In addition to being an exceptionally long title for a short film, "The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall" is a very clever Warner Bros. cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. (DO NOT read any further until after you have seen this film.) This rather fast-paced and somewhat quirky parody of 1890s college life is full of great mirth from start to finish! The three Dover Boys, named Tom (macho, athletic, and good-looking), Dick (sharply dressed and very studious), and Larry (chubby, curly-haired, and happy-go-lucky), all look forward to an outing in the park with the supposedly demure Dora Standpipe. But first, they must overcome their arch rival from Roquefort Hall who kidnaps Dora: the loud, jealous, bratty, and whiny Dan Backslide (brilliantly voiced by Mel Blanc).
Here are my favorite moments from "The Dover Boys." The brilliant Carl W. Stalling deserves my gratitude not only for the nice brass orchestration of "Far Above Cayuga's Waters" during the opening credits but also for the wonderfully authentic honky-tonk piano music in the smoky saloon where Dan Backslide shoots pool. Following the opening credits, we hear a very humorous yet serious alma mater for Pimento University (P.U.). Tom, Dick, and Larry are especially funny not only in deciding where to hide in their hide-and-seek game with Dora but also in singing and chanting before rescuing Dora from Dan Backslide. And after Dan hilariously rants about his jealousy toward the Dover Boys, he very rapidly downs quite a few shots of alcohol!
For a nice comic twist to college life around the turn of the 20th Century, watch "The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall." The characters in this cartoon appear to be drawn quite stiffly, especially the Dover Boys on their various cycles. But if you look very closely at the in-between drawings (i.e., the split second of time a character moves from one pose to another), you'll notice that director Chuck Jones chooses to incorporate a lot of grotesque smears, which was more characteristic of a wacky director like Bob Clampett. For this reason, it would be a good idea to freeze-frame certain moments of this cartoon on your DVD player (the film can be found on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2). In any event, "The Dover Boys" is without a doubt a fine cartoon that is quite enjoyable to watch.
Here are my favorite moments from "The Dover Boys." The brilliant Carl W. Stalling deserves my gratitude not only for the nice brass orchestration of "Far Above Cayuga's Waters" during the opening credits but also for the wonderfully authentic honky-tonk piano music in the smoky saloon where Dan Backslide shoots pool. Following the opening credits, we hear a very humorous yet serious alma mater for Pimento University (P.U.). Tom, Dick, and Larry are especially funny not only in deciding where to hide in their hide-and-seek game with Dora but also in singing and chanting before rescuing Dora from Dan Backslide. And after Dan hilariously rants about his jealousy toward the Dover Boys, he very rapidly downs quite a few shots of alcohol!
For a nice comic twist to college life around the turn of the 20th Century, watch "The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall." The characters in this cartoon appear to be drawn quite stiffly, especially the Dover Boys on their various cycles. But if you look very closely at the in-between drawings (i.e., the split second of time a character moves from one pose to another), you'll notice that director Chuck Jones chooses to incorporate a lot of grotesque smears, which was more characteristic of a wacky director like Bob Clampett. For this reason, it would be a good idea to freeze-frame certain moments of this cartoon on your DVD player (the film can be found on Disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2). In any event, "The Dover Boys" is without a doubt a fine cartoon that is quite enjoyable to watch.