HOPPITY GOES TO TOWN (MR BUG GOES TO TOWN)

US, 1941, 78 minutes, Colour.
Voices of Stan Freed, Pauline Loth.
Directed by Dave Fleischer.

Mr Bug Goes to Town is an entertaining full-length feature from Dave Fleischer who is credited with over six hundred short animated films from the 1920s. He directed many in the Ko- Ko series as well as Betty Boop.

This was one of the first animated feature films (Snow White being released in 1937). In 1939 Fleischer with his brother Max Fleischer directed a full-length feature, Gulliver’s Travels.

This is a film about the environment, about insects and humans. It is interesting to compare the gentle story and its sense of environment with the late 1990s films, A Bug’s Life and Antz.

1. An entertaining fantasy? For what age audience? The response of adults, children? In the forties, now?

2. Audience response to the animation and its style? the relationship with Disney-like cartoons? American features? The cuter aspects of the characters and the situations? The harsher aspects? A blend of cuteness and realism? The response of children to the animation, adults? The vividness of the colours, the drawing of the figures, the background of the city, the parks, the houses? The presentation of the city changing and the buildings? The visualising of the humans? The insects presented with human characteristics? The ordinary bases for animated films?

3. The contribution of the music, the songs and their revelation of character, themes?

4. How well did the film use the insect story with the human characteristics? How well were the insects humanised? What particular human characteristics did each insect represent? The presentation of a community, its needs, ordinary way of life? The threats of the unknown and change? The threats from the humans and their progress? The terror for the insects? The
presentation of the exploiting insects as gangsters with henchmen? The theme of progress in this insect story? along with romance and heroism? The basic ingredients of hers, heroine and villain and confrontation?

5. The appeal of the story and continued interest in it? The ordinary aspects of human way of life? community, shops, enjoyment, various personalities, relationships, challenges? The confrontation and the response of each of the insects to the difficulties? The journey theme and moving to a new home? The happy ending as appropriate to this kind of story?

6. The presentation of the village in New York City? The insects' view of human beings and their progress and violence? (Ecology and conservation themes?) Mr Bumble and his outlook on life, Honey as the heroine, the Creeper, the Ladybug, the Bee-Scout? The reaction to the fires and their terror? Incidents such as the cabaret with its American overtones? New York characters?

7. Hoppity as hero? his introduction, appearance, love for Honey? His decisions, insights? A hero who made mistakes? His motivation, love, rescue, facing danger? The reward of his heroism? His songs as indicating his character? A likable hero?

8. Honey as heroine? at home, her love for Hoppity, her self-sacrifice especially where Bagley Beetle was concerned? The heroine to be rescued, the happy ending and reward? A likable heroine?

9. Bagley Beetle as villain? The direct parallels with American businessmen villains? Smack and Swat and the use of fly and mosquito as villainous insects? Their villainous activity and their schemes, the parallels with gangsters and exploiters? The marriage situation and the Beetle's pressurising of honey? The revelation of their miscalculations, their comeuppance and its violence? Satisfying vindication for the audience?

10. The romantic aspects of the journey, leaving home, decision, hopes for a new home?

11. The irony of the human activity, letters? The insects not being able to understand? The passing of time and the insects' reaction to Hoppity? The build~up to the climax, the terror, the implements, the building? The transition to the new home, beauty, peace? The age-old themes of Exodus, Promised Land? How well adapted to this fantasy?

12. A satisfying happy ending? The human values explored in the fable atmosphere of insect life?