User Reviews

It's the operetta about the peg-legged pirate hippopotamus trying to kidnap the hero's girlfriend again in this Terrytoon directed by Moser and Terry.

In this period, each iteration of a particular Terrytoon plot -- and Paul Terry reused his limited number of stories as often as Mack Sennett had -- showed some technical advance. Terry had been laying off operettas for a few months, having his musical director Philip Scheib do background scores, the sort of music that A movies use to get the audience in the mood for a particular scene. With the return of the operetta form to Terrytoons, we have a larger orchestra and a score that supports that sense, at least for the exciting battle scenes. It's the sort of sound that Scheib would use for the next decade; the style of orchestration would be used in Mighty Mouse cartoons, and even the Heckle & Jeckle shorts when things got busy.

However, while the music is good, the cartoon is more of the same.

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.

1935, like all the other years, is another hit and miss year for Terrytoons. 'Peg Leg Pete, the Pirate' is one of the best generally. Like as was said by me with 1932's 'Peg Leg Pete', 'Peg Leg Pete, the Pirate' is neither among the best or worst Terrytoons. Somewhere around average middle more like. It is nonetheless a worthwhile enough outing. Its main reason for viewing is mainly for anybody striving to see every Terrytoons available like me. Again though that is not the sole reason.

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. There is some nice detail and ambition in the backgrounds that are more elaborate than one expects for very early non-big budget animation.

Pacing is neither too hectic or dull in the second half, there is a natural charm and there are some fun and well-timed gags in the second. Once you figure out who he is, Pete is amusing and menacing conflict with a big personality and the more action-oriented scenes excite.

However, as is the case with a lot of the Terrytoons cartoons, the character designs are crude and simplistic.

The story is very flimsy and formulaic, doing nothing new at all with a very over-familiar premise, the supporting characters lack Pete's big personality and are not very memorable. The first half isn't as strong, the pace doesn't have quite the amount of pizzazz the second half had and the gags are fewer and not as funny or imaginative.

Concluding, another worthwhile cartoon with not an awful lot that's exceptional. 6/10 Bethany Cox