Beloved illustrator and children's book author Johnny Gruelle is arguably most well known for his famous Raggedy Ann stories, spawning numerous books with the fictional red haired triangle nosed rag doll and many more friends. Naturally, the success and fantasy potential of the doll would lead to film adaptations, and luck would have it in the form of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, the first animated incarnation of said toy. Made by the Fleischer Studio and co-written by Johnny Gruelle's son Worth, the best way to describe this humble effort is remarkably earnest albeit incomplete overall.
The main story behind the film follows the creation of two rag dolls who venture to be named in the fantasy Ragland by overcoming obstacles and heartbreak. Like many children's stories, the film is told as somewhat of a third person narrative by establishing a little girl who wants the Raggedy Ann doll in a toyshop despite the two dolls needing to be sewn apart, and the toyshop owner setting up the story as to why that is the case (albeit with no overlapping narration). This helps paint the world of Ragland as imaginative as possible, complete with many of the inhabitants being sentient tools to make toys and stuffed animals as well. On top of the lush art direction at play, the character animation led by director Myron Waldman helps display a lot of genuine emotion once the scene calls for it. Also, acclaimed Fleischer composer Sammy Timberg lends his musical talents to songs that range from entertainingly upbeat to heartwarmingly sweet, and it's not hard to see why all these wonderful ingredients could make for a wonderful short subject for all the ages.
Unfortunately, as much as the short has all the right pieces at play, its biggest downfall from being anything special is its short length. At just 17 minutes in length, the aforementioned plot to get the titular characters their proper names feels rushed and underdeveloped, leaving little room to gain much connection with anyone. When the biggest conflict of the two being separated is Andy getting entranced by an outdated Latina doll, the whole climax of Ann falling ill to a broken heart should feel more powerful than what we see onscreen. Perhaps if the short was at least a little longer to let the dolls explore more of Ragland or to see how them question the purpose in having a name on their own, then it might've been a lot more intriguing in the long run. As a matter of fact, the whole premise is worthy of being told in feature length format, so what we have feels too brisk to be memorable enough outside of some beautiful art and music. As much as this short was a labor of love on the Gruelles and Fleischers respectively, a little more polish would have spiced this cartoon up.
So while Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy has all the makings of a true classic, no amount of gorgeous artistry and musical tear jerkiness can elevate its rushed plot and paper thin characters. Maybe its appeal lies more in a younger audience rather than anyone else, although that's not to say the short shouldn't be glossed over. Whether or not you happen to be familiar with anything related to Johnny Gruelle's work, this short does do a nice job of translating one piece of media to another in ways where one can see the passion leap on screen. That alone is worth the rags and stitches.
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