13 Days Before Halloween...

 As Halloween draws closer, I'm reposting these few Halloween-inspired cartoons from several seasons ago:

 

                                    

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN!

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) is the first film in which the famous comic duo meet the classic monsters from Universal Pictures' horror films. In my humble opinion it is also the best of them.
Bud and Lou play baggage handlers Chick Young and Wilbur Grey who get involved with Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster when a crate holding the remains of the Count arrives at the railway station in Florida, where Bud and Lou work as baggage clerks, to be delivered at McDougal's House of Horrors, a local wax museum.
The film contains some of Abbott & Costello's best routines and some of the one-liners are true gems, like this one:

The film is also notable because it was the "swan song" for the Big Three of Universal's Monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and the Werewolf made their last appearances in a Universal film here.

                                         

 Bud and Lou made some other subsequent horror spoofs for Universal: "A & B Meet the Invisible Man" (1951), "A & B Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953) and "A & B Meet The Mummy" (1955).

                    But their crowning achievement in horror comedies was certainly the first one.

Abbott and Costello have always been among my favorite comedy teams, second only to Laurel & Hardy, but in the 1940s, they were the top box-office draws, remaining there for several years. Their brand of comedy was more suitable to the taste of war and post-war audiences.

They also had a successful run on television with the "Abbot and Costello Show" (1952-1954) and their legion of fans remain adoringly faithful to this day.

Traditionally, I always reserve October for a horror film marathon, with the classic Universal films holding a special place in the line-up.

So, here's to the classic Universal monsters and to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who will always keep a special place in my heart. 

My Son's Birthday!

OCTOBER : THE ARRIVAL

                                                                      "You rang?"

THE WORLD BACK IN ANCIENT TIMES.

Mister Magoo's 70th Anniversary

The first Mister Magoo color short, THE RAGTIME BEAR, was released September 29, 1949 by UPA Pictures.

 Today we mark Magoo's 70th anniversary.

The character of Mister Magoo, the nearsighted fellow who amazingly stays out of serious bodily harm while going erroneously into many hazardous and life threatening situations, was created by John Hubley, Millard Kaufman, Willis Pyle and Sherm Glas.

His full name is Quincy Magoo and he's a graduate from Rutgers University, his beloved alma mater.
He's very often accompanied by his nephew Waldo, who's a bit dim-witted and can't help his uncle from staying out of trouble.
       

Mister Magoo has always fascinated me since childhood and I hold very fond memories of his theatrical cartoons and his TV Christmas special.

There have been some recent projects to reboot the character but, happily, they haven't met with any kind of success. We can still enjoy Magoo in his original form through his 1950s cartoons, his later TV shows and the various comic books and paperbacks that have been printed over the years.

Mister Magoo was voiced by Jim Backus, and he was always associated with the character.

So now, to celebrate Magoo's 70th birthday, here we have some samples of his multiple misadventures:

There have been several Mr. Magoo figures and assorted merchandising items.

And, a few times,  I have even slipped Mr. Magoo's image into my own editorial cartoons:

Thank you, Mister Magoo, for those very happy times. 

"Oh, Magoo! You've done it again!"

MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE!

And now, here's a brief sound bite from my morning conference at the White House. (Not the actual White House in Washington, D.C., but just a white house).

Thank you, very much!

The Mental Spinning Wheel!

I've found it is an inescapable truth:  your memory decreases as your age increases.

But, on the other hand, your memory decreases as your age increases, although your memory decreases as your age increases. 

The Truth About Puppies!

The defunct Mexicana Airlines makes an appearance in a 1945 Laurel & Hardy movie!

THE BULLFIGHTERS

Directed by Mal St. Clair

THE 1969 MILITARY SERVICE!

50 years ago, I complied with Mexico's mandatory military service which was a one year long basic training every Sunday.  I never could get a picture of me taken during my service, but I can recreate it as best I can here!

The year was 1969, and my battalion was summoned to serve as barrier between the crowds and the Military Parade which is held every September 16th, to commemorate Mexico's independence from Spanish domination. We all stood there stoically for hours until the last section of the long parade passed by. 

Ah! The Military Service! 

And now,  50 years later, I can look back at those days...and still hate them immensely!