1944-06-30 - Lucky Lulu

WARNING: RACIAL STEREOTYPES
This is it, folks. The last of the Famous Little Lulu's to be uploaded, 26/26.
It's actually kind of mediocre, and as the rarest Little Lulu of them all (and one of the rarest Famous Studios cartoons period), seeing it is kind of a let down; The Big Cartoon Database's totally fake synopsis (Lulu mistaking a vertically-challenged convict for a leprechaun; where they got THAT from I'll never know) would have made a much better cartoon.
This copy derives the picture element from the Spanish PAL DVD release of the cartoon, while the audio is a composite of the Spanish DVD and a very warped 16mm English print with several splices. Thankfully, the splices in the English audio occured in spots where no one was talking and no English text was visible, so between the two sources I was able to piece together a 99% complete soundtrack mix.
Special thanks to Guillermo Gomez for supplying the English audio.

[@Stereo4102]

5:07 "Espera un minuto, tu eres mi amuleto." (Wait a minute, you're my lucky charm).

[@jadaparks8047]

1/26/17: Love them old cartoons. 🌴👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿🏄🏿‍♀️

[@looneytunes9000]

The only cartoon where Little Lulu's Dad does not talk. This is also the only cartoon when Mandy(Lulu's Black servant) and her dad appear together.

[@justacutie5201]

The correct term is maid or Nanny not servant....wtf???

[@letsdiscussitoversometea8479]

​@@justacutie5201 Maids and/or nannies *ARE* servants! They're of the servant class, in the same way that butlers, valets, footmen, chauffeurs, cooks, governesses and housekeepers are. They *serve* their masters and mistresses. What do you mean - "wtf"???

[@CJODell12]

This was probably the last Famous Studios cartoon to be made in Miami.

[@dwiyaniwasetya5682]

You mean iyami?

[@andymate2006]

The first thing Lulu did to save the horse from being starving. That spanking was totally worth it. The fruit guy needs to look after his horse better in fact that horse looks like it's being abused. Good one Lulu.

[@tyeshawhite415]

the fact that i love this show. the only thing that bothers me is the way that they have mammy talk. because she is colored she has to talk improper language. then again this is old...

[@Stereo4102]

The skit is of 1944, when there still were too many stereotypes about black Americans. In fact "mammy" is a stereotyped term to refer to Negro maids.

[@RayPointerChannel]

Many times these were publicity articles planted months after the fact. I doesn't follow that it would take eight months to move, however. Part of the issue was liquidating any unnecessary equipment. So the understanding of early 1943 still seems credible. One also needs to think about the logistics of starting any productions in the full knowledge of a massive relocation. It would have been better management to start fresh in the new location, which seems to most likely action.

[@RayPointerChannel]

Additional comments: Whenever a soundtrack was recorded, a written record of each music cue used on the Master Soundtrack was registered with the licensed recording system. I have copies of most of the Fleischer cartoons that were filed with Western Electric. I've seen a few from Famous that were filed with WE and RCA. These credits names of compositions used with credits to composers/arrangers. Interestingly, Winston Sharples was uncredited for arrangements credited to Timberg.

[@RayPointerChannel]

As an aside, the Music Cue Sheets for SUPERMAN #1 credit both Timberg and Sharples. While the credits list Sammy Timberg for "Musical Arrangement," Sharples was the actual arranger, which is obvious with his signature use of triumphant trumpets. Timberg tended to use the corny saxophones and laughing clarinets. Timberg was largely a composer. Sharples was both a composer and arranger. The better music under Famous is due to Shaples' instrumental arrangements.

[@RayPointerChannel]

The LULUS were all made in New York. Famous moved back to New York in early '43. In 1944, Famous switch to the RCA Sound System and along with the license, used recording facilities at Radio City in New York. These recordings are clearly superior to the quality of music recorded in Miami under Fleischer.

[@yatsumakitohashi3292]

She literally got a spanking everyday. I thought I was the only kid who experienced that.

[@Disneyfan82]

Most of the times, she deserves it.

[@theharmonyofknowledge1286]

It's true that Lulu used a bee hive in the hobby contest,red the horse apples that were being sold,ruined what was supposed to be lunch/dinner,and trapped her dad to the door with a horseshoe,but from HER perspective,she was only trying to do the right thing:prevent starvation,show what she was good at,save her family,and get good luck. But did any of do her any good in the end? Nope.

[@pedrogonzalocaballerotorre409]

Lucky Lulu! Thanks for this video.

[@gjtrue]

Why was Lulu suddenly speaking Spanish?

[@Stereo4102]

Poor Lulu, that "lucky charm" brought to her a lot of bad luck!

[@RayPointerChannel]

Do you have production records to prove this? This is curious since all previous records indicate that Famous moved back to New York in early 1943. The first LULU release was EGGS DON'T BOUNCE, released in December, 1943. Since the cartoons took four to six months from start to release, it is reasonable to say that these were indeed done in New York. You can't always go by "credits."

[@RayPointerChannel]

If you are willing to post "facts" for sharing, then it is worth discussing the sources of the information since all of this happened long before either of us were born. I am still gather facts. But in many cases, there is a LOT of wrong information being posted. I do not believe you wish to be categorized as being a contributor to more false information about a subject so dear to you. So if engaging in objective discussion is upsetting to you, then don't start such discussions.

[@RayPointerChannel]

I'd be interested in Thad's source of information on this for the following reasons. Famous was interested in finishing the remaining POPEYE and SUPEMAN cartoons already contracted for the 1942-43 season. They set forth to move the studio within six months of the changeover to Famous. It doesn't make sense to produce thousands of drawings to be shipped to New York. That would be the GULLIVER situation in reverse, which is what they wanted to avoid. Does he have production records or memos?

[@RayPointerChannel]

This is a public display, not a personal exchange or contest. Regardless of who you are responding to, we can agree that it is to the betterment of these postings to get the facts right. That's the purpose of being here, is it not?

[@RayPointerChannel]

Figuring this out is based on an understanding of the length of time that production took with a reduced staff of 50 people for the original 750 under Fleischer.

[@John80220]

One line of dialogue at 5:07-5:12 still has the foreign dub. Other than that, it's great to see the last of the 28 Paramount Lulus finally available on line in English. Like the Popeye "W'ere On Our Way To Rio", this was probably a hybrid cartoon, started in Miami and finished in New York (though all the Paramount cartoons dating back to early 1940 apparently had their music recorded in New York, even if the voices and SFX audio was being recorded and mixed in Florida).

[@Maruigi2]

I use to be an adventurer like you, but then I got a spanking.

[@John80220]

Could be. But the presence of voice artists Margie Hines and Dave Barry on some of the Popeye shorts once the series switched to full color does lead to the supposition that at least some of the pre-production work on Famous' post-Superman color shorts was done before the studio left Miami, even if the cartoons were completed up in New York

[@RayPointerChannel]

Can you tell me the source of your information that states that recordings and mixes were done in Miami? LUCKY LULU was released June 30, 1944. Allowing for the four to six months of production time, that would place it having been started earlier that same year. Famous Studios had already been moved back to 45th Street in New York for one year by this time. So it is highly unlikely that this "hybrid" cartoon was begun in Miami when the facility had already been vacated one year.

[@RayPointerChannel]

The presence of voice artists does nothing to prove this, especially since recordings returned to New York. Common sense and logistics suggest that any planning for the new season would have been in full force in New York. The only really proof of any alleged overlap would be through access to internal records, which are extremely rare. I have seen regarding letters from Sam Buckwald about SUPERMAN production problems that indicate that Paramount was set to cease Miami production ASAP.

[@John80220]

Hence the Abner Kneitel situation Paramount Cartoons and Bob Jacques have referenced, the varying voice and sound system credits on the first of the color cartoons (do you think they relocated the Western Electric system from Miami to New York and then abandoned it for the RCA system?) and the fact that several of the initial color efforts contain no director's credit, hinting they were begun by Dan Gordon, who did not make the move from Miami to New York. Exact records would be wonderful here.

[@John80220]

BoxOffice magazine from late August 1943 (excerpt at the Cartoons on 1943 blog) notes Famous had just completed its move back to New York. Six months from August would put you in February '44 if that was the lag at Famous, though Warner in 1943 was running a nine month lag time -- the final B&W Looney Tune, "Puss 'N Booty" was recorded in February '43 and came out on 11 December 43. A nine month lag at Famous would get you into the spring on 1944.

[@RayPointerChannel]

Then you addressed my question. The proper thing to do is to credit Bob for this information. But you didn't until I asked for it. Thank you for clarifying this.

[@blackieimpz]

poor Lulu lol

[@gabrielreismannen7604]

Why is lulu so cute in this episode? 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@ronaldknigh7250]

Why are you simping over a cartoon kid 💀

[@gabrielreismannen7604]

​@@ronaldknigh7250 leave me alone, im just having fun watching these! 😠😤

[@RayPointerChannel]

THIS is LUCKY LULU. Get with the program, Thad!

[@RayPointerChannel]

Good for you.

[@RayPointerChannel]

It exists even today.

[@Mesterius1]

@superleviathan: Will you be uploading the corrected, all-English version of the cartoon soon? Great work on your "Little Lulu" videos to date, by the way:)

[@HBKnowItAll]

I noticed why did old cartoons showed people who are entirely black but not now or in the 90s and 2000s? And why did murder actually did not appear in old cartoons and in the 90s and the 2000s but a lot of movies show it now?

[@limechecksout]

i have the dvd but its in the storage and whats racial stereotypes

[@carsisbest]

If see how the black character was portrayed with huge lips, that's how many cartoonists drew black people back when blacks we're ridiculed the most

[@jennydavis1790]

She is a handful 😂

[@superleviathan]

Thad K. mentioned that Cilly Goose was the last Famous short animated in Miami. This came three months.after that one.

[@mardator1806]

🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

[@superleviathan]

@John80220 That was an error on my part.The good news is that I remixed the soundtrack to fix it. The bad news is that I have to upload the cartoon all over again.

[@Mesterius1]

I know it's been a while, but: any chance you could upload your fixed version with all-English audio one of these days? Considering you already made the fix, it would be nice to see up. :)

[@kathyfowler8247]

I like this cartoon and I like Mammy but someone shoud tell them there is no such word as AIN'T

[@RayPointerChannel]

I do not "have" the article, and I don't need it. I am in contact with Bob.

[@Thneed2003]

There were a couple of scenes in this I remembered but never could find, thanks,

[@brucemcgee2281]

I've got this cartoon in B/W on 16mm with its UM&M shield at the beginning.

[@RayPointerChannel]

Why didn't Abner return?

[@claralenherr3857]

racism