Just rewatched this cartoon from the Van Beuren Studios on YouTube. The version I saw had the title Christmas Night which was the same title I witnessed when I first got this on VHS during the '80s. It stars The Little King, a popular comic strip character who is mute though other characters occasionally speak to him. Here it's Santa Claus who does the honors as he takes the King's request to deliver some presents to his palace for him and a couple of tramps he picks from a sidewalk window as they all look at the toys displayed. What they watch there is a little blackface doll tap dancing which is probably the only scene that would be offensive today in the entire cartoon though there is also a scene where all three are in a bathtub. Not too much in laughs though I was highly amused when one of the tramps revealed he wore a bra underneath his shirt! Best scene is the climax as all three ride in their cars or plane and wreak some stuff in the palace joyfully! So on that note, I guess I'm recommending Pals (or Christmas Night).
10 Reviews
Cast-off, "Public Domain" material proves to be an unexpected treasure and fine example of long defunct animation studio & top Comic Strip of by-gone days!.
redryan644 November 2008
FOLLOWING an outstanding beginning as a featured comic panel in THE NEW YORKER Magazine, THE LITTLE KING by Otto E. Soglow began an outstanding 40+ year run in the newspapers via syndication thru Heart's King Features Syndicate. The year was 1934 and the NEW YORKER Panel format was expanded to the comic strip form, or 'sequential art; as it is sometimes called.
MUCH like Carl Anderson's HENRY, mum, or rather 'mime' , was the word; for there was virtually no dialogue, no thought or speech balloons employed, and certainly never for the diminutive monarch.. The story and whatever gags that were inherent to it were brilliantly exposited without words.
ANOTHER hallmark that was always present was an unusually unique and highly stylized illustrative style. All characters were unusually curvy, tall, round, triangular, buxomly, etc. Uniform and clothing fashion in general is most stylish, if not too realistic. But, after all, it is all in a comic page and Mr. Soglow can make his world anyway he chooses.
IN the PALS (aka Christmas NIGHT) we have an entry in the series produced by Van Beuren Studios/RKO RADIO Pictures. This was the outfit that brought us TOM & JERRY (The original Human Duo, a sort of "Mutt & Jeff" team), CUBBY BEAR and the short-lived AMOS & ANDY Cartoons, with their two installments. They also later brought us the "Rainbow Parade" Color Cartoons with The Toonerville Trolley, Molly Moo Cow and a revived Felix the Cat.
WITH the release of this particular 7 minute cartoon short, the Van Beuren Crew displayed a keen sense of bringing us a succession of chuckles and guffaws (no real belly laughs); all the while making allowance for a seemingly tailor made score of incidental music and a coherent storyline to boot. Additionally, the team manages to keep the appearance of the characters, especially the King, his 4 ice skating sedan chair bearers and any other palace personnel, all in a strict conformity to the artistic style of the comic strip.
AS for our finding and having this film to view, it was discovered in one of those discount Toy Stores in a bin with many other cassettes of cartoons that have been copiously strung together; their only common cause being their status of being in Public Domain. This has proved an excellent source of finding some little, previously unknown titles and characters; which well deserves to be employed again and again.
CRITICIZING the cartoon short seems a little bit much of an effort; but we can give some short, thumb-nail sketch of a few impressions.
PALS or Christmas NIGHT, whichever title you prefer, is a straight forward rendering of just what the theatrical animated cartoon short's function was; namely, a sort of warm-up for what was to come on the day's playbill. It was to be pleasant, light and make the viewer feel good about being there in his local neighborhood picture palace; nothing more, nothing less.
WHEN we consider how it did just that; yet still was faithful to Soglow's character, we'd have to say that it has succeeded most readily. It is a great example of what the typical cartoon of the 1930's, early sound era was like.
NOW, Schultz, run out to the shoppin' mall and find it on a DVD or VHS cassette. It should only set you back about $3.98 or so.
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
MUCH like Carl Anderson's HENRY, mum, or rather 'mime' , was the word; for there was virtually no dialogue, no thought or speech balloons employed, and certainly never for the diminutive monarch.. The story and whatever gags that were inherent to it were brilliantly exposited without words.
ANOTHER hallmark that was always present was an unusually unique and highly stylized illustrative style. All characters were unusually curvy, tall, round, triangular, buxomly, etc. Uniform and clothing fashion in general is most stylish, if not too realistic. But, after all, it is all in a comic page and Mr. Soglow can make his world anyway he chooses.
IN the PALS (aka Christmas NIGHT) we have an entry in the series produced by Van Beuren Studios/RKO RADIO Pictures. This was the outfit that brought us TOM & JERRY (The original Human Duo, a sort of "Mutt & Jeff" team), CUBBY BEAR and the short-lived AMOS & ANDY Cartoons, with their two installments. They also later brought us the "Rainbow Parade" Color Cartoons with The Toonerville Trolley, Molly Moo Cow and a revived Felix the Cat.
WITH the release of this particular 7 minute cartoon short, the Van Beuren Crew displayed a keen sense of bringing us a succession of chuckles and guffaws (no real belly laughs); all the while making allowance for a seemingly tailor made score of incidental music and a coherent storyline to boot. Additionally, the team manages to keep the appearance of the characters, especially the King, his 4 ice skating sedan chair bearers and any other palace personnel, all in a strict conformity to the artistic style of the comic strip.
AS for our finding and having this film to view, it was discovered in one of those discount Toy Stores in a bin with many other cassettes of cartoons that have been copiously strung together; their only common cause being their status of being in Public Domain. This has proved an excellent source of finding some little, previously unknown titles and characters; which well deserves to be employed again and again.
CRITICIZING the cartoon short seems a little bit much of an effort; but we can give some short, thumb-nail sketch of a few impressions.
PALS or Christmas NIGHT, whichever title you prefer, is a straight forward rendering of just what the theatrical animated cartoon short's function was; namely, a sort of warm-up for what was to come on the day's playbill. It was to be pleasant, light and make the viewer feel good about being there in his local neighborhood picture palace; nothing more, nothing less.
WHEN we consider how it did just that; yet still was faithful to Soglow's character, we'd have to say that it has succeeded most readily. It is a great example of what the typical cartoon of the 1930's, early sound era was like.
NOW, Schultz, run out to the shoppin' mall and find it on a DVD or VHS cassette. It should only set you back about $3.98 or so.
POODLE SCHNITZ!!
Christmas with The Little King
TheLittleSongbird30 January 2018
Van Beuren cartoons are extremely variable, especially in the number of gags and whether the absurdist humour shines through enough (sometimes it does, other times it doesn't), but are strangely interesting. Although they are often poorly animated with barely existent stories and less than compelling lead characters, they are also often outstandingly scored, there can be some fun support characters and some are well-timed and amusing.
'Christmas Night', aka 'Pals', may not be a great cartoon and there are better ones based on the Christmas theme. Having said that, 'Christmas Night' is a pleasant enough watch and there's a reason why it's one of the better known The Little King cartoons. It's the fourth The Little King cartoon and the sixth of eleven Van Beuren cartoons (Fleischer did the twelfth as part of the Betty Boop series) adapted from the work of Otto Soglow, generally it is among the better efforts of the series and demonstrates why Van Beuren's cartoons adapted from Soglow's work are among the studio's better, more ambitious and more entertaining efforts.
The cartoon is not one to be seen if one is expecting a laugh a minute hilarious cartoon, there are not many laughs here but 'Christmas Night' does amuse at least when there is anything humorous if never more than that.
A scene with a black doll has been referred to negatively. Understandably, although not there for long and not as offensive as other racially stereotypical characters in cartoon history it felt rather misplaced here and jars.
However, one expects Van Beuren cartoons to generally not be well animated which tends to be the case. That's not the case with 'Christmas Night', the studio's Soglow adaptations come to think of it were all among their better-looking cartoons and showed more detail and crispness. It may not quite be as visually ambitious as 'The Fatal Note' but the improvement in quality is huge.
Music as always with Van Beuren, very nearly always the best thing about their cartoons and sometimes the only good thing, is lively and beautifully and cleverly orchestrated. Story-wise, while slight it is sweet and charming and in terms of content it is more reliant on cuteness than humour but it just avoids the saccharine sugar trap. The Little King is an appealing lead.
In summary, pleasant Christmas-themed cartoon. 7/10 Bethany Cox
'Christmas Night', aka 'Pals', may not be a great cartoon and there are better ones based on the Christmas theme. Having said that, 'Christmas Night' is a pleasant enough watch and there's a reason why it's one of the better known The Little King cartoons. It's the fourth The Little King cartoon and the sixth of eleven Van Beuren cartoons (Fleischer did the twelfth as part of the Betty Boop series) adapted from the work of Otto Soglow, generally it is among the better efforts of the series and demonstrates why Van Beuren's cartoons adapted from Soglow's work are among the studio's better, more ambitious and more entertaining efforts.
The cartoon is not one to be seen if one is expecting a laugh a minute hilarious cartoon, there are not many laughs here but 'Christmas Night' does amuse at least when there is anything humorous if never more than that.
A scene with a black doll has been referred to negatively. Understandably, although not there for long and not as offensive as other racially stereotypical characters in cartoon history it felt rather misplaced here and jars.
However, one expects Van Beuren cartoons to generally not be well animated which tends to be the case. That's not the case with 'Christmas Night', the studio's Soglow adaptations come to think of it were all among their better-looking cartoons and showed more detail and crispness. It may not quite be as visually ambitious as 'The Fatal Note' but the improvement in quality is huge.
Music as always with Van Beuren, very nearly always the best thing about their cartoons and sometimes the only good thing, is lively and beautifully and cleverly orchestrated. Story-wise, while slight it is sweet and charming and in terms of content it is more reliant on cuteness than humour but it just avoids the saccharine sugar trap. The Little King is an appealing lead.
In summary, pleasant Christmas-themed cartoon. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Cute Film
Michael_Elliott17 March 2016
Christmas Night (1933)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
The Little King was a very popular comic strip in The New Yorker Magazine and it eventually found its way to the big screen. This short from the Van Beuren Studios starts off with Santa getting people to write down what they want on a piece of paper. Later that night several of the characters are playing around with their toys when chaos follows.
This certainly isn't a great short by any stretch of the imagination but it's a pleasant and charming film that I'm sure kids would enjoy watching on Christmas. As other reviewers have pointed out, there's one stereotype scene that many will object to today but it can also be seen as a learning tool to teach how things once were. I found the animation to be quite good throughout and the B&W images really jump off the screen with their detail at times. There aren't any major laughs but the film will at least keep a smile on your face.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
The Little King was a very popular comic strip in The New Yorker Magazine and it eventually found its way to the big screen. This short from the Van Beuren Studios starts off with Santa getting people to write down what they want on a piece of paper. Later that night several of the characters are playing around with their toys when chaos follows.
This certainly isn't a great short by any stretch of the imagination but it's a pleasant and charming film that I'm sure kids would enjoy watching on Christmas. As other reviewers have pointed out, there's one stereotype scene that many will object to today but it can also be seen as a learning tool to teach how things once were. I found the animation to be quite good throughout and the B&W images really jump off the screen with their detail at times. There aren't any major laughs but the film will at least keep a smile on your face.
Back in the 1300's, the poem beginning . . .
pixrox129 September 2023
. . . "Rub-a-dub-dub" was a wholesome recounting of a young lad's education regarding the niceties of his future responsibility to select an appropriate spouse to insure that the family farm could be passed down for a few more centuries. This instructive verse tradition did NOT make any references to MEN in a tub! Back in these simpler times, men could not monopolize the process of propagating Humanity. Females were required to take part, so every country fair featured the three basic types of ladies usually around a small town. These subjects were displayed in a natural state of undress, often in an otherwise empty trough or tub, so proper distinctions could be made between those too scrawny, those too padded and those "just right" for the performance of necessary vital farm chores. CHRISTMAS NIGHT plunges viewers into the darker waters of three MEN in a tub, totally destroying the rub-a-dub-dub ritual.
Not Great
Christmas-Reviewer30 March 2017
BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. Doesn't matter if its a good or bad review. If they only have reviewed one thing then you can't trust them. I have reviewed over 200 Christmas films & cartoons. You can trust me.
On Christmas Eve, the Little King sneaks two tramps into the castle. The next morning, the three men are thrilled by the presents Santa left behind.
Not very good. Seems to me this film was an experimental animation short. You can always stream this for free & "That's good". It is not worth buying.
On Christmas Eve, the Little King sneaks two tramps into the castle. The next morning, the three men are thrilled by the presents Santa left behind.
Not very good. Seems to me this film was an experimental animation short. You can always stream this for free & "That's good". It is not worth buying.
Offensive by Today's Standards!
Sylviastel19 December 2011
Even though I have the title "Christmas Night," it's also known as Pals here on this website. I found this cartoon to be the weakest on my DVD with Scrooge (1935 colorized version) as the main feature. While it may not be seen as offensive during the time it was released in 1933 long before the civil rights movement. Our country was still in the midst of the Great Depression and before World War II took place. This cartoon short may not be intended to be offensive with the black face but it would be seen that way by today's political correctness. I would just accept that it was the time period when this animated short took place long before change for the better took place. I wouldn't try to think too much or too seriously about animated shorts from the time period as offensive. I'm sure the early animators weren't intended to offend it's audience but complying to the time and period of it's history.
an elegant cartoon full of coarse, silly fun
Mary-187 January 2008
This is a wonderful little cartoon that had been pretty much forgotten for decades until it recently started showing up in vintage cartoon DVD sets under the title it was given in the 1940's, "Christmas Night." Otto Soglow's comic strip character, The Little King, had just been created in 1931, and this is one of the first times he appeared on screen. The Little King is an adorable and endearing character--a king who prefers to live like his working class subjects. In this cartoon, he befriends two very gritty bums on Christmas Eve, and together they prepare for Santa's arrival. The animation is beautiful. Sometimes blocky and abstract, while at other times more cutesy and full of detail. While almost entirely free of dialog, the cartoon is entertaining, completely understandable, and moves a brisk, enjoyable pace.
Sadly, it may have been the lack of dialog and simplicity of The Little King (in the comic strip, the king never spoke and ancillary characters did only rarely) that caused it to never really become successful in moving pictures. By the '30s, talkies were all the rage, and cartoon characters were expected to crack jokes or sing witty songs in addition to physical comedy.
Sadly, it may have been the lack of dialog and simplicity of The Little King (in the comic strip, the king never spoke and ancillary characters did only rarely) that caused it to never really become successful in moving pictures. By the '30s, talkies were all the rage, and cartoon characters were expected to crack jokes or sing witty songs in addition to physical comedy.
Aside from one tiny scene, it's not as bad as you might assume
planktonrules1 November 2008
As a history teacher and lover of films, I occasionally like watching cartoons that have been banned, as they tell us a lot about our society and how far we have come over the years. What was perfectly acceptable decades ago is now, in some cases, seen as gross and inappropriate. Occasionally, these cartoons which have been removed from screening aren't particularly offensive but often, as in the case of this cartoon, they are so god-awful it's hard to imagine that people would have laughed at and enjoyed these films! Thirteen of these cartoons have been packaged together on a DVD entitled "Cartoon Crazys: Banned and Censored" and while the print quality of many of the cartoons is less than stellar, it's a great chance to see how sensibilities have changed.
This cute little cartoon stars the comic strip character "Little King" and on Christmas Eve he picks up a couple hobos and treats them like friends in his home. The action is pretty cute and for a 1930s cartoon, it's pretty good.
Now as to why it was pulled, the main reasons are silly. In one scene, the three men are bathing together and some people at the Hays Office apparently were worried about perceived homosexuality!!! Come off it, folks--this is ridiculous. Other than that, there was a 3 or 4 second scene where the three are looking in a shop window and there is a "Sambo doll" in the window that would surely offend some viewers, though it also could easily be removed and the film still shown to modern audiences. I sure wish this did happen, as it is a cute little film.
This cute little cartoon stars the comic strip character "Little King" and on Christmas Eve he picks up a couple hobos and treats them like friends in his home. The action is pretty cute and for a 1930s cartoon, it's pretty good.
Now as to why it was pulled, the main reasons are silly. In one scene, the three men are bathing together and some people at the Hays Office apparently were worried about perceived homosexuality!!! Come off it, folks--this is ridiculous. Other than that, there was a 3 or 4 second scene where the three are looking in a shop window and there is a "Sambo doll" in the window that would surely offend some viewers, though it also could easily be removed and the film still shown to modern audiences. I sure wish this did happen, as it is a cute little film.
Quite adorable...a nice Christmas surprise.
planktonrules22 September 2013
In general, I find the cartoons from Van Beuren Studio to be awfully saccharine--and a far cry from the quality of rival studios Disney and Fleischer Brothers. However, I was pleasantly surprised with "The Little King"--a sweet little cartoon if I've ever seen one.
The character 'Little King' was a creation of Oscar Soglow and it was so popular in "The New Yorker" that William Randolph Hearst paid handsomely to bring Soglow to his paper and make the strip a daily. And, from the 1930s until his death in the late 1970s, Soglow made a ton of these cute cartoons. And, like "Henry", the Little King didn't speak.
Van Beuren made several Little King cartoons but I only see a couple listed on IMDb. I assume that this is the correct place to review "The Little King: Merry Christmas". It begins with the King going about town just before Christmas. He meets two nice hobos and they become friends. So, in the spirit of Christmas, he invites them home for the holidays and they have a lovely time.
As I said above, this film is awfully sweet--but not to the point of being saccharine. It's more just a very nice little film that made me smile. Not brilliant, but it was worth seeing.
The character 'Little King' was a creation of Oscar Soglow and it was so popular in "The New Yorker" that William Randolph Hearst paid handsomely to bring Soglow to his paper and make the strip a daily. And, from the 1930s until his death in the late 1970s, Soglow made a ton of these cute cartoons. And, like "Henry", the Little King didn't speak.
Van Beuren made several Little King cartoons but I only see a couple listed on IMDb. I assume that this is the correct place to review "The Little King: Merry Christmas". It begins with the King going about town just before Christmas. He meets two nice hobos and they become friends. So, in the spirit of Christmas, he invites them home for the holidays and they have a lovely time.
As I said above, this film is awfully sweet--but not to the point of being saccharine. It's more just a very nice little film that made me smile. Not brilliant, but it was worth seeing.
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