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sadimond
Reviews
Red Hot Music (1937)
Kiko the Kangaroo battles a blaze started by red-hot music.
This animated black-and-white silent short features "Kiko the Kangaroo," a late 1930s rival of Mickey Mouse. The film is one of a series that made its way to Castle Films and was sold for home projector use.
In "Red-Hot Music" (my reel is entitled "Red-Hot Rhythm"), a radio station in the upper floors of a tall building broadcasts the music of a 'toon animal(jazz?)orchestra. The sound is so hot that the instruments and fixtures catch on fire. Kiko and several animal friends who work for the fire department are called out to douse the blaze and save the day. The action and humor here are continuous, and for the 1930s, this film must have been considered pretty manic. The visuals are often surreal (dancing taxicabs, an elephant who pumps a virtually endless stream of water from his trunk, etc.), yet the pacing is good and the story is clear. Occasional narrative frames are largely unnecessary, as the gestures and expressions of the characters read very well. Made for kids, but will certainly hold the attention of adults.