1951 Animated Short Oscar Analysis
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1951 Animated Short Oscar Analysis
1951 was a pretty good year for animation. The best shorts of the year often belonged to the Looney Tunes series and it’s strange that the Academy didn’t recognize a single one of them. But they nominated a Tom and Jerry flick, one Disney classic and an arthouse masterpiece, making for a very diverse and solid slate. I’d prefer five instead of three nominees during this decade, but at least most of the nominees were great.
My Ranking of the Nominees:
3. The Two Mouseketeers
The Two Mouseketeers won the Oscar this year even though it was the weakest of the nominees. I honestly never understood how the Academy chose to honor basically only the weaker Tom and Jerry shorts. That is so frustrating to me. This flick is quite solid in its plot and action. Nibbles got some great moments and his French accent was so cute. Then why didn’t I love it? Well, the ending was overly violent for one. Another issue is Tom and Jerry themselves being sidelined in their own movie. This cartoon really had no business winning here.
2. Lambert the Sheepish Lion
In this Disney charmer, a mix-up by Mr. Stork finds a little lion cub in the care of a gentle flock of sheep. But when a hungry wolf begins to stalk the herd, Lambert needs to find the courage to protect his mother. The animation is reliably polished and the highlight is the witty, wholesome narration done by the great Sterling Holloway. Mr. Stork from ‘Dumbo’ had a great cameo here. This is the type of endearing children’s story that is highly illogical and silly in its plot, but it has a great message for kids and it’s an all-around lovely flick.
1. Rooty Toot Toot
Rooty Toot Toot is this UPA-produced short that was quite different from anything else released during this period. Not only is it mature and clearly intended for adult audiences, but it was also immensely artistic and unique. The story is a courtroom comedy that was sophisticated and funny, ending with a bang. That final scene was so good and so funny. The jazz and blues score ruled too. The highlight, however, is clearly the animation. It’s very stylized, authentic and gorgeous to behold. This is the type of experimental film that gives animation a good name and it’s easily the best of the nominated shorts. It should have won.
Films That Should Have Been Nominated:
Rabbit Fire – Rabbit Fire is a classic Looney Tunes short featuring Bugs, Elmer and Daffy. It benefits from numerous great action scenes and strong humor throughout. The dynamics between the characters are priceless and the second half was particularly strong. How they failed to nominate this classic is beyond me.
Tweety’s SOS – Tweety’s SOS is one of the best and funniest Tweety and Sylvester cartoons that didn’t just utilize their characters perfectly, but also Granny. She stole the movie for me with a couple of very funny moments. This one fired on all cylinders and was consistently both entertaining and witty.
Sleepy-Time Tom – Sleepy-Time Tom is wonderfully old-fashioned in its premise with terrific results. This killer concept was executed so well with so many fun and memorable moments. Jerry trying to make Tom fall asleep made for such a fun cartoon. This type of Tom and Jerry short should have been winning Oscars and not those overrated installments.
