User Reviews

Puddy the Pup and a small black cat tangle in this very cute Terrytoon. This must be the fifth redesign of Puddy since he had been introduced as part of the menagerie on Al Falfa's farm about 1933. This time he is a small black-and-white dog who looks like he might be a Pomeranian. He still has a white body with one black ear, though. How do we know it's Puddy? He's got a basket to sleep in with his name on it.

It's a cute cartoon, but not as saccharine as some Terrytoons. The strengths lay with the believably mischievous behavior of the cat. the gags are good and if Puddy's nature seems a bit more like a small boy than a dog, that was his standard nature. Other cartoon characters did the same thing, particular over at Schlesinger's unit for Warner Brothers. Terry's characters mixed their characteristics, part animal, part human. This one of their better efforts.

The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.

1942, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, more so than the other years even. Of which 'The Big Build-Up' is one of the middling ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the middling 1942 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'The Big Build-Up' is watchable, though completest sake is the main reason to see it but it's not the only reason.

Once again, the best asset is the music, which is the one consistent asset that has been hard to find fault with in the Terrytoons cartoons even in the lesser ones. It is here outstanding, so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The animation has come on leaps and bounds, the ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and the synchronisation is neat.

A few amusing moments, some imaginative and there is some zest and natural charm, and parts of it and the basic set up are affecting. The cat is a fun and cute character and interacts well with Puddy.

Occasionally there is a lack of finesse visually, though as said the animation for Terrytoons had come on so much. Puddy is watchable enough as a support character but he doesn't have enough of a strong personality as a lead.

Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general). Gags aren't enough, they are not always very organised (fairly scattershot), and there is not much especially memorable about some and some don't serve much point. The cartoon tends to veer towards being too cute and a lot of it is pretty predictable. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned.

Summing up, watchable if nothing leaping out as special. 5/10 Bethany Cox