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.
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.