The Hole - John & Faith Hubley, (1962)

Oscar winner short animation by John & Faith Hubley, 1962

[@MrUnidyne]

What is so amazing is that the actors were allowed to improvise all their dialogue. I saw this at a cinema in NYC and during the part when the African-American man talked about sending telegrams to be sent to his wife after his death, I heard someone in front of me say "Damn, that's a good idea!" and wrote in a small note pad.

[@Ph0be]

It is a good idea lmao, surprised that the dialog is improvised. Seems so organic I was wondering how they came up with it

[@Drumcam]

Congratulations on being selected for the National Film Registry!

[@RachelDeRosier010894]

Amen! This short film is so artistically designed and so powerful on emotional and psychological levels, with such an epic twist ending. Congrats indeed. It totally deserves it. :)

[@wilosaur]

This becomes more deeply profound as life goes on.

[@emcvideoproductions500]

And to think something that seems boring can be entertaining. It's cartoons like these that make me realize you can't judge a book by it's cover.

[@cherokeegotti4903]

I’m 33 and I came across a dvd in my early twenties with multiple short stories on it and this was one of them. Boy oh boy did I have a good laugh when I saw this. The dialogue was so funny

[@grecomic]

I looked it up and there really is a St. Bernard's Waltz, it's a Scottish country dance.

[@Sam-ef3bj]

Amazing piece of creative work.

[@LaleyWasHere]

I'm glad I can view this. Was looking through the film registery and was curious what animated pieces were there. There didn't seem to be must information on this film. The funny thing, I started going down this rabbit hole (pun somewhat intended) after I found out that Shrek was preserved in the film registery. Lol The list has been a fun and fascinating thing to read through.

[@ScepticSkeptic1]

Favorite line: "..the guys at the Disarmament Conference are too dumb to teach school.."

[@heatherferreira4225]

The telegram is a beautiful idea, but as a woman I need to tell any man watching this great Hubley film and thinking the telegram is a good idea? It's heartbreaking. Don't do this. We do not want to be reminded every few months or every year, men in our lives, that you are GONE. I've lost someone dear to me recently, in the last three years. Trust me, that person's absence is not one thing my heart wants to be reminded of by a visiting "gram".

[@RedEyed2012]

What a drama queen. Your lament sounds eerily like the "faux" reunion in Tom Hank's "Cast Away." His wife has just decided she wanted to move on...so her lost hubby just needed to lose his wife and his child because it would "upset" her too much. Better to obliterate the memory than deal with inconvenient realities. Her pain is worse than his suffering. Typical female selfish emotion. Cold like a Black Widow. Newsflash: you aren't the center of the universe and you accommodate each other's feelings. What a concept!

[@christhompson6010]

love the way the animation compliments the dialog

[@joegover9452]

Cartoon wars brought me here

[@alexcarter8807]

Dizzy is excellent in this, but I wonder who does the voice of the white guy? He's excellent too.

[@juanmanuelpousada7179]

George Mathews

[@MrBROTHERFELDER]

Yeah, he played “Harvey” the tough guy on ‘The Honeymooners’ - Hahh

[@FantasticBabblings]

George Mathews. He was a good friend of mine and he had a great career on Broadway, The West End, Movies and TV.

[@CanIUseYourJohn]

Wow film really touched base

[@capricornmagic63]

George Matthews sounds like police detective in the Batman Animated series

[@TheStrobilanthe]

brilliant dizzie gillespie

[@georgestrum3478]

A long way from Tom and Jerry that's for sure.

[@wilosaur]

Do you know what the song at the beginning being sung is called?

[@wilosaur]

After 8 years of on and very much off searching, I have found it: www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R393.html

[@Smahdeey]

man came back after 8 years to inform us. now that’s dedication. thank you for your service

[@daddybones45]

@@wilosaur Did you find out who's singing it?

[@wilosaur]

@@daddybones45 I figure it's George Matthews, since it's his character singing it here, I'm pretty sure he could sing.

[@daddybones45]

@@wilosaur Very likely. He sings better than me, that’s for sure!

[@donjezza10]

Making your wife pay for your telegrams with your money. She robbed it and you robbed it back. Clever but sinister. I can 1-up it. I've heard of a guy that was divorced by his wife and he also had death insurance during their marriage. He parked his car at the airport and left it there because his wife had left the country. He eventually did die, and the wife had to pay for the car's parking ever since.

[@Setebos]

At first it sounded like "Streets of Laredo" (which is derived from an English folk song "The Unfortunate Lad" . . . could that be it?)

[@wilosaur]

If this is a long lost reply to me, I found it here: www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R393.html

[@Setebos]

@@wilosaur Patience is its own rewards. Many thanks.

[@jamylucey]

link is dead but people can search Rocking the Cradle (and the Child Not His Own) @@wilosaur

[@thabigben1]

What happened at end of that cartoon? And what was that thing that caused it? I don't get the ending too well.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I think an accident happen with a faulty crane that got the guys attention at the site. The film otherwise paints a more somber take of a mutual outcome between both sides.

[@jxnglxst6874]

It’s abt bay of pigs essentially

[@andreinatamayo2816]

Mejor cortometraje

[@thunderboltgodofdragonsdra647]

??? Is this a Satan Ritual??