In a live action sequence, Mother Goose (Hal Smith in drag) is hauled before the court to account for herself. She proceeds to inflame the passions of those present with a series of raunchy tales. These are animated, and we find out what Jack really found up on that beanstalk, how Cinderella really impressed the Prince, and what sort of, er, encounters a not-so-Little Red Riding Hood had on her way to Grandma’s house.There is some wit here (see the coda to Cinderella’s story, for instance), but for the most part, the film is (surprise, surprise) crude in every sense of the word. The animation is roughly on the caliber of “Rocket Robin Hood,” though given the nature of the acts depicted, limited repetitive motion isn’t as much of a handicap as it might be, and seeing something like this in the Hanna-Barbera style is seriously weird. The characters are for the most part engagingly drawn, and as a curiosity, this is absolutely priceless. This had theatrical dates (albeit limited) in 1976. Hard to imagine the same thing today.
Audio
Not too much to say here, except to point out that the mono is perfectly acceptable. The sound reproduction is clean, for minimal to zero distortion, whether this be the music or the dialogue. No remixes, but then, none are really called for.
Video
The print isn’t in absolutely pristine condition, but frankly, it looks much better than one could reasonably have expected. There is a bit of grain, but the overall level is very low. The colours are very strong, with nice contrasts. There’s some damage early on, but once the animation gets going, things look very good. If the film looked any better during its theatrical runs, I would be very surprised indeed.
Special Features
Along with the theatrical trailer, there’s a ten-minute interview with exec-producer William Siberkleit. He spends much of the time talking about his outfit’s history and other projects before he gets around to this film in particular. But whatever the subject, what he has to say gives one a fascinating look into the exploitation biz of that era.
Closing Thoughts
What a delightfully screwed up release. More, please.
