Bacall to Arms (1946)

The greatest movie ever made..!

A Brilliant Conflict

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

When Bob Clampett left the WB cartoon studio in the spring of 1945, he left a few projects unfinished. Schlesinger had recently sold the studio to WB and fellow director, Frank Tashlin had also departed a few months earlier, also leaving a few projects unfinished. There has been discussion for years as to the circumstances surrounding the timing of Clampett's departure and WB acquisition of the studio, but that's another story.As most fans know, most cartoons left unfinished by their intended director usually end up very messy in terms of consistency. Of the projects Clampett left unfinished, Bacall To Arms is the messiest. It uses a lot of footage from an earlier WB cartoon "She Was An Acrobat's Daughter". The use of footage from a late 30's cartoon mixed in with a mid 40's cartoon and soundtrack makes this short look very jarring. I wonder if this short also had trouble with the censors, as some of the wolf's reactions appear to be cut short.I've also wondered what Clampett's intended vision was for this short was had he stayed to complete it. In addition to parodying To Have And Have Not, via movie screen, could the wolf have been a tribute to Tex Avery? Given that any official records have been lost to time, we may never know.While this shorts redeems itself with some great Scribner and Gould animation, this short barely constitutes as a Clampett masterpiece.

" . . . and blow." This cartoon not only echoes the Humphrey Bogart-Lauren Bacall vehicle of a few months earlier--TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT--it also provides an opportunity for the characters on the big screen to interact with the little people sitting out in the audience. Bogart, for instance, orders an obese patron with ants in his pants to "SIDDOWN!" and stop blocking the view of other movie-goers with his constant exits and re-entrances. Overall, the material is pretty thin, and the jokes about secret American military weapons fairly lame. Of course, no Bogart (or "Bogey Gocart, here) screen appearance would be complete without some gun violence, so toward the end of the film Bogie guns down a serial sexual assaulter--innocuously labeled as a "wolf" in this misogynistic yesteryear time--depicted as a literal wolf, for giving his new bride Lauren Bacall ("Laurie Bee Cool," here) his signature call when she appears on-screen. For once, this is a case of just desserts, as the earlier off-screen slap in the face from a physically molested usherette (who may have forgotten to wear her panties) obviously failed to teach the randy carnivore a lasting lesson.

A first-class, extremely well done spoof cartoon, its high quality being very typical of the time. Audiences back then were more sophisticated than the audiences today, fed as they are on the rubbish that Hollywood flings out with abandon. They were more appreciative of charm and wit and recognized it when they saw it. BACALL TO ARMS has charm and wit and is deliciously funny from start to finish.Animation fans will particularly enjoy the superb work of the Warner artists and the breakneck speed of the pacing. Writing, directing, music and editing are all as good as can be.One of the great cartoons, definitely not to be missed.

We are taken back to the movie theater in the '40s where people are playing musical chairs, wolves are making passes at beautiful usherettes, and the "warmer news" movie short is showing, explaining how "American industry cleverly adapts the implements of war to peace time use." We then see clever and funny ways radar is now being used in post-war 1946.Then, the feature movie begins with "Bogey Gocart and Laurie Bee Cool in Too-Have, Too- Have, Too-Have and Too-Have." In between this animated take-off of the famous film, "To Have And Have Not," we see what's happening in the theater such as a Hippo barging his way in front of people and "Bogey" telling him, "Hey, Fat Boy. If you want to see how this picture ends, sit down!" We see the wolf going nuts whenever "Laurie" is on screen, etc.Man, the humor was corny back then (but fun to watch in these old cartoons).