This cartoon shows the growing disinterest in anything new or innovative at Terrytoons. In mid-1940, Fleischer was putting out the "Stone age" cartoons, and Hal Roach had released "One Million B.C." that spring, so Terry felt he could throw out a Terrytoon in that genré. Nobody developed a new story, they mainly just ripped off a lot of gags from the earlier Terry cartoons "Stone Age Stunts"(1930) (also by Davis and Foster) and Terry and Moser's "Farmer Al Falfa's Ape Girl" (1932). For instance,the leaping, and somersaulting-like-an-acrobat on the back of a tiger are taken directly from the latter film. The pay-off at the end is the same as well.
2 Reviews
Terrytoons in the stone age
TheLittleSongbird21 September 2018
The Terrytoons are oddly interesting, mainly for anybody wanting to see (generally) older cartoons made by lesser known and lower-budget studios. They are a mixed bag in quality, with some better than others, often with outstanding music and with some mild amusement and charm and variable in animation, characterisation and content.
1940, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, though more consistent than previous years. Of which 'Club Life in the Stone Age' is one of the low middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the lesser 1940 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon, leaning towards mediocre, and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Club Life in the Stone Age' is slightly watchable, completest sake is the main reason to see it.
Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and some synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.
Occasionally, there is some zest and natural charm, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done.
A few transitions are not always polished however.
Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general) and doing little with a premise that's hardly new. Gags aren't enough, and what little there is don't even reach mildly amusing, are rather disorganised and some of the material even is recycled. There is definitely a sense of the studio having run out of ideas and just re-treading old premises and material. The cartoon tends to veer towards being too cute and a lot of it is pretty predictable from being a familiar premise for Terrytoons. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned and basic. The characters are not the most appealing and are not interesting at all.
Not a must-avoid but pretty mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
1940, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, though more consistent than previous years. Of which 'Club Life in the Stone Age' is one of the low middle ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the lesser 1940 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon, leaning towards mediocre, and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'Club Life in the Stone Age' is slightly watchable, completest sake is the main reason to see it.
Best asset is the music, which predictably is incredible. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated and arranged, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action. The ambitious, elaborate detail in the backgrounds is still great to see, as is the comparatively improved fluidity of drawing and movement, and some synchronisation in movement and sound is neat.
Occasionally, there is some zest and natural charm, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done.
A few transitions are not always polished however.
Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general) and doing little with a premise that's hardly new. Gags aren't enough, and what little there is don't even reach mildly amusing, are rather disorganised and some of the material even is recycled. There is definitely a sense of the studio having run out of ideas and just re-treading old premises and material. The cartoon tends to veer towards being too cute and a lot of it is pretty predictable from being a familiar premise for Terrytoons. Some choppiness too and the cartoon feels very old fashioned and basic. The characters are not the most appealing and are not interesting at all.
Not a must-avoid but pretty mediocre. 4/10 Bethany Cox
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