A Wicky, Wacky Romance (1939) User Reviews

We'll Do This Again Until we Get It Right

[boblipton · 5/10 · 24 February 2015]

A pirate ship approaches a Polynesian paradise. Its crew of peg-legged cats kidnap a hula-dancing mouse. Will her mouse boyfriend rescue her in this Technicolor Terrytoon?

Sounds likely, doesn't it? This was one of the several stories that Paul Terry's staff redid every few years, most notably in 1935's PEG-LEG PETE THE PIRATE -- although for a couple of iterations in the 1930s, Pete was a hippopotamus. Each time there were technical advances in the execution; this time it was Technicolor.

In the end the story would turn up as MIGHTY MOUSE AND THE PIRATES. You can see the seed of that mouse-sized hero with the Tarzan-like hero's acrobatics here. He even does the Tarzan yell.

Romantic wackiness

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 27 August 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.

1939, like all the other years for Terrytoons, saw a hit and miss batch, more so than the other years even. Of which 'A Wicky, Wacky Romance' is one of the middling ones ranking it in correlation with the rest of the Terrytoons and one of the middling 1939 cartoons. It is an unexceptional, nothing exactly special cartoon and has the same amount of problems as it has the amount of strengths. 'A Wicky, Wacky Romance' is also watchable, completest sake is the main reason to see it but it's not the only reason.

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 is neat. The colour is vibrant.

Some very amusing moments, some imaginative and there is some zest and natural charm, and parts of it and the basic set up are nicely done. The villainous pirate crew have some fun and sinister personalities.

Occasionally though the visuals lack polish in drawing and some transitions. The conflict is bland as are the lead characters, again typical archetypes.

Likewise, the story is paper thin and formulaic with not an awful lot to it (like the cartoon in general), doing little new with a very familiar, recycled and melodramatic premise. Gags aren't enough, they are not always very organised (fairly scattershot), and there is not much especially memorable about some and some don't serve much point. The cartoon tends to veer towards being too cute and a lot of it is pretty predictable, particularly at the start which is dull. It picks up a little towards the end but still doesn't compel in content. Some choppiness too.

Overall, watchable if unexceptional. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Cat pirates vs. a mouse in a loincloth

[llltdesq · 7/10 · 26 June 2015]

This is a cartoon produced by the Terrytoons studio, There will be spoilers ahead:

This is a fairly standard Terrytoon cartoon. There's nothing terribly innovative or creative about this, even by Paul Terry's limited standards.

The short begins with a boy and girl mouse sailing on the water when the girl goes into the water. This gives the boy a chance to show off his athletic ability and it establishes their relationship. The girl does a hula when they reach shore.

Meanwhile, out at sea, there's a pirate ship whose mascot (a parrot) spots the mice on the beach and alerts the crew, which runs to one end of the ship, almost capsizing the vessel. They wind up capturing the girl with one of the better gags in the short. There are some nice visual gags throughout, but beyond those, this isn't very interesting. Mouse boy makes like Tarzan and speeds off to rescue his girl.

The end is never really in doubt here, there's just enough material to reach the desired length before wrapping things up with a happy ending.

This cartoon is worth seeing once.