Book Review: Little Toot

As much as I love trawling thrift stores looking for treasures, the fact is that I am actually pitifully, pathetically, and painfully bereft of the thrifting mojo.  But sometimes the thrifting gods (probably just to mess with my brain by instilling a false sense of confidence) smile upon me.  For some people, their benevolence can be realized in a coveted Catalina swimsuit in just the right size, or a pair of lamps with matching, fiberglass shades, or a Heywood-Wakefield side table for under a million dollars.  For me it is found in the uncovering of a childhood favorite.  Imagine my surprise when at the very same thrift store, where a couple of months ago I found a well-loved copy The Little House,  I found a copy of Little Toot.

I will be honest, just like The Little House, I never owned the book Little Toot, which actually made finding the book all the more exciting.  I was introduced to the charming story as one of the animated sequences from Disney's cartoon revue, Melody Time, as sung by The Andrews Sisters. 

Little Toot is the story of a boat who, in his neurotic desire to become the best and most efficient tugboat,  nearly kills two cruise ships full of unsuspecting passengers, myriad dock workers and pedestrians, himself, his father, and potentially, a bevy of marine life as well.  It is the unflinching examination of father-son relationships, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption.  It explores themes of self-loathing, bullying, depression, alienation, and most importantly, water safety - pretty heavy stuff for a children's book.

The boat in question
Don't be deceived by his cheery expression; this is an
emotionally disturbed tugboat teeming with
psychological troubles, pent-up angst, and unresolved
daddy issues.

Anybody would feel discouraged if all they could muster
 was "a gay, small - toot-toot-toot."

Happy one minute, sad the next, they were going to rework 

the story with trains instead of boats and call it "The Bi-Polar Express."

(Forgive me, my intention is not to make light of depression
or mental illness but that one made me laugh)

Okay, so maybe I was reading a little too much into the story.  Truth be told, Little Toot is an eager tugboat that makes a few mistakes but learns some valuable lessons along the way.  Published in 1939, Little Toot is a solid children's book with amazing, watercolor illustrations.  Here are just a few of the plates from the book.  I think it is cool how consistency was not an issue for Gramatky; as long as the key elements were there, Little Toot was sometimes a cheery, pudgy-faced, button-nosed, line drawing and sometimes he was heavy-browed, awash in color, and had dark, shoe-button eyes.

Papa Toot

The many faces of Little Toot

My favorite illustration in the book
The blue and the red in the water had me searching
for some 3-D glasses!

I love how strongly influenced the animators were by Gramatky's beautifully rendered watercolors.  You'll see that now as you enjoy Little Toot, as interpreted by the fine folks at Disney Studios.  Come on, it's a no-brainer.  The Andrews Sisters, plus Disney, plus a zippy little tug boat - what's not to love?

"Little Toot" (1940)

I know there was a greater power at work when I found Little Toot.  Just the night before, Mary asked me to pick a song at random and sing it and what song do you think I chose?  Hmmmm?  "Won't you ever grow up Little Toot?"  With the forces of the cosmos on my side, I am currently working on a song entitled, "New Car, Free House, and Five Million Dollars."

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Book Review: The Little House

I have shared this cartoon before in a post about the art of Mary Blair.  Seriously, it is one of my most favorite cartoons of all time - the art direction of Mary Blair and the vocal talents of Sterling Holloway - how could it be beat?

"The Little House" (1952)

Today, while perusing the book stalls of a thrift store I found it!  In the very back corner, on the very bottom shelf, of the very last stack of books I was looking through, I found a rather time-worn copy of The Little House.  Now I am no bibliophile; I rarely look through the book section while thrifting as I am more intent on finding clothes and housewares.  I like books, but usually my favorites are purely picture-based.  Well, it goes without saying then that I love children's books - especially heavily-illustrated examples from the first part of the 20th Century that inspire my favorite cartoons.

Yes, in this dust jacket-less copy, there are some ink marks, plenty of dog ears, and a sagging binding, but I say, "Let he that is without a sagging binding cast the first stone."  I just couldn't leave behind this sweet 1946 printing of the The Little House.  The author, Virginia Lee Bruce, quite well known for another children's classic, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, won The Caldecott Medal for The Little House in 1942 for "The most distinguished American picture book for children."  That's right, Ms. Lee Burton  illustrated the book as well.  In 1952, Walt Disney released the cartoon of the same name.

At some point in it's nearly 70 year life, this book belonged to Tommy.  Here are a few of my favorite pages from The Little House.

"Now the Little House only saw the sun at noon, and didn't see the moon or
stars at all because the lights of the city were too bright.  She didn't like living
in the city.  At night she used to dream of the country and the field of daisies
and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight.

The Little House was very sad and lonely.  Her paint was cracked and dirty...
Her windows were broken and her shutters hung crookedly.  She looked
shabby...though she was just as good a house as ever underneath."

Concept art for "The Little House" - Mary Blair
Notice the product placement - even in the 50's!

"Once again she was lived in and taken care of."

"Never again would she be curious about the city...
Never again would she want to live there...
The stars twinkled above her...
A new moon was coming up...
It was Spring..
and all was quiet and peaceful in the country."

I tend to feel like the Little House; the city is interesting, but I think I would be happiest in the country, surrounded by daisy fields and apple trees.  The Little House definitely inspired the styling that I look for in a home; I love symmetry and a house with a "face."  I've said it before, but my favorite houses are those that look like a child's drawing of a house or at least an illustration from a children's book.

I think my rescuing The Little House directly echoes the storyline.  The Little House "didn't like living in the [thrift store].  At night she used to dream of [Mr. Tiny's house]...Her [spine was] broken and her [cover] hung crookedly.  She looked shabby...though she was just as good a [book] as ever underneath."  Now, "once again she was [read] and taken care of."  Although, Mr. Tiny wouldn't normally end a sentence with a preposition.


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Excuse Me, but is Your Alligator Wearing a Wristwatch?

One of my most favorite things in the world is unplanned and unexpected wacky tacky.  As I drive, I try to maintain a vigilant lookout, but every once in a while, I am singing along with the radio so loudly, that any thoughts of spotting wacky tacky are completely drowned out.  Then, like a desert spring, I see an oasis of wacky tacky and I just have to have to stop and drink it in.

Unusual cars are not an unusual sight in Southern California.  On any any given day, one might pass a low rider, a car completely covered in political bumper stickers, a vintage fire engine, a custom hot rod, a hand-painted VW, a pinstriped Chevy, AND a '31 Franklin.  Personalized gardening trucks are a category unto themselves.  Some will have stickers of cowboy hat and lots of chrome trim.  Some will have a fringe border on the windshield and dashboard.  Some will have silhouettes of brahma bulls in every window.  And some will have each and every one of those things.

On a recent Sunday morning, I saw a gardening truck that put all other gardening trucks to shame.  Almost every inch of this little Toyota was customized while still allowing its owner to maintain the function and purpose of the vehicle.  I knew it was Sunday because as I saw the clouds part and bathe this truck in the radiant gleam of the glorious morning sunshine, I was definitely having a religious experience.

The hood and front end of the truck will most certainly have

inspired Toyota to develop a line of similar after-market

accessories.  The truck was a pretty pastiche that included a sheet metal

eagle and matching marlins, a horse hood ornament, a trio

of less-than-modest mudflap silhouettes, and a ringing

endorsement for the city of Norco, CA.

Oh, how I wish I was better at capturing photos. 

The interior of the cab was festooned with swallows, a bedazzled

crucifix, bells, butterflies, cobra heads, alligators, and more.

Excuse me, but is your alligator is wearing a wristwatch?
(Again, sorry for the terrible photo quality...)

You can just barely make out the grenade knob and the tiny chihuahua -
inside the mouth of the little alligator, inside the mouth of the bigger
 alligator, who is wearing a wristwatch and a chain leash!
 This was my favorite part.

A detail of the roof with it's sweeping chrome ornamentation,
lights, and oversized horns.

Is that a rusty, spade/bayonette strapped to your plastic rifle or are you just happy to see me?

Oh, uh...sorry Rooster.
Did I not mention that this truck was infested with poisonous, rubber snakes?

Such is life...lovebirds cooing under a palm tree on Lovers' Lane
while their angry bird neighbors quarrel on Cockfight Court.

The rear bumper was not immune to decoration.
Horses gallop around a miniature palm tree.
Or maybe they're giant horses frolicking around a regular-sized palm tree! 

I don't know what this guy was doing to
the burro, but I don't think he liked it.

Nothing says "Americana" quite like an assemblage of
bald eagles, American flags, and a mounted long horn steer!

As I was excitedly snapping away, the owner of the truck came up behind me and almost scared me to death.  I explained how cool I thought his truck was and that seemed to make him happy.  How could one not be happy behind the wheel of this sweet - and wacky tacky - ride?

"Don's Fountain of Youth" (1953)

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Collecting: Doing My "Pennants"

Consider this my confession.  I need not "collect" one more thing but when I saw these pennants on a recent thrift store spree, I just couldn't leave them behind.  Is this avarice, covetousness, second-hand gluttony?  I don't know but I count on you to determine a fitting penance for my pennants.

I have always thought pennants were neat - all the majesty of an ocean-bound steamliner and all the collegiate pep of a 1930's Homecoming game on one printed triangle of felt.

Las Vegas, Queen Mary, San Juan Capistrano, Movieland Wax Museum, Disneyland?!!!
There was no way that these were leaving with anyone but me.

In my mind, pennants always have an athletic connotation - probably due to the Goofy cartoons which featured a lone, pennant-waving character that was always at odds with the other sports fans in the bleachers.  Oddly enough, I steer away from the athletic pennants in favor of the souvenir pennants from cool places.  Nevertheless, here are some Goofy cartoons where you can see one of my favorite cartoon characters. "Hooray!"

"Double Dribble" (1946)

0:35 - 0:48

"Hockey Homicide" (1945)

4:42 & 7:08

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Trick-or-Treat for Halloween

I love Halloween.  I love it even more as an adult than I did as a child.  It has less to do with candy and costumes than the simple fact that in comparison to holidays like Christmas and Easter, Halloween requires very little from me.  I used to think Thanksgiving fell into the category of easy holidays simply because no gifts were exchanged, but after all of the grocery shopping, preparation, cooking, cleaning, and last minute trips to the grocery store for forgotten items, Halloween feels like a vacation.  For me, Halloween just isn't Halloween without some of my favorite, standard, spooky programming.

I hate, repeat hate, scary movies.  I am of the opinion that the world in which we live is about a scary as I can handle and I don't need demented clowns forcing me to amputate parts of my own body keeping me awake at night.  Nor do I need an angry, burn victim with knife-hands terrorizing me in my sleep.  One year I went to a friend's Halloween party and in a continuous loop, the television displayed "best of" clips from some of the most famous horror franchises.  I am haunted to this day.  As much as I detest horror/slasher movies, I love mildly-spooky, Halloween programming with 5-to-10-year-olds as the target audience.  Gimme a good cartoon and I am happy.  No surprises here - I refuse to let a Halloween pass without watching Disney's Ichabod and Mr. Toad.  Who doesn't love the Washington Irving tale of the New England school teacher chased through the woods by a headless horseman?  Who doesn't get a kick out of the heavily-Mary Blair influenced animation?  Who doesn't want the opportunity to let the mellow "boo-boo-boo-ing" of Bing Crosby's mellifluous voice ingrain itself into the soundtrack of another holiday beyond Christmas?  I ask you, who?  To get you in the Halloween spirit, here are some pieces of Mary Blair's (it is never too soon to feature Mary Blair again) concept art for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and the finished cartoon in three parts.

Concept art for Icahbod Crane - Mary Blair

Concept art for Icahbod Crane - Mary Blair

Concept art for Icahbod Crane - Mary Blair

Concept art for Icahbod Crane - Mary Blair

The "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" portion of Ichabod & Mr. Toad (1949)

And just one more for good measure...

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky tunes: Makin' Whoopee! The Music of Janet Klein

(Source)

I have worn out the pages in my dog-eared dictionary of superlatives by rhapsodizing about Janet Klein.  Now, left with a serious case of writer's block, I find myself unable to fully express just how wonderful she is. You have probably seen Janet's name mentioned in this blog more than a few times as fashion inspiration, chanteuse, cultural icon, artist and keeper of our collective history, but until now I have never made her the feature of a post.  Janet Klein, of Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys, is a bundle of charm and she works like a tonic on the burdens of this weary, workaday world.  Known for her unique, yet faithful, renditions of "Lovely, naughty, and obscure music of the 1910's, 20's and 30's," Janet is pitch perfect in recreating the music, the style and the joy of those bygone eras.  If, by some unfortunate circumstance, you are as of yet unaware of Ms. Klein, the best introduction to her world is through her performance.

"Yiddish Hula Boy" - Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys

Janet is well known for her yiddish, novelty numbers but her vast repertoire includes everything from Tin Pan Alley tunes to bawdy, British dance hall favorites and even Parisian chansons.

Janet is even a special feature on The Jerk DVD!

Here she gives a ukulele lesson and sings

 "Tonight You Belong to Me."

The best way to experience the music of Janet Klein is, of course, to see a live show.  Fortunately, for Southern California residents, she performs regularly and nary a month passes without several opportunities to experience some "whoopee, hey hey!"  A wonderful thing about the band is that the Parlor Boys consist of a rotating group of expert, multiple-instrument-playing musicians so the sound is always wonderful and always fresh.  The roster of Parlor Boys is extensive and includes musical heavyweights such as Ian Whitcomb, Marquis Howell, Jeremy Wakefield, Randy Woltz, Tom Marion, Dan Weinstein, John Reynolds and many more!  The vibe at the shows is playful, fun and usually makes one feel like a special guest at an old-timey jam session.

The above photos were taken in Hollywood at The Steve Allen Theater where Janet and the boys are resident performers.  The evening's entertainment always includes film rarities in the form of musical-shorts and cartoons presented by cartoon/film historian Jerry Beck.  It is a great night and I am in attendance as often as possible.

A few pics of Mary & Janet from past events.

As you can see, Janet is a woman of great style and embodies the spirit of wacky tacky through her clever use of vintage and custom-made pieces to create her signature look.  Her collection of clothing is really legendary and is known to include pieces once owned by Jean Harlow!

Janet's iconic look includes her signature bob, a ukulele
and the petit bouquets of flowers in her hair.
(Source)

My absolute favorite thing about Janet Klein is that she is a truly nice human being - what you see on stage is what you get.  She is sweet and genuine and the only emotional option when in her presence, listening to her music or at one of her shows is pure joy.

The gang celebrating Janet's birthday at The Castle Green in Pasadena, CA

There are so many great songs and pictures, this could turn into the world's longest blog.  Thus, I'll share just a small sampling that is sure to leave you with tapping toes and a light heart!

"You're Undecided Now" - Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys

"Do the Raccoon" - Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys

"Just Whistle and Blow Your Blues Away" - Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys

Lose your blues!!  Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys appear monthly at The Steve Allen Theater, regularly at Backstage at the Coffee Gallery in Altadena and many other venues around town; to purchase recordings and find out more about her band, art, poetry, and upcoming performances, please visit Janet's website and "like" her on Facebook.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny