Archaic swashbuckler spoof in cartoon form which, for no particular reason, includes several Hollywood caricatures. Two kids ‘battle’ their toy ships in a pool; we then go into the ‘clash’ proper: the crew of both vessels are made up of film-stars of the era, from dramatic actors such as Wallace Beery and Charles Laughton (who had just appeared in classic examples of the genre – TREASURE ISLAND [1934] and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY [1935] respectively) to comedians including Laurel & Hardy, The Marx Bros., The Three Stooges and Jimmy Durante. Of course, at a mere seven minutes, it’s certainly harmless – but there’s very little genuine invention on display…especially since the comics are there mainly to individually engage in the familiar but corny ‘sailor dance’ routine!
Review of Merry Mutineers
