Midnight Frolics (1938) User Reviews

Midnight Frolics was a pretty entertaining Columbia cartoon by Ub Iwerks

[tavm · 7/10 · 27 November 2009]

Just watched this Columbia/Screen Gems Color Rhapsody cartoon on Uncle John's Crazy Town site. The actual cartoon had some black frames that obscured some of the beginning scenes so Uncle John showed some frame grabs from a black and white print he tinted blue to help explain some of the starting settings. This is another dark and stormy night setting with a haunted house that inhabits-besides ghosts-a mouse and a cuckoo bird. They are skeptical creatures concerning ghosts but they haven't seen them yet. The ghosts themselves sing about being the spirits of the men "who danced with the Flora Dora Girls". They then play some imaginary instruments. In between those sequences knocks a goofy ghost who displays his own fright methods that doesn't impress anybody as they keep slamming the door on his face. I've basically revealed nearly everything that happens in this Ub Iwerks animated short so I'll just say I recommend Midnight Frolics for the entertainment of the music and some clever gags.

A rare, eerie Halloween cartoon from Columbia

[ja_kitty_71 · 10/10 · 20 October 2022]

From combing through YouTube for more cartoons from Columbia/Screen Gems, I found this rare cartoon perfect for Halloween. Not much of a story, which is really about ghosts enjoying a good time in their haunted house, and a running gag involving a ghost bothering them at the front door. But it's still a good cartoon worthy of a 10 out of 10.

I was surprised that UB Iwerks, the man who had drawn Mickey Mouse, directed this cartoon. Also, this cartoon is made better by the talents of the great Mel Blanc. Overall, I enjoyed every aspect of this eerie Halloween cartoon. Of course, it can be enjoyed throughout the year as well.