Release Date:

December 16, 1939

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A series of gags at a football game at the “Chili Bowl”.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The line “Have you had your fluffies today?” is a reference to the advertising slogan for Ironized Yeast, “Have you had your iron today?”

The cartoon is somewhat similar to the 1944 Disney cartoon, “How to Play Football”, one of several Goofy cartoons centered around sports.

The referee resembles the dopey Mountie from “Snowman’s Land”.

The small player, Gregory, who immediately gets injured when put into the game resembles Dan from “Dangerous Dan McFoo”.

This is the first cartoon to use the phrase, “Mmm, could be” (which is a phrase I like using myself).

What I Like About This One:

The scene during the opening credits where a silhouette of a player is caught by another player who strikes him on the head with a mallet (and thankfully, this cartoon was spared from reissue).

“In fact, there’s only one small cloud floating in the sky”- a storm cloud with a lightning bolt.

“There certainly is a colorful crowd here today”- showing six crowds of fans dressed in red, yellow, green, blue, purple, and black respectively (as of this writing, though, the cartoon has not been restored but this scene will particularly look eye-popping if it does get restored).

“The huge bowl is filled to overflowing”- with fans gushing out of the stadium like lava from a volcano.

Halfback “Stinkavich” kicking field goals by having another player slap his knee to get his reflexes to kick the ball while Stinkavich just sits there relaxing.

After three players kick the ball and realize they’re holding each other’s shoulders, they do some sort of ballet-like dance.

The referee flipping a coin to see who kicks off and getting caught into a tussle between the rival teams after the coin lands.

The referee’s whistle tweeting like a bird (the whistle even has a bird on it).

The placekicker kicking the player holding the ball into the air instead of kicking the ball.

“Listen to that crowd roar”- they roar like a lion.

The ball being thrown into the air by one player using another as a golf club.

“It looks like Smallavich is going to get it in the end zone!” A player on the rival team kicks him in the rear. The announcer flatly adds, “He did”.

After “Palookavich” gets wrestled by the other players while attempting to score, two men instead put the football on a stretcher instead of Palookavich.

When Gregory who has been on the bench for 12 years and not played in a game, is put into the game, he is immediately injured in bandages! The coach (a bulldog) reassures him (with rolling R’s), “Great game, Gregory!”

Quarterback “Pupplevich” literally barking out his signals after calling various numbers.

Players bouncing all over the field when “Hike” is repeatedly called.

“Slobavich” fading into invisibility when he runs back for a long pass.

“Slapavich” receiving the ball on the 40 but the ball bounces off his stomach and “Blotavich” “recovers the pigskin”- with the ball squealing like a pig!

When players from both teams fight each other for a touchdown and pile up, the announcer asks if they made it. One of the players crawls out to answer, “Mmm, could be” before getting back into the pile up.

The referee nearly blowing his head off when he shoots the gun for halftime due to being distracted by his stopwatch!

The fans literally changing sides for the second half by going to the other side of the stadium.

The drummer in the band beating his stomach like a drum.

A male cheerleader yelling to the crowd to give it everything they got but he only gets a weak “Rah. Rah. Rah.” from an unenthusiastic fan.

“The players and coach get together for a pep talk”- but the players are all angrily yelling at the coach!

The player holding the ball getting sent flying with the ball for the kick off and landing in “Scramavich”’s arms. He coyly gives him a kiss, much to Scramavich’s disgust.

A cheerleader literally yelling his head off.

The gun that ends the game coming from a baby in the stands who has shot down the man sitting next to him for swiping licks from his ice cream cone all throughout the cartoon!

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕