The Golden State (1948) User Reviews

Combination Of Things

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 10 September 2007]

I don't know how many of these combination travelogue/sing-a-long/cartoon shorts were made Paramount's "Famous Studios" but they sure look different from most animated short subjects we are used to seeing. They combine information, audience singing participating and cartoon-like jokes all at the same time. This one hits close to home for them: California.

I actually learned a little history about California that I didn't know and it was presented in an entertaining way. Being that it's all about the state, Hollywood is cited and we get some plugs for Dorothy Lamour, Alan Ladd and Grauman's Chinese Theater.

It ends with the "follow-the-bouncing-citrus" sing-a-long to "California, Here I Come." I wonder if audiences actually sang out loud in the theater? Corny, yeah, but nostalgic and not bad for a one-time viewing.

The Golden State is another amusing Famous Studios Screen Song cartoon

[tavm · 7/10 · 17 May 2008]

I went to the Matinée at the Bijou blog and found this rare Famous Studios cartoon short that had a "follow-the-bouncing-ball" line attached to it since this is a Screen Song short that features the song, "California, Here I Come". Among the gags are the Big Chief train that briefly turns into a head of an Indian Chief, skeletons meant to represent "Spike Jones and Boys" dancing in Death Valley, horns playing when we get to Cape Horn (to show how some South Americans also came to California), and Harpo Marx's footprints at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre chasing a woman! Pretty amusing and worth a look for anyone who loves vintage animation. Oh, and in this one, "citrus" replaces "ball".

A Travelog - joke cartoon about California - and a singalong rap-up!

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 7 March 2007]

It was a simpler time in the late 1940s. When you saw a full day at the movies, it included the cartoon as well as feature, second feature, and short subjects. One of the items was the cartoon, and frequently they included audience participation. Paramount did this with it's "Follow the Bouncing Ball" series. After seeing the regular joke-filled cartoon on whatever subject it was, a song's lyrics would be shown and the audience encouraged to sing it. If you were not brought up in that era, you can get a bit of an idea about this because in the movie HUD a similar cartoon (about Texas) is shown in a movie house, and the viewers start singing a "Texas" based tune to a "bouncing ball").

It's a small valentine to California, mentioning it's settling, the gold rush, the jump in population, the pioneers coming by covered wagon (being beaten by a turtle), boats around Cape Horn, and the railroad. It shows the the highest and lowest points in the state, and the redwoods, and the orange grove industry. It is all mildly amusing. It shows Hollywood, and two of Paramount's best known stars (circa 1948): Dorothy Lamour and Alan Ladd. Finally they give the lyrics of "CALIFORNIA HERE I COME" but it includes the portion of the song that few people remember, when the singer mentions how lonely he feels when he is not in his native California. I have heard Al Jolson's recording of the tune (he popularized the song, by the way), and he sings this section. Few others have.

A final joke regarding the California Chamber of Commerce ends the cartoon.

One of the Sing-a-Long series of shorts done by Famous Studios and a fairly generic short with a few high points

[llltdesq · 7/10 · 3 November 2006]

The Sing-a-Long series which Paramount's Famous Studios did in the 1940s and early 1950s was directly patterned after the old Fleischer Studios series with the same basic idea-animation paired with a sing along which had a pointer or a "bouncing ball" moving in time to the lyrics, so that the audience could sing the song in accompaniment to a voice or voices recorded on the film. I'm going to discuss the short at least a little bit, so this is a mild spoiler:

In many ways, this is a rather generic short, in that it features the same types of gags that other shorts in the series, though there are some very funny gags (which I'll do my best not to spoil) and there is a mix of live-action footage in with the animation. There are the typical visual puns, there's the stock "California versus Florida" joke and other fairly predictable gags. One semi-cute, if telegraphed gag involves a woodpecker and the Petrified Forest. The bird's lines are an old Red Skelton punch line.

There are two very good gags, though-the first involving a bit about the highest and lowest points in the United States (at least at the time, those being Mount Whitney and Death Valley. There's a very funny bit on Death Valley which for me, was the highlight of the short, though it was closely followed by a gag centered around the footprints of Harpo Marx found in cement in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater. Definitely the most unusual "appearance" of Harpo Marx in a cartoon! The song done in this one is "California, Here I Come" and there's some moderately interesting background art/animation during the sing-along portion. Worth watching.

Not quite golden, but far from less than bronze

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 12 February 2021]

Have found a lot to admire about much of Famous Studios' earlier work and while the Noveltoons series is an uneven one it is worthwhile with some very good and even great cartoons when the studio was at its peak. Their best decade being easily the 40s, then by the mid-late-50s it started to feel like a different studio and not for the better. That is not to say that every 40s Noveltoons cartoon was good, there were lacklustre ones. The studio did a number of Screen Song cartoons.

'The Golden State' is somewhere around high middle as far as the Screen Song series goes, which was as has been said in a couple of other reviews for other Screen Song cartoons a hit and miss one. 'The Golden State' may not be a great cartoon, but it is a more than worthwhile one that may have a less than special story (true for pretty much all the Famous Studios' Screen Song cartoons) but the animation and music are still good and there are some good gags at least.

It's not a perfect cartoon sure, with the story and characterisation being paper thin (common problems with the Sing Song series).

A few of the gags are on the stale side from being quite old even at the time, especially the California versus Florida one.

On the other hand, the animation is very well done. The animation is very good, especially the vibrant colours and equally loved the background detail where a lot of care went into it. The music is even better, very lushly orchestrated and full of character rhythmically. The song "California Here I Come" is used very effectively and isn't overused or repetitive.

Gag count is quite high and enough of them hit, with the highlight being the Death Valley sequence and the one with Harpo's foot. The story is nothing exceptional, but there is some nice energy throughout thankfully. The characters are nicely done and beautifully vocalised.

Concluding, not great but nicely done. 7/10