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UPA Review: Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) — The Masterpiece That Changed Animation Forever

Anthony's Animation Talk

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Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) is the short that proved a cartoon didn't need to look like Disney to be great. Made at United Productions of America under director Robert Cannon, it stripped animation down to bold, flat color and spare outline characters — and in doing so it earned a place in the National Film Registry and the #9 spot on the list of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time.

The part most viewers skip is the origin: the story was written by Theodor Geisel — better known as Dr. Seuss — who imagined a boy who can only speak in sound effects. From there we trace how that single idea, and the limited-animation style built around it, rippled outward to Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and Batman: The Animated Series — then break the short down scene by scene.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Introduction to UPA and Gerald McBoing Boing
01:14 - Where to Find UPA Shorts on Physical Media
02:09 - The Dr. Seuss Origin Story
03:08 - Impact on the Animation Landscape
03:48 - UPA's Stylistic Approach: Color and Minimalism
05:04 - Influence on Disney and Other Studios
06:24 - Legacy: Bill Melendez, Awards, and Marvin Miller
06:58 - Scene-by-Scene Analysis: Opening and First Scene
09:54 - Passage of Time and Gerald Goes to School
12:20 - Rejection at School and Darkening Colors
13:37 - Gerald's Heartbreak and Running Away
15:40 - The Talent Scout Discovers Gerald
16:35 - The Radio Studio and Foley Performance
18:25 - Gerald's Success and Final Verdict

You can find this on the Jolly Frolics Collection DVD set here: https://amzn.to/4qiHNOi

Source: Cartoon Voices by Keith Scott — https://amzn.to/3MsVLtQ
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14 Comments

@AnthonysAnimationTalk Creator 1 month ago Pinned

Hope you all enjoy this one! I love Gerald McBoing Boing and revisiting it again I noticed new things I didn't see before. I know some people are critical of UPA and aren't fans of the shorts themselves but you can't deny that UPA literally changed animation forever (for better or worse)
What's YOUR favourite UPA short?

@Grim2 1 month ago

That snowfall's very effective. Just two static layers sliding across the frame at different rates from one another.

@dalemuir1105 1 month ago

I first saw this on the bonus features on the Hellboy DVD, I've always loved the minimalist, abstract style of the 1950s cartoons and this definitely made me realise where the trend took off from.

@backbayipodshuffle 1 month ago (edited)

I always find it interesting that the Capitol Records cover for the story with The Great Gildersleeve narration had the original Dr Seuss drawings of what Gerald and his dog looked like.

I still love this cartoon but it’s interesting to see how it woulda turned out with Seuss’s art style too.

@TerrickTerran 1 month ago

Proof that animation doesn't need to be always moving to still be great. As for short to review, The Million Dollar Cat, an idea WB would also use with Bugs Bunny/Elmer Fudd would be interesting to hear about.

@Wil.Wilson33 3 weeks ago

this is one of the first traditional animations I've seen that feel like digital when watching it. I had to keep reminding myself it was TA, not digital..

@KathySM001 1 month ago (edited)

Think of all the suggested backgrounds in the Pink Panther cartoons and Blake Edward’s intros as well. Perfected silence. Definitely worked well there.🐾

@spingebill2009 1 month ago

I really liked how you discussed color in this review. Color Theory and how color can be used symbolically in art really piques me interest.

@Davidbirdman101 1 month ago

I don't think I've ever seen this cartoon before. I agree with your breakdown and analysis. Also, the father was a jerk 😂 but little Gerald seemed to forgive him. Thanks for your efforts.

@geoffreyrichards6079 1 month ago (edited)

It’s pretty crazy to think that this was the cartoon that got the ball rolling for more stylized cartoons. If it weren’t for it paving the way with his contemporary style, we wouldn’t have gotten the cartoons from Hanna-Barbara or Jay Ward, or Disney’s “101 Dalmations”. Nor would we have gotten later shows like “Ren & Stimpy” or “Dexters Laboratory”, nor more modern examples like the Paul Rudish “Mickey Mouse” shorts or VivziePop’s “Hazbin Hotel”. They all can be traced back to UPA’s own unique direction.

@muppetsretrofan8873 1 month ago

I think UPA's work is phenomenal! Gerald Mcboing Boing is amazing, but I do wish the dad had apologized [at least Donner and the other reindeer in the Rankin Bass Rudolph special apologized to Rudolph after hearing about the Misfit Toys. Keep in mind that was BEFORE Santa discovered Rudolph's nose could save Christmas.]. Gereald would end up becoming very iconic in pop culture due to this short and his later appearance in Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol [which is one of the best versions. I said one of the best due to Muppets Christmas Carol also existing and it's so hard for me to pick a favorite between the two.]. I love the minimalistic artstyle of UPA, it's super charming. Terrytoons would later do similar stuff, specifically the cartoon Tom Terrific [however, due to budget cuts, it was completely black and white with the characters being uncolored lines. This actually added to the show's charm, especially with things like Tom's transformations], and it really gave the studio a breath of fresh air [I love Mighty Mouse and all, but the studio was beginning to get repetitive and I think Gene Diech and Ralph Bakshi were able to give the studio a much needed change. Too bad it was too late, however].

@Desmaad 1 month ago (edited)

The Royal Ocean Film Society did a series on the history of UPA. It's buried in this playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzJ0cH2x8nuQYDBqF8gjYML-gFkfdQmif&si=otPkE5_ba5I0vhtu

@jerrydethomas8058 1 month ago

masterpiece?...if it changed animation, it changed it for the worse...it looks like garbage compared to the cartoons put out by Warner Brothers in the day...it was made on the cheap and looked like it...

@alexeisavrasov888 1 month ago

Thanks for this...I'd only vaguely heard of it before. Good to know.
By the way, I was looking for the WB cartoon with Gossamer, the 'not the clippers!" one...I'd thought it was "Duck Dodgers in the 24th & 1/2 Century, but I was mistaken...which one does it come from?
Is there a reference online for the WB Looney Tunes cartoons?