NFR Project: “Gerald McBoing-Boing”
Dir: Robert Cannon, John Hubley
Scr: Dr. Seuss, Phil Eastman, Bill Scott
Premiere: Nov. 4, 1950
7 min.
This delighted short animated subject was created at the studios of United Productions of America (UPA). UPA was an independent animation production house, made up primarily of defectors from Disney studios. They broke away from the realistic style of the time and emphasized a free and stylized approach that influenced animators who followed. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Short.
It’s the story of the boy of the title, Gerald McClory, who speaks only in sound effects. (The story, by Dr. Seuss, was originally made for a sound recording scored by Billy May and narrated by Hal Peary. Here, Marvin Miller provides the narration and all the voices.) He doesn’t get along with his schoolmates, who call him “Gerald McBoing-Boing.” After angering his father, Gerald decides to run away, but before he can hop a freight train, he is buttonholed by a radio executive. The man signs him up to do all the effects for his radio shows, which Gerald does par excellence. Now a success, everyone is happy about his unique talent.
The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Notes on the Port of St. Francis.
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