the air. Lorne Michaels later chased him off the studio and was banned from American television for 5 years.


I can relate a lot to this song. And hell who doesn't like Johnny Cash?


It's so legendary that it's almost a cliche'. Keith Moon fills his drum kit with extra flash powder. Pete Townshend temporarily loses his hearing in the resulting explosion. Bette Davis watching offstage faints into Mickey Rooney's arms.


The Whites Stripes studio version of "Let's Build A Home" is a bit tepid but live on Conan O'Brien they completely killed it. Maybe with a little luck they'll include it on a greatest hits album.

Things I Miss About TV part 2

Back in television's golden age every city had their own locally produced kiddie show, a cavalcade of cartoons, skits and whatever other hijinks the station could afford. And of course every kiddie show had to have their own host to keep the little rug rats in line. Dozens of these hosts often portraying some colorful character like a clown or a hobo kept kids entertained after school across the country.

For example, if you grew up in Baltimore you may have tuned in to Captain Chesapeake.



Or if you lived in L.A. you might remember Engineer Bill. (Love the trains)



But if you're from North Texas then the kiddie show host above all others was Icky Twerp.



Icky Twerp (real name Bill Camfield) was the host of Slam Bang Theater on KTVT channel 11 in Fort Worth, Texas. Wearing horn-rimmed glasses and an undersized cowboy hat he was the master of ceremonies over a show that included The Three Stooges, cartoons of all kinds as well as their own comedy sketches. His style was most definitely slapstick with someone taking a pie to the face in almost every show. As an ardent supporter of The Three Stooges he was even cast in their movie "The Outlaws Is Coming".

To be fair Twerp wasn't the only kids show host in the Dallas area. The CBS affiliate had Mr.Peppermint who always dressed in a red and white striped outfit. Mr.Peppermint was also really boring. If Icky Twerp was like Krusty The Clown with the zany antics then Mr.Peppermint was more like Grandpa Simpson telling tales about onions on belts before falling asleep in the middle of his own story.

Bill Camfield pulled double duty at channel 11 by also hosting the horror movie show Nightmare. That was the nature of local TV in those days. The whole kiddie show format died out in the 1980's and Bill Camfield himself died in 1991. Still, classic kiddie shows and their hosts hold fond memories for many people. Icky Twerp seems to be especially well remembered with a fansite and even his own movie!

Good Night Moon

When I heard that NASA had fired some kind of rocket probe at the moon I immediately thought of this.

Things I Miss About TV part 1

It used to be the networks made a big deal out of their new fall schedules. They'd do all kinds of promotions including lavish commercials with their show's stars and upbeat jingles which would be the network's ad slogan for the year. It was corny as hell but it made the whole television experience a little more grand somehow. Of course these were the days before a million other home entertainment choices were available and people thought a new season of Happy Days was something to get excited about.


ABC 1971 "This Is The Place To Be"


CBS 1973 "The Best Is Right Here"
The Tiffany Network?? Yeah, CBS thinks it's better than you and isn't afraid to say it.


NBC 1978 "NBSee Us"
If you don't remember these shows that's because most of them were canceled by year's end. NBC was a real disaster area in the late 70's


ABC 1979 "Still The One"


CBS 1979 "Looking Good"


ABC 1982 "Come On Along"


NBC 1985 "Let's All Be There"
I remember NBC lazily just added "Let's All" to their previous year's catch phrase "Be There". I think this is when the networks stopped giving a shit about the new fall TV season.

Monty Python and Me

On October 5th 1969 Monty Python's Flying Circus premiered on the BBC. It also happens to be my birthday. There are all kinds of strange connections between myself and England's most revered comedy troupe. It's sort of like those eerie Lincoln/Kennedy coincidences only I've never been shot in the head.

Allow me to list a few more...

1. My real first name Terry is the same as 1/3 of Monty Python.
2. My last name is just a couple of letters off from Terry Gilliam's who also happens to be the group's only American member.
3. I was born in Dallas home of the PBS station that first broadcast Monty Python in America. I remember watching it with my sister.
4. The first movie I ever went to see was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The first videotape I ever rented was Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
5. Eric Idle's secretary warned him not to go to the theater. My secretary warned me not to go see "Nuns On The Run".

OK, I made that last one up but the rest are all true. So what does it mean? Is there some mysterious psychic bond between myself and Britain's bad boys of comedy? Nah. Like their TV series it's just a bunch of crazy goings on with a threadbare link connecting it all. Anyway this post wouldn't be complete without my 5 favorite Monty Python bits of all time or at least tonight.

5 Openings of The Twilight Zone

This was the opening sequence for the 1959 pilot episode "Where Is Everybody?" broadcast 50 years ago today!


season 1


season 2


season 3


seasons 4-5