User Reviews

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.

1941, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, though slightly more consistent than previous years. Of which 'Ice Carnival' is one of the average-middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the middling 1941 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon, being generally average, and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Ice Carnival' is watchable but unexceptional, completest sake is the main reason to see it.

Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is 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 ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and some synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.

There is some zest and natural charm and a few amusing moments, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done. The characters carry the cartoon nicely and the conflict nicely done though predictable.

A few transitions are not always polished however. Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general) and doing little with a premise that's hardly new.

Gags aren't enough, a few are not particularly surprising and there is a deja vu feeling throughout. There is definitely a sense of the studio having run out of ideas and just re-treading old premises and material. Parts are repetitive.

Summing up, worth a one-time watch but not much special. 5/10 Bethany Cox

The animals of the forest -- and one dead tree -- are having fun skating on the ice. When the tortoise's son boasts to the hare's son, their fathers are off on another race in this average Terrytoon.

One thing that I find worth noting in this cartoon, as I often do, is the score offered by Terrytoon's musical director, Philip Scheib. In this period, he offers a couple of instruments with brief solos; in one, a piccolo carries the theme, and in a couple of places there is a fine vibraphone player at work. I've heard them before and wonder who they were.

Alas, Terry's on-screen credits are sparse, even by the standards of the era and I can only recall a couple of occasions on which individual performers were credited. It's sad to think this might have been the peak of their careers and their names are forgotten.