Release Date:

August 13, 1938

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A British major tells a young boy (caricature of Freddie Bartholomew) about his safari in Africa which is how he got most of the mounted heads on his walls.

That’s Not All, Folks:

As of this writing, this is the only Tashlin cartoon that has not been restored (likely because of a few scenes involving African natives helping out the major and his butler in their hunt but because the natives don’t play a major part in the cartoon, this is not one of the Censored Eleven).

This is the first cartoon to use the late 1938 Merrie Melodies opening theme.

The major references Popeye when he eats spinach to grow stronger and help him defeat the jungle animals summoned by Tarzan to gang up on him (“By jove, if it’s good enough for that sailor man, it’s good enough for me!”)

What I Like About This One:

The boy asking the major about the lion head, “Was he stuffed when you got him?”

The major’s elephant having travel stickers on her trunk as she traveled “quite extensively”.

Despite having stereotypes, the natives’ tribal song is quite catchy (“While we must fight through the end with our might to watch out for our right to survive. When times are bad and we lose what we had, we can still say we’re glad we’re alive.”)

The major coming across US highway style road signs all labeled “Africa” and with different numbers (50, 61, 66, 91, 99, and 101). In addition, he pulls out what he thinks is a road map of Africa labeled “Hitchhikers Edition” but is actually a map of Van Buren, Arkansas (“Van Buren” could be a reference to the Van Buren studio where Tashlin worked at for a short time).

The major getting off his elephant via an elevator.

The animation of the elephant going up a steep hill.

When the major and the butler arrive in the jungle, they see two gazelles jumping around on pogo sticks.

The major shooting at a lion, causing his basket atop the elephant to spin around.

The major tracking down the lion by using his butler as a hunting dog.

The lion challenging the major to a boxing match and trying to cheat by putting horseshoes in his boxing glove. But it’s the major who emerges victorious!

The aforementioned scene of the major referencing Popeye while eating spinach to increase his strength. A subtitle appears saying, “With men who need muscles, it’s spinach 2 to 1!”

The major punching a crocodile that turns into a bag, a hippo that turns into a piano, a grizzly bear that turns into a fur coat, and the lion he previously beat into a hula dancer.

The butler launching the major from a tree to finish the rest of them off.

A running gag about an elephant trying to remember something he was supposed to say which he does in the very last scene. It’s “That’s all folks!” and instead of the usual end card, the elephant appears in its place with the Merrie Melodies logo above him and a faster version of the end theme playing.

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕