Mother Goose Goes To Hollywood (1938)

[@katemctiernan7167]

I have never seen this one before! Cartoons that uses caricatures of old Hollywood stars are always my favorite.

[@Super_Mario128]

+Kate McTiernan cartoons like these were intended for adults and shown in the cinema before the main movie alongside various newsreels.

[@katemctiernan7167]

waterfieldV I know that, but they used to show them on TV all the time, my grandma would tell me who all the stars were. I thought I'd seen all of them, but I haven't seen this particular one.

[@Arthur_McGowan]

+Kate McTiernan Disney cartoons were never sold to television like the other studios' cartoons.

[@jreiland07]

The best thing about all these banned cartoons? The music. Cab Calloway was a legend.

[@_milehighmusic_]

I was thrilled to see that Harpo, Chico and Groucho were in this! Disney did a fantastic job in their caricatures! Especially when Chico was playing the piano, Disney got his style down! Harpo will and always will be my favorite though. I laughed out loud when he was playing inside the piano.

[@marcblack1]

Love the "OLD SCHOOL CARTOONS", thank you

[@Jakegothicsnake]

Little Bo Peep/Katharine Hepburn: I've lost my sheep. **chocolate pie hits her in the face and now she looks like a black woman** Is any of you old folks seen my sheep anywhere? I know it's kinda racist, but I thinks that's kinda funny. XD lol

[@NCC-1701]

Hepburn's Bo Peep is my Favorite.

[@phillygirlsoso5717]

wow i'm black and i find it damn funny why was it banned ? they was making fun of every race

[@maeganclemo5201]

I agree. I remember watching this as a child. Maybe some people just got all upset and it went from there.

[@jeanhodgson8623]

Rubbish. They show some black singers. There have been many of them. I can't see anything wrong with it, and I am a jazz musician.

[@naturesquad9174]

+LOVE They were poking fun at Hollywood actors....and black people

[@naturesquad9174]

+Tommy Black they show stereotypical black caricatures, why pretend to not see something that is deliberately drawn (and drawn identically, with same lips). In another scene a character is in blackface: the joke is that they're now "black". Fats Waller almost has an alright caricature, but why the fuck are his lips drawn like sausages....he had thin lips.

[@jeanhodgson8623]

To Stack em Short: It seems to me that just depicting a black person is regarded as offensive. A lot of black entertainers used to act goofy, including Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie and especially Fats Waller. I have all of Fats's recordings and he goofs off a lot, and there are many music videos where he pulls funny faces, including puckering his mouth and rolling his eyes. Fats even recorded songs that people could gripe about today, such as "Big Chief Desoto", in which he goes woo woo woo like a Red Indian. One liner note writer said that one lyric about women would be regarded as offensive today. Quit searching for ways to be offended by harmless things. That is what Muslims do all the time. This cartoon comes under the heading of Caricature, not "racism". When you caricature someone, you exaggerate their features. It is not meant as an insult. Look at the way they caricature Katherine Hepburn, all the way through the cartoon. No complaints about that, because she is not black.

[@lougibbs8614]

With Katherine Hepburn, Hugh Herbert, Marx Brothers, Ned Sparks, Joe Penner, Charles Laughton, Spencer Tracey and Freddie Bartholomew, W. C. Fields, Charlie McCarthy, Laurel and Hardy, Edward G. Robinson, Eddie Cantor, Cab Calloway, Stepin Fetchit, Wallace Beery, Edna May Oliver, Mae West, Zazu Pitts, Clark Gable, George Arliss, Fats Waller, Fred Astaire, Joe E. Brown and Martha Raye.

[@filmaddict818]

I've lost my sheep, really I have! Classic. Even more classic than the film it comes from!!

[@Jakegothicsnake]

Ned Sparks: Yes. Very funny. They're killing me......... Me: Squidward? Is that you??

[@Aurochhunter]

Bears a striking resemblance to the time Spongebob entered Squidward's dream.

[@medamine39]

King : Hugh Herbert, court jestor : Ned Sparks, the captain : Charles Laughton, saxophonist next to Clark Gable : George Arliss.

[@DavidGarbo]

Awesome about Garbo with Edward Robinson...she quotes "I vant to be alone"...very famously...oh whoa, her shoes were too large...ha! Fabulous cartoon, thanks alot! I enjoyed it!

[@TheITinFIT]

One of my favorite Disney cartoons they used to show (though I remember a lot of it being censored). I recognize Joe Grant's knack for caricature here. I only knew a handful of the celebrities shown here when I was a kid, but as I got older and watched more movies, I recognized a lot of the stars retroactively through these kinds of cartoons. I saw someone compare these shorts to a number of Dreamworks' movies, particularly the earlier ones - they rely heavily on pop culture and current stardom, only to become more dated and have the references fall deeper into obscurity as time goes on. Also, they both end with a dance party. Maybe this is where Katzenburg got it from. It makes me wonder if 50 years from now kids will react to Shrek, Bee Movie and Shark Tale the way most kids would to seeing something like this now. Well, all that aside, I still like this one a lot.

[@josephnixon5509]

TheITinFIT T. Hee deserves credit for the caricatures here, Joe did them for Mickey's Gala Premiere and Mickey's Polo Team. T. Hee is responsible for the caricatures as they appear in this and in Donald Duck's The Autograph Hound.

[@MrRainandThunderrelaxingsounds]

I can't get enough of the piano guy's "YEAH!" His facial expression is so RAD.

[@TheRepty818]

6:55 It's mutiny... but I love it... hahaha WTF

[@PIXPromosMore]

Forget political Correctness, I'm MORE surprised Disney was able to Rip-off MGM at the beginning.

[@danbam3411]

This was two years before Tom and Jerry...

[@jlee6771]

Holy MOLY!!!!! Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx!!!!!!! SO CUTE, i wish they show more cartoons like this.

[@mohammedjalloh7658]

I recognize fats waller as the black guy on the piano, and the marx brothers were in old king cole! Better than most 15 years olds!

[@sinjinkg]

The tap dancer was Fred Astaire :-)

[@MARTINZWEIBACK]

Wow. What fun! Filled with memories.

[@acla9000]

Such a great idea, portraying Hollywood stars from 30s as Mother Goose characters! And the goose parodying the M-G-M lion is priceless! Alright, it may be politically incorrect due to some stereotypes, but its artistic and historical importance is definitive! I didn't know this cartoon, so many thanks for posting!

[@califgirl101]

That was great! I don't think I recall this cartoon but, I loved it! Thank you! :)

[@creamofcardstv]

Your video clip is great and I've rated it as awesome. I've done another clip on some old cigarette cards of 1930's actors and actresses: Charles Laughton, Gracie Fields, Florence Desmond, Boris Karloff from The Mummy, Laurence Olivier and many more.

[@ruthiehenshallfan99]

Love how Hepburn says Rally instead of really.

[@elizabethalvarado8698]

"Rally, she does."

[@ACcountryFan]

Eddie Cantor is the guy who's slapping his hands together at 5:03 prior to Calloway emerging from the pie. Boy Blue is Wallace Beery. George Arliss is the guy in the scene with Clark Gable. Ned Sparks was seen as the jester. Hugh Herbert is the King. the characters near the end are Joe E Brown and Martha Raye. Martha was known as 'The Big Mouth' so that more than likely is her. Joe Penner is featured in the 'Wanna Buy a Duck' segment with Donald.

[@josephcalderon906]

I love the L&H caricature.so well done,there mannerisms and traits are shown with accuracy,and i love when stan whistles him and ollie's theme.

[@MrRainandThunderrelaxingsounds]

6:15 ~ 6:30 - I fucking love it. Just the way he says "YEAH" and the look on his face. LOVE IT :D

[@ragemanchoo82]

A pre-production sketch from this, of Kate Hepburn losing her sheep (a drawing of the shot where she says "I've lost my sheep. Really, I have") drawn by Disney was part of the big Katherine Hepburn Estate Sale a few years back. Can't remember what it ended up selling for. I forgot what auction house handled the sale. There was quite a bit of really nice Louis Vuitton luggage and bags in the sale, too, including a steamer wardrobe trunk that went for $24,000+ (!!).

[@Aja-Christian]

I am so glad I'm not the only one on here who loves to do KH impressions. . .X-D "I love this cartoon. . .really I do . . ".

[@mabelnormand7244]

this cartoon is soo funny i loved the hepburn bit! i love old cartoons that have caricatures. i like to guess who's who!!! thanks for putting this up!

[@sir1junior]

Thanks for upping this.

[@Ryumarsamaa]

ty for uploading my childhood =D

[@diddymuck]

probably the best animated version of Laurel and Hardy on record!

[@vladdchambers8382]

They used to show this when I was little.

[@lilgiggler35]

I've seen this one pop up on various sites and networks over the years. The only change usually, is the "blackbirds in a pie" scene and the some of the "woman in a shoe" scene are cut.

[@RamonNZ]

I notice that they go straight to stereotypes for quick recognition. It's not as bad as I thought it'd be.

[@ACcountryFan]

in a Warner Brothers cartoon they spoofed Martha Raye as a donkey. They called her Moutha Bray. The scat-song she sang was very similar heard in this cartoon. At first I thought of Judy Canova because of the braids but then as you mentioned, why would she be singing jazz and wearing shoes. Most caricatures of Judy had her in her country girl clothes and barefoot. I looked up the Cass Daley actress...she was similar but the 'big mouth' in this cartoon was obviously patterned after Martha Raye.

[@baxterfilms]

I like how the Laurel and Hardy scene plays the actual theme. It's my favorite part of the cartoon because it really does remind me of a scene from a Laurel and Hardy movie.

[@ZeksterMesker]

that was a spot on Katherine Hepburn impression they did! Greatness! XD

[@wickedfan7681]

Haha! Bopeep was sooo perfect, that voice.

[@MWolfL]

Of course, he's Charlie McCarthy, the most famous ventriloquest puppets ever! His voice Edgar Bergen did such a good job that most people thought that Charlie was alive! I read that Charlie got so much fan mail it would've made Pinnochio jealous! If you want to see his live action self preform he and Edgar guest star on The Muppet Show (which was actually one of Edgar's last preformances). I'm sure KZbin has other Charlie McCarthy videos as well.

[@ekeby]

@Moonstone2732 More or less in order: Katherine Hepburn, Ed Wynn (?) and a couple characters whose names I don't remember, the Marx Brothers, Charles Laughton, Spencer Tracey, Freddie Barthalomew, W. C. Fields, Charlie McCarthy, Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Edward G. Robinson, Greta Garbo, Al Jolson, Cab Calloway, StepIn Fetchit, Henry James (?), Fats Waller, Fred Astaire, Clark Gable, Joe E. Brown, and Martha Ray, You'll have to google them to find out more. All VERY famous in their time.

[@Aja-Christian]

I love how they imitate Katharine Hepburn in these cartoons (but I love even more to imitate her myself) X-P "I've lost my sheep, rele' ah have. . .they were such love-le sheep, really they were. . ." I'm only 19, so the first time I saw this cartoon I only got like 2 or 3 of the references to the Hollywood actors/entertainers. But now I'm such a geek about classic movies from the 30's-50's, I recognized just about everyone! I love this cartoon (Rele' I do. . . .) ^_^

[@haileyshannon7548]

I would watch these cartoons (both Disney and Looney Tunes) and I learned about old timey movie stars from, I didn't know their names, but I remember how they were parodied, the animators from both companies always parodied them the same way Hepburn: Rally I am! Garbo: I vant to be ah-looone I still don't know a lot of their names

[@danbam3411]

Both Disney and Looney Tunes are probably the most iconic cartoons to come out of the golden age of American animation :) these are perhaps some big factors to why.

[@christinebarney3682]

Just what I was looking for. Thank you

[@madman37115]

It's Martha Raye, without a doubt. She made her movie debut in 1936 ("Rhythm on the Range") so she was definitely a star worthy of being caricatured by 1938. Every reference book lists her in this cartoon with Joe E. Brown (she co-starred with Brown in "$1000 A Touchdown" and "Pin-Up Girl," both made after this short was released) and wore pigtails in "Mountain Music" in 1937, probably why they went with that particular hairstyle for the cartoon.

[@kayfowler1]

Anybody that says this is racist has to realize this is characters made to exaggerate all races

[@Master_Blackthorne]

kay fowler devine Right. They didn't talk that way in real life. They portrayed characters that did.

[@albertpringle3397]

+kay fowler devine you are so right i'm black and i couldn't stop laughing at that part

[@Bangbaby84]

+Albert Pringle you mean the "blackbirds" scene?

[@bachrocktheamericahatersan5799]

+Bangbaby84 Stop being a dumb ignorant ass troll.

[@ragemanchoo82]

Ah ^_^ I learned about Hugh Herbert a few days back. The lady dancing with Joe E. Brown is Martha Raye. I suspected that but wasn't totally sure, since I didn't recognize her hair -- I've never seen it in braids. Turns out the three women at the end are, left to right, Edna Mae Oliver, Joan Blondell, Zazu Pitts.

[@jennarmstrong3685]

I like how they portrayed Cab Calloway, and Katherine Hepburn.

[@Frankenstein61]

I absolutely love it when I always see Laurel and Hardy in this cartoon

[@jojesaky16]

The puppet in the birds nest is Charlie McCarthy. He was from the radio show "The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show". Yay!

[@Guernicaman]

The only part I went, "Whoa! Easy there!" Was when Hepburn gets the blackberry pie in the face, essentially black-facing her, & starts speaking in a black Southern accent.

[@Jal8919536]

Ole King Cole is a caricature of Hugh Herbert, the jester Ned Sparks, and Joe Penner holding the pot. The Three Men in a Tub sequence has Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh from "Mutiny on the Bounty", Spencer Tracy as Manual from "Captains Courageous" fishing Freddie Bartholomew as "David Copperfield" out of the water. The jitterbugs are Joe E. Brown and Martha Raye.

[@ThatGothicChick]

I had this on VHS, and they cut the Katherine Hepburn "Pie Face" and ended the episode entirely seconds before the big "Blackbird" reveal. It literally just cut to the end shot, and I always wondered why...

[@wass9009]

Funny video. That woman who has lost her sheep was the best =D

[@XenaSocioPath]

Oh god...I love Katy Hepburn in this! ... and Dietrech...perfect perfect. Wish they still made cartoons of this quality.

[@elizabethalvarado8698]

04:55- "Okay, babe, you asked for it!" You said it, Edward G. Robinson!

[@onisahman]

Good cartoon, and anybody who yells out racism needs to explain why they considered it such. And if they use the singers portrayed on here, how do they know the ones that are the base of them didn't laugh their butts off from watching this cartoon.

[@Jalenvsworld]

I understand what your saying but just because they laugh at themselves doesn't make it not racist

[@onisahman]

It doesn't make it racist either, especially if one were to make it seem like they are stereotyping. All you're doing is insulting the people who seem to take it in good humor by trying to make them into some kind of martyr. Because how does one know that the ones being portrayed really did sound like that in real life? Because one or two people don't represent an entire group.

[@Luaksz]

+jackthayer now are you defending it being racist, by being racist? Now that's not very effective towards your cause. Just saying

[@onisahman]

And there's the proof that they don't show on CNN, racism is universal. Just too bad you can't tell the idiots who promote it to zip it.

[@Memmyrabilia]

There were a few black people who were portrayed as pretty stupid.

[@disc314]

I like this one a lot too. The caricatures so clever!

[@MisterEsoteric]

Interestingly, for Kate and Spence to be in the same animated shot (@2:35) in 1938, 4 years before their, ahem, union..Must've been some fun trivia for them thru their lives! Also, Fred Astaire dancing @ 6:37 anticipates his short scene in "Triplets of Bellville" some 66 years later!

[@elizabethalvarado8698]

Ah, Ed Wynn as Old King Cole; for a bit of trivia, Ed Wynn has been in a few Disney feature films, including "Alice in Wonderland" and "Mary Poppins".

[@glowworm2]

Actually, that's Hugh Herbert as Old King Cole.

[@elizabethalvarado8698]

+glowworm2 Oh, my bad.

[@Kurama13]

This is awesome! I love it!

[@ACcountryFan]

there's caricatures of Judy on several movie poster's. there was also a comic book with Judy as the focal point. there's a movie poster for "The WAC from Walla Walla". Google the image...ironically the drawing has her with a big mouth...but she has the pig-tails, too. But I did find out that Judy and Joe E Brown co-starred in some movies together. One was "Chatterbox" and the other was "Joan of Ozark"...so maybe it's Judy in the cartoon!?! The braids say Judy but the scat singing say Martha.

[@ekeby]

@ekeby ALSO the three girl horn players: Edna Mae Oliver, Mae West, & Zazu Pitts. Saxophone player with monocle: George Arliss. @others: girl in red dress is Martha Rae, not Judy Garland

[@medamine39]

The Old King Cole was Hugh Herbert and Little Boy Blue was Wallace Beery (The Champ). For the others, you're completely right.

[@JutashiII]

Kate's impression was hilarious! xD

[@mikes47jeep]

Lets see (0:54 Katharine Hepburn) (1:17 ???) (1:20 the Marx brothers) (1:39 Ned sparks) (1:49 Joe penner) (1:53 Donald duck) (2:05 Charles Laughton) (2:11 Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew) (2:44 W.C Fields) (2:54 Charlie McCarthy) (3:28 laurel & hardy) (4:45 Edward g Robinson & Greta Garbo) (5:01 Eddie cantor) (5:11 cab Callaway and his band) (5:25 ,???) (5:52 ???, Mae West & Zazu pitts) (5:56 Clark gable, ???) (6:32 Fred Astaire) (7:05 ???) (7:08 Joe e brown) that's all I can name

[@cubantoro]

The two actors in the See-Saw are Edward G. Robinson and Greta Garbo.

[@stanleycoleman]

katharine hepburn makes a great cartoon character.

[@ACcountryFan]

a lot of "music" oriented names served as banners for the cartoons... Silly Symphonies...Merrie Melodies...Looney Tunes...then there were Happy Harmonies...Terrytoons...Harveytoons...and the actual directing team of Harmon-Ising, named for Hugh Harmon and Rudolf Ising, if said fast comes out as "harmonizing". Also, at the end of a Walter Lantz cartoon it would read "A Walter Lantz Cartune".

[@rolko52]

It's Martha Raye. Her signature line was "Whoa Boy!". Watch her say it in Olson & Johnson's "Hellzapoppin".

[@Tanyableu]

I love these 'Hollywood' fliks! I wonder if it could be reborn today- or does all of young holywood look to similar for anyone to notice a difference in caricature?

[@cubantoro]

In spite of the stereotype of actor Stepin Fetchit, he became one of the first wealthy african/american actors. He also won several awards an the most prominent of which was the Special Image Award of the Hollywood chapter of the N.A.A.C.P in 1976. He was also elected into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1978.

[@bobtewari7129]

I so love it especially with the NL subs

[@GuerilleroX]

"I whant so much to be alone" Haha, thats Garbo right there

[@ACcountryFan]

Daws Butler was doing an impression of Joe E Brown when he voiced those two characters, Lippy the Lion and Peter Potamus.

[@thephysicwerewolf]

I'm a 20 year living in the new millennium and even I recognize half of those celebrities. coincidental my ass. Nice try Disney

[@albertpringle3397]

+thephysicwerewolf most 20 year old have no idea who the Marx Brother's are

[@thephysicwerewolf]

really? I thought they were a household name at this point.

[@bachrocktheamericahatersan5799]

+thephysicwerewolf the "coincidental" is part of the satire. Not only a "Nice try Disney," it worked.

[@thephysicwerewolf]

it was joke.....

[@MislaidAlbum]

Not a big fan of the subtitles, but I can't help but approve of anything with Cab Calloway in it~

[@zavvierucha]

Hugh Herbert and K. Hepburn:) so funny cartoon characters

[@BoX098]

i love bo beep! i cant find it anywhere really i can't...heheh then after that pie hit her face..i just love the way she talks! haha!

[@LouieYouTuber]

6:41 - What song did Cab Calloway sing in this part of the video? It's * It has a catchy tune! ( Avalible for Answering)

[@PhyscoZombieChickie]

they should do things like this today , random little cartoons with celebrity cameos

[@IBetYouWill]

5/5 for the only black face gag on a female character I've ever seen. :-)

[@yooka15]

1 second ago Katharine Hepburn as Little Bo Peep Hugh Herbert as Old King Cole The Marx Brothers as the Fiddlers Three Ned Sparks as The Jester Joe Penner Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh[14] Spencer Tracy as Manuel[15] Freddie Bartholomew as Harvey Cheyne Jr.[16] W.C. Fields as Humpty-Dumpty Charlie McCarthy Stan Laurel as Simple Simon Oliver Hardy as The Pieman Greta Garbo as See Saw Margery Daw Eddie Cantor as Little Jack Horner

[@mlleprufrock]

I'm not sure if anyone noticed this, but the duck is supposed to be the MGM lion.

[@ldbboosha]

the music is swingin though, even with the stereotypes lol. I find it to be flattering anytime i see something like a Cab Calloway parody. not so much with the lazy stereotypes though lol.

[@MWolfL]

Yah forgot Charlie McCarthy (he's the guy in the nest).

[@argitheo]

The Katharine Hepburn cartoon -resemblance made me giggle LOL

[@borbetomagus]

You can see a detailed list of all caricatures in this cartoon at the 'Big Cartoon Database' website. If it was under 500 characters, I'd post it. A variety of now lesser known Hollywood celebrities.

[@ragemanchoo82]

Lets see. There was this cartoon and "Hollywood Steps Out". Wasn't there another similar cartoon involving a taxi chase? I want to say Greta Garbo was one of the celebrities featured. Maybe Marlene Dietrich. Anybody know the name of that one?

[@millenniumf1138]

@isnormalityareality They *were* old movie stars. Laurel and Hardy, Kathrine Hepburn (I've lost mah sheep. Really ah have), W. C. Fields, and the Marx brothers, to name a few. :)

[@marykmusic]

Fats and the Duke were both pianists. The trumpeter was Satchmo.

[@looneywoman]

1:36 -- The inspiration for the Who.

[@dhandharum6040]

lfmao

[@MatthewPippin]

I love stuff like this!!!

[@1947Desoto]

Can anyone clarify these characatures: The king, the court jestor,the guy with Donald Duck, the captain, and the guy who plays the saxophone next to Clark Gable.

[@Carvinter]

Also in this I spotted Ned Sparks (Jester), Stepin Fetchit (dancin' with Astaire), Joe E. Brown (kissin' Martha Raye), Freddie Batholomew (boy on boat), Eddie Cantor (singin' at 5:01), Edna Mae Oliver, Sophie Tucker?, and ZaSu Pitts (trio at 5:55), and Charlie McCarthy (puppet),

[@TheHideHoMan]

I really do agree with you. The only interest in this cartoon is the caricature of Hollywood - and the stereotypes about black artists like Calloway or Fetchit.

[@ragemanchoo82]

Who plays King Cole & the court jester? & who brings him his bowl? I ought to know this. Charles Laughton is the sea captain, lol. The two people sitting the tub are Spencer Tracy and Freddie Bartholomew, ala "Captain's Courageous". I wonder if they got Edgar Bergen to do Charlie McCarthy's voice for this? It seems like something he'd be up for. At 5:52 I only recognize Mae West. Who're the others? At 7:12 I think that's Bert 'the Cowardly Lion' Lahr but I don't know who the lady is.

[@joshuab36]

(in response to the description) The cartoon wasn't banned I think. It was aired without the scenes with African Americans [Who were stereotyped everytime they appeared]. I have an old VHS tape with a "Mickey Mouse Club" episode with the edited version of this cartoon for proof.

[@102936]

@83survivor The kid in the boat? That's Freddie Bartholemew, I think... in reference to the Captains COurageous film.