In My Merry Oldsmobile 1931 Promotional cartoon. GM Classic Animation

[@markostermayer3614]

Automobubling was a word meaning driving or riding in a automobile. Sadly, they excluded it from the dictionary in the 60s or 70s. It was not used much after this cartoon. An automobublist is the same as a motorist.

[@hebneh]

The song "In My Merry Oldsmobile" had been very popular in the early 1900s, about 25 years before this cartoon was made. It had not been written or recorded originally as a specific promotion of Oldsmobile, but instead was referencing the growing numbers of private cars in use. Many adults in 1931 would have remembered the lyrics, and in theory would have possibly sung along when they were on the screen. The car shown in the live-action shots is what was later called a "curved-dash Olds" for the appearance of the front end. It came on the market in about 1905 was one of the best-selling autos at the time.

[@noviranger88]

It'd be like the Pokémon Theme today.

[@evomoralesCO]

According to Shamus Culhane who animated this, this cartoon advertisement was the last straw and made the movie audience so angry at the new custome of showing commercials before movies that the industry stopped showing commercials before movies for a while.

[@edisone1]

Nonsense. General Motors / Oldsmobile had nothing to do with this cartoon. It's just a sing-along to a nostalgic song, which was about 25 years old when the cartoon was made.

[@DinahIsMyGal]

This was definitely sponsored by General Motors.

[@fixitmann6685]

@@edisone1 "By arrangement and co-operation with Olds Motor Works." This was an advertisement sponsored by the car company (Not General Motors, but Olds Motor Works) ...So when the Fleischers were contracted to create a promotional film for the Oldsmobile company, they were determined to raise the bar. With the help of the Fleischers' patented bouncing ball, they would create a thoroughly entertaining film incorporating a level of product promotion... www.fleischerstudios.com/olds.html

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

@@DinahIsMyGal GM bought out Olds Motor Works in 1908.

[@blakesworld4463]

How would anyone be mad at such a good cartoon? If this was the advertisement that played before my movie, I would like it alot

[@ZootSuitWolf]

(4:48) Where she slaps the poor guy for making a move... had me rolling!!! LOL!!!

[@slashermaster28]

"Oh, it's you" So he's been there before.

[@noviranger88]

This was Oldsmobile's go-to song for almost 40 years. I'm 21, but wish that Oldsmobile would come back.

[@jonathancunningham8739]

23 year old here and agree heck my dream car is a red 4 door 58 Oldsmobile.

[@noviranger88]

I'd probably go for a Lee Petty-style '59 Super 88 coupe. Won the first Daytona 500.@@jonathancunningham8739

[@toga941]

Why am I so obsessed with this?

[@mxr572]

fantastic promotion. great cartoon, music, lyrics. I owned to Olds in the80's.

[@Underappreciatedclassics]

I have a merry Oldsmobile “1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass S” Sweet71, she was my grandfathers car for over 10 years, you can see videos of her on my channel, my grandfather was born in 31’ and I showed him this video a few years ago and me and him got a good laugh out of it, unfortunately he passed away a few weeks ago but I’ll be sure to take good care of his merry Oldsmobile! :D

[@fixitmann6685]

I liked the Olds in the ad much better. Simpler, no doors or steering wheel or any of that to deal with. The /'71 was too complicated, too many horesepower you didn't need, and lots of junk on it like turn signals, electric start and all that newfangled stuff. Why they didn't stop before putting an electric start or a V8 motor in cars, I'll never know.

[@Underappreciatedclassics]

Fixit Mann I don’t know if your joking or not... lol

[@Lorelyain]

They are singing so beautiful!

[@Akira625]

1:53 I remember seeing this shot used in a video of some alternative band from the early 90's, for the life of me I can't remember the name of the band or the song.

[@doddsino]

Soul Asylum - "Cartoon" from their album "Hang Time"

[@dasdasdus]

Sorta makes sense when you think about it. Cartoons themselves were attraction of themselves to people who had never seen them before or saw them rarely.

[@killychan]

"Oh, my operation!"

[@DrErickLopez]

"she is the queen of his gas machine"!!! i love it....awesome cartoon

[@ramonasidneybaker]

Hy did anyone notice that the voice at the end aft the cartoon, around 3:23 and on sounds like the early recording artist Billy Murray? That would be ironic because he recorded "in my merry Oldsmobile" in 1909.

[@markostermayer3614]

Ada Murray it wasn't as popular later because the 1909 was faster and considered better

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

Oldsmobile became part of the GM family in 1908.

[@TeamRocket2010]

"oh my operation"

[@louhepton]

I wonder if the staircase stayed as a permanent fixture?

[@plateshutoverlock]

How did her house change from a one story wooden country cottage into a multi-story brick urban apartment building? Also, her bedroom somehow moved from the first floor to the second.

[@fixitmann6685]

So? How did and Oldsmobile turn from basic transportation and a steering bar to something with way too many horsepower and a steering wheel, turn signals, power brakes and all that crap? And, who cares? It's a cartoon. If the house would have turned into a treehouse in a palm tree so much the better.

[@chrisr403]

Awesome cartoon but weird way of advertising .

[@edisone1]

It is not advertising. It was an old song by 1931, and this is simply a nostalgic, sing-along cartoon.

[@fixitmann6685]

@@edisone1 It was an ad, and it ticked people off, as ads still do. People won't watch ads on television, in movies, or visit web pages with ads on them if at all possible. The film was sponsored by Olds, it would not have been produced otherwise. It was pulled within a year, because people would NOT pay (such as using the internet, or cable TV) for watching an advertisement. So, this needs to stop, just as it did then. No more ads on the web, on television, or in newspapers that you pay for. We don't need Ads to tell us what is overpriced to buy.

[@wessmith7408]

@@fixitmann6685 You are one negative .... This was a fun song and the Olds right after post WWII in 48 was one of the hottest cars on the market. I doubt you know how to enjoy life. I love the song. In fact, my grandmother taught me to play this song. We would do it as 2 people on the same piano. I came along when family still meant something in America. I do feel sorry for you. Besides, she had a 1951 Rocket 98.

[@megabojan1993]

In these old cartoons people lacked joints. Their arms and legs were made of rubber :)

[@megabojan1993]

Ada In Norway I had no idea that Billy was doing voices in cartoons. How do you know so much about Billy?

[@megabojan1993]

Ada In Norway Thanks for the info I will look it up

[@megabojan1993]

Ada In Norway I saw it. It's an educational cartoon about the first sound film. I liked it

[@megabojan1993]

Ada In Norway Billy Murray is the voice of one of the people here?

[@megabojan1993]

Ada In Norway I will watch this cartoon again. It's interesting to learn how sound film works.

[@sutton876]

I remember this, I saw it on inFAMOUS series every time.

[@Cyclist0623]

Interesting line in the lyrics. "You can go as far as you like with me, in My Merry Oldsmobile." Hummmm. Any double meaning there?

[@lucydavie7688]

Giggity giggity goo

[@markostermayer3614]

It is possible that billy murray recorded this because 1 year earlier he did Talkie in a cartoon teaching what a talking picture was. He did many follow-the-bouncing-ball cartoons, like this

[@Raeness28]

Mark Ostermayer it sounds like him. He provided voices for Fleischer cartoons in the 30s. From what I've read, he was the voice of the character Bimbo.

[@thisisall50charactersbeing47]

They would have seen all this ancient stuff similar to how we see stuff from the mid 90s

[@berenicebriefs966]

1:52 Quando eu vi pela primeira vez, fiquei chocada. Kkkk

[@moralesromeromaximo5188]

Infamous animation I love Sucker Punch productions

[@krashsite2125]

2:43 Why can't he go through the door? He specifically puts his hand in just to unlock it! Was going through broken doors illegal?

[@plateshutoverlock]

Probally for the same reason the house turned into a brick apartment building, and her bedroom moved up a storey.

[@koryandrews1665]

It was part of the gag. Just something meant to be funny.

[@dougmontgomery1868]

There was a bit on _America's Funniest Home Videos_ with a dog who refused to go through a screen door even though the screen had been removed. Simply hilarious. :D

[@krashsite2125]

this is an r/whoosh moment

[@dougmontgomery1868]

R/whoosh. What is that supposed to mean?

[@porpedroiiebertrand]

I actually first saw this at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin, Italy

[@baeidanaan2704]

Omfg I couldn’t stop from laughing after they just started fucking boxing at the end

[@SimoneSands-y5r]

actually this film which seems to be screen songs was animated by al eugster, willard bowsky, Jimmie culhane, tom bofalio, and rudy Zamora.

[@Davidthepopocultureking07]

OMG BILLY MURRAY!

[@noviranger88]

I'm starting a Minecraft SMP and this will be the basis of my faction's national anthem. This faction is called called McLarenia (after the McLaren F1 team), and this is its anthem: The founders we of this SMP Shall form great factions anew But cocoa beans and Redstone machines Are minor in this grand view Some fans of Lewis and Jenson came Beneath our orange banner, so We build our land while we take command And this is what we show… ‘Tis the words of all the wise “McLarenia shall rise” What a gallant place to be Safe from Creepers and TNT And when peril faces us We shall show our mutual trust Chasing Freedom, Friendship, And Victory McLarenia will rise

[@hebneh]

A typically peculiar and suggestive pre-Hays Code cartoon.

[@jazzvictrola7104]

You know what the striped candy cane is a stand-in for, don't you!

[@hebneh]

@@jazzvictrola7104 Yeah, I was just barely able to figure out what the candy cane was supposed to be. It's extremely subtle.

[@fixitmann6685]

It's Marge Simpson's Grandma!!!!!! The villain is Bob Belcher, and the "good guy" is Popeye. Seriously, they haven't come up with new characters for cartoons in 90 years!!!!!

[@curleed85]

I didn’t know Bluto was in this one!

[@Kreln1221]

*'Rubbin' the genie bottle' at the **2:05** mark...*

[@101Volts]

1:26 "A-roop."

[@Reitz86]

Weird World of advertising back then

[@pilpyfimbleton8918]

Mustache guy demands Lucille open an unlocked door.

[@markostermayer3614]

Gus edwards also recorded it in 1905

[@johnazhderian5734]

The villain in this cartoon is a typical Oldsmobile owner. The hero would be more of a typical Chevy or Ford driver.

[@ramblerclassic400]

Same voice as Bluto in the early Popeye cartoons.

[@johnd8892]

Interesting that the real car is driving on the left hand side of the road with the driver on the right. Would love to know the reason behind that.

[@phantomcorsair8476]

Vast majority of pre 1910 autos were right hand drive. America didn't really have a designated side of the road until cars started having accidents and spooking thw horse teams that the 'keep to the right' rule was formed. Once the standard rule was adopted the drivers side was switched. Even up to the 20's a lot of roads were not painted and people darted in and out of traffic as they pleased. Daredevils in cars really never changed

[@Zenssei]

1:52 succ

[@TeamRocket2010]

Don't the Villian sound like Bluto?

[@jasperthetooncat27]

He does because he's voiced by Gus Wickie

[@fixitmann6685]

And the "good guy" is Popeye. The woman, however, is Marge Simpson. LOL!

[@DJstoopnig]

automobubbling?

[@AMCguy]

DJstoopnig it means a motorist or to drive a car

[@alexscomputers6615]

Bonzi Buddy brought me here

[@josipapongrac6307]

Me too hahaha

[@MadameSomnambule]

Ah, dirty jokes in advertising, baffling audiences since 1931 and even earlier lol

[@dangremaus1164]

Wasn't that car a little old for 1931?

[@edisone1]

It is called nostalgia.

[@noviranger88]

@@edisone1 Explains Pokémon Genwunners pretty well.

[@Mononroadmaster]

24 hours with Bobby Lee brought me here (:

[@arizonaman5187]

Oldsmobubbling.

[@toonmaticproductions5638]

1:15

[@kae4466]

tyipical max flischer ending.

[@frijebai]

Automobubbling, you and I.

[@vatoloco429]

Michael cain hates mark walberg

[@JonathanMoosey]

Modern day SJW snowflakes would have a meltdown if they ever saw this animation. A minute in and they would be so triggered.

[@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820]

It seems like you’re the one who’s triggered here. No one said anything about SJWs, you brought it up. They’re living rent-free in your head, Pal :)

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

what the fuck with the end?

[@geraldmarkowitz]

LMFAO !!!

[@ShelbyGT34]

Peeping Tom

[@zfinalheaven5207]

Keep Hentai in Japan 2017

[@joseguerra9169]

3:05