Although in his forty years of regular production of cartoons, Paul Terry never climbed to the top of the heap -- he only garnered two Oscar nominations, in 1944 and 1945 -- he usually produced a fair, if undistinguished product. This one, featuring Farmer Al Falfa and the usual cast of miscellaneous animals in support, demonstrates a lot of cheating -- mostly repetitive movement, but that movement is far more elaborate than usual for his work. Notice the interesting and intersecting lines of movement that add a good deal of excitement to the ice hockey game between Falfa and the cats.
The subject, no surprise, concerns various winter sports. It is a valuable base line for a decent silent cartoon, although far below the levels of Felix and the gag-filled Fleischer cartoons of the period.
The subject, no surprise, concerns various winter sports. It is a valuable base line for a decent silent cartoon, although far below the levels of Felix and the gag-filled Fleischer cartoons of the period.
