This is a marginal Willie Whopper short that is largely forgettable, save for about a minute and a half or so at the start that features Boy Scout stereotypes of a mostly (though not exclusively) racial nature. Given that the short is nearly seventy years old, a bit of perspective is necessary here. I wouldn't show this without an explanation to children under 13, but I wouldn't bury it either. Its biggest problem is a boring lifelessness. Okay cartoon, but a historical curio. For Iwerks fans and fans of classic animation.
4 Reviews
Willie the scout
TheLittleSongbird20 May 2018
Ub Iwerks's Willie Whopper series of cartoons was short-lived, only lasting a year from 1933 to 1934. On the most part the Willie Whopper cartoons are not great or cartoon/animated masterpieces and it is sort of understandable as to why Willie didn't make it bigger. However they are far from terrible ones either and do amuse and charm.
1934's 'The Good Scout' is one of the weaker Willie Whopper cartoons to me. It's still pretty entertaining though. And this is coming from somebody who has only just gotten acquainted with the series as a huge animation fan. Just don't expect a masterpiece or too much.
'The Good Scout' is on the formulaic side with conflict that is somewhat predictable, it is not hard to figure out at all how it all ends or what goes on in the cartoon.
Willie himself is a bit bland and a fairly limited character, while still being likeable, and the material is also bland and lacks variety. The Boy Scout characters are stereotypical and not for the easily offended.
However, there is a lot of nice background work, smooth drawing, lively black and white and inventive little things. The music is energetic and characterful with appealing orchestration. The cartoon goes at a lively pace, has an appealing charm, is amusing and the tale is wonderfully outlandish.
There are a lot of very amusing and sweet little laughs which makes it entertaining. Although slightly bland, Willie avoids being annoying and he avoids being sickly sweet as well, fairly likeable. Some of the supporting characters are lively enough, like the scoutmaster. The setting is nicely done though it has been handled more inventively elsewhere. The ending is cute.
In summary, pretty entertaining but Willie Whopper has done better. 6/10 Bethany Cox
1934's 'The Good Scout' is one of the weaker Willie Whopper cartoons to me. It's still pretty entertaining though. And this is coming from somebody who has only just gotten acquainted with the series as a huge animation fan. Just don't expect a masterpiece or too much.
'The Good Scout' is on the formulaic side with conflict that is somewhat predictable, it is not hard to figure out at all how it all ends or what goes on in the cartoon.
Willie himself is a bit bland and a fairly limited character, while still being likeable, and the material is also bland and lacks variety. The Boy Scout characters are stereotypical and not for the easily offended.
However, there is a lot of nice background work, smooth drawing, lively black and white and inventive little things. The music is energetic and characterful with appealing orchestration. The cartoon goes at a lively pace, has an appealing charm, is amusing and the tale is wonderfully outlandish.
There are a lot of very amusing and sweet little laughs which makes it entertaining. Although slightly bland, Willie avoids being annoying and he avoids being sickly sweet as well, fairly likeable. Some of the supporting characters are lively enough, like the scoutmaster. The setting is nicely done though it has been handled more inventively elsewhere. The ending is cute.
In summary, pretty entertaining but Willie Whopper has done better. 6/10 Bethany Cox
Willie supposedly saves the day...
planktonrules8 February 2017
I strongly doubt that you'll see any of the old Ub Iwerks cartoons on television today--this one especially. The style of these cartoons became outdated by the 1940s and most folks would be rather bored by most cartoons of the era. But what makes this one very problematic to show today are the ethnic stereotypes you see in the scout troop-- very broadly designed Chinese, Jewish and black kids. I've seen many much more offensive cartoons but I could definitely see why this couldn't be shown on television today.
In this story, each kid from the scout troop tells their scout master about the good deed they did for the day. But since Willie either has amazing adventures or he's a total liar, he naturally has the best story. In it, he tries to perform a variety of good deeds with only fair results. Finally, he becomes an uber-hero and saves a girl (almost the spitting image of Betty Boop from the Fleischer Brothers Studio) from a crazed kidnapper.
Overall, the animation is very nice (particularly the backgrounds) and story reasonably enjoyable and fun. But as I said, don't expect to find this one on TV...and I was able to find it at archive.org.
In this story, each kid from the scout troop tells their scout master about the good deed they did for the day. But since Willie either has amazing adventures or he's a total liar, he naturally has the best story. In it, he tries to perform a variety of good deeds with only fair results. Finally, he becomes an uber-hero and saves a girl (almost the spitting image of Betty Boop from the Fleischer Brothers Studio) from a crazed kidnapper.
Overall, the animation is very nice (particularly the backgrounds) and story reasonably enjoyable and fun. But as I said, don't expect to find this one on TV...and I was able to find it at archive.org.
Willie Lives Up To His Name
ccthemovieman-18 May 2008
This was my first look at one of those "Willie Whopper's Fantastic Adventures And Other Tall Tales." I gather this is a kid who likes to tell "whoppers," lies that really exaggerate things he did, or wish he did.
Here, Willie tells the Scoutmaster what good deed he did recently....and it's a whopper. Actually, the kid must really be creative because this a wild cartoon filled with a lot of non-stop zany action. The music also will get your blood racing. It's fast big-band type music with a clarinet that's non-stop.
Willie's tale is good and anything but boring. Some of his good deeds backfire but the third one, saving a kidnapped woman but a big, tough crook is incredible. Willie not only balances himself on a tire that is racing down the street but gets pushed up 50 floors when he hits a water pipe. Then, he winds up high in the air with an amazing balancing act on a flagpole, all the while rescuing the girl and fighting off the big bully. This is very entertaining material, and I hope the rest of his "whopppers" are this much fun to watch.
Here, Willie tells the Scoutmaster what good deed he did recently....and it's a whopper. Actually, the kid must really be creative because this a wild cartoon filled with a lot of non-stop zany action. The music also will get your blood racing. It's fast big-band type music with a clarinet that's non-stop.
Willie's tale is good and anything but boring. Some of his good deeds backfire but the third one, saving a kidnapped woman but a big, tough crook is incredible. Willie not only balances himself on a tire that is racing down the street but gets pushed up 50 floors when he hits a water pipe. Then, he winds up high in the air with an amazing balancing act on a flagpole, all the while rescuing the girl and fighting off the big bully. This is very entertaining material, and I hope the rest of his "whopppers" are this much fun to watch.
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