Release Date:

February 10, 1940

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

Swenson the baker is about to go out of business when an elderly blind man comes in asking for a few crumbs of bread. Swenson gives him his last donut. The blind man runs back to his hideout (an old windmill) where it’s revealed that he’s not blind at all and was wearing a disguise. He rallies up his helpers, the “Slappy Happy Slappy Little Baker Men” to make enough pastries to boost Swenson’s business back up.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. An instrumental of the “Slappy Happy Slappy Little Baker Men” musical number played under the credits:

Supervision: Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton

Story: Jack Miller

Animation: Richard Bickenbach

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

The cartoon’s plot is very similar to the Shoemaker and the Elves, only with bakers.

This is the final cartoon directed by Hardaway and Dalton (and their only cartoon released in the 1940’s) due to Friz Freleng returning from MGM around this time. Hardaway went back to being a storyman and would shortly leave for Walter Lantz where he would help with the development of Woody Woodpecker. Dalton stayed at the studio for many years as an animator, eventually leaving in the late 1940’s.

One of the old man’s helpers is a caricature of assistant Henry Binder. Jerry Colonna and Harpo Marx are also caricatured.

What I Like About This One:

The whole opening scene in general complete with the serious tone of the music makes you feel genuinely sorry for Swenson (imagine putting your all into a passion of yours only for it to fail financially).

A sign reading, “We can’t complain about our business- there ain’t none!!”

Swenson having a thermometer for how full a barrel of flour is (animated by Gil Turner).

As soon as the old man in his blind man disguise is out of sight, he runs all the way back to his windmill where he sheds his disguise and also reveals he had a pillow tied around his back to resemble a hunchback (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

The whole “Slappy Happy Slappy Little Baker Men” number (primarily animated by Turner and Bickenbach). Gags include one helper shredding off pieces of chocolate off a large piece of chocolate into a pot, another putting the egg shells into what he’s cooking instead of the yolk, a cross-eyed helper hiccuping and getting a frying pan knocked onto his head, and a helper who is a caricature of Harpo Marx tripping and labeling the cake he dropped as an “Upside Down Cake”.

Another helper pulling a large pumpkin straight out of the can and his attempt to flatten it results in it spattering all over him (animated by Rod Scribner).

Donuts being inflated with air and spray painted with chocolate icing.

One of the helpers having trouble with the dough he was rolling out (animated by Bickenbach).

Bananas being flown out of their skins via a mallet where they become banana cream pies. However, the helper holding the tins doesn’t realize he has no more tins and picks up the wrong thing, resulting in the banana splatting him in the face (animated by Turner).

When Swenson wakes up, the helpers all run off quickly before being spotted and Swenson is surprised to see a ton of baked goods. Suddenly, tons of people come in to buy them, saving Swenson’s business.

Sometime later, the old man returns in the same blind man disguise and asks Swenson again for a few crumbs of bread (animated by Bickenbach). This time, Swenson gives him a pie. After the old man leaves, Swenson calls out to him to remind him that there’s a 5-cent deposit on the tin. Swenson gets the pie thrown in his face and grumpily says, “That’s gratitude for you!” (animated by Turner).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½