NFR Project: 'One Froggy Evening' (1955)

NFR Project: “One Froggy Evening”

Dir: Charles M. Jones

Scr: Michael Maltese

Animated by Ken Harris, Abe Levitow, Ben Washam, Richard Thompson, Robert Gribbroek, Philip DeGarde

Premiere: Dec. 31, 1955

6:56

It is deemed one of the greatest cartoons of all time.

This one has a lengthy pedigree. This film began as a magazine story written by one of radio’s best writers, Lucille Fletcher. The story was adapted as a radio play by none other than the great Norman Corwin, as “My Client Curley.” This in turn was adapted into a screenplay by Lewis Meltzer and Oscar Saul and made as Once Upon a Time (1944), starring Cary Grant. It is said that this long chain of ideas playing out from their initial inspiration all influenced Chuck Jones and company over at Warner Brothers cartoon studios..

Interestingly, it contains none of the studio’s patented “starring” characters – Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig. It’s a prefect little gem of a cartoon. It requires no dialogue whatsoever; we only hear the singing voice of the short’s diminutive star. It’s vivid, punchy, perfectly timed, filled with subtle expressions and bold conceptions.

In it, a construction worker uncovers a sealed box in the cornerstone of an old building. He opens it, and out jumps a singing frog, complete with top hat and cane. (Cornily, it croons the hits of the turn of the 20^th century.)

The worker sees dollars signs, literally. He grabs the frog and takes him to a talent scout. He presents the frog, who does nothing. The scout throws him out. The man rents a theater, packs it with people. The frog is singing. The curtain opens. The frog stops. In fact, it only performs when it and the worker are alone.

The worker goes nuts. His life falls apart. He’s sent to the funny farm. With the frog. Finally, he is wandering psst a construction site. He finds the cornerstone. He puts the box with the frog in it inside and flees. Fast-forward to the distant future. A worker is disintegrating the now-old building and exposes the cornerstone. He finds the box. The frog leaps out and puts on a show. The worker grabs the box and gallops off. Once again, the frog has found a victim.

It’s a great little shaggy-dog story, the nightmare of knowing or possessing something special and not being acknowledged for it. The worker sees, hears the frog; why can’t anyone else? Is he nuts? Does this frog just have it in for him? Is life but a sadistic joke with a recurring punchline?

The NFR Project is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: The Searchers.