In taking this time now to celebrate the work of under appreciated animation pioneers Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, one short from the former's filmography that should be taken in high esteem is The Hungry Wolf. Released at the start of 1942, this would be Hugh Harman's final short film at MGM prior to leaving the studio to create his own production house to make numerous educational and industrial films. As far as regarding this short's qualification, while arguably not as well known as Harman's bigger efforts like Old Mill Pond and Peace on Earth, it's still a solidly crafted pathos cartoon.
The short tells the story of an old wolf starving during the cold winter, when a young rabbit enters his home, thus making the wolf struggle between his natural instincts and conscience. At center stage, this is a tale about the conflict between one's desperation to survive and a chance to redeem oneself through temptation, which works in the established premise of the predator wishing to consume their prey. While the wolf is on the brink of starvation, the little rabbit is far too kind hearted for the wolf to truly cook for dinner, almost like this short is a twist on the relationship between these two species. Admittedly, the short does take a little while to get going, as it pads a bit too much time showing the numerous mirages the wolf endures in his desoluted state. Thankfully, once it picks up, the heart comes in to showcase how difficult temptation truly is through strong acting and a dynamically dramatic tone. Much credit should be given to Mel Blanc for his earnest portrayal of the wolf as broken on the inside on account of his hunger and moral fiber, especially outside of his normal comedic roles.
Next to Blanc, the music by acclaimed composer Scott Bradely adds to the emotionally frightening mood by emphasizing how miserable the wolf's state of living truly is. Of course once the short wraps up the music becomes more cheerful, but the more memorable compositions come from the intense sequences sprinkled throughout between the wolf and rabbit alone. Part of the intensity comes courtesy of the animation team for boasting bold poses and sincere performances between a desperate yet ethical wolf and a polite yet sensitive bunny, one of whom being acclaimed Disney animation legend Volodymyr "Bill" Tytla. The effects animation is a nice touch as well, as the immensely powerful gusts of wind and snow end up feeling as gut wrenching as they look on screen. Some other notable filmmaking techniques like dissolve and jump cuts allow for the pacing to take its time while also speeding things along at a natural flow. Not often does a tale of conflicting between one's morals and impulses feel this fierce in its portrayal of heartbreak and turmoil through animals alone.
It is a shame that Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising didn't get to create as many achievements in animation beyond the 1930s and 40s, because The Hungry Wolf brilliantly details how far they had come as near masters of their own craft. For those unfamiliar with their work, outside of the Bosko and Happy Harmony series, this would be a nice place to start to see their finest projects that have influenced so many people in both film and animation. From Disney to Warner Bros to MGM, it would be safe to say that these two did more for the industry than the average man would assume.
The short tells the story of an old wolf starving during the cold winter, when a young rabbit enters his home, thus making the wolf struggle between his natural instincts and conscience. At center stage, this is a tale about the conflict between one's desperation to survive and a chance to redeem oneself through temptation, which works in the established premise of the predator wishing to consume their prey. While the wolf is on the brink of starvation, the little rabbit is far too kind hearted for the wolf to truly cook for dinner, almost like this short is a twist on the relationship between these two species. Admittedly, the short does take a little while to get going, as it pads a bit too much time showing the numerous mirages the wolf endures in his desoluted state. Thankfully, once it picks up, the heart comes in to showcase how difficult temptation truly is through strong acting and a dynamically dramatic tone. Much credit should be given to Mel Blanc for his earnest portrayal of the wolf as broken on the inside on account of his hunger and moral fiber, especially outside of his normal comedic roles.
Next to Blanc, the music by acclaimed composer Scott Bradely adds to the emotionally frightening mood by emphasizing how miserable the wolf's state of living truly is. Of course once the short wraps up the music becomes more cheerful, but the more memorable compositions come from the intense sequences sprinkled throughout between the wolf and rabbit alone. Part of the intensity comes courtesy of the animation team for boasting bold poses and sincere performances between a desperate yet ethical wolf and a polite yet sensitive bunny, one of whom being acclaimed Disney animation legend Volodymyr "Bill" Tytla. The effects animation is a nice touch as well, as the immensely powerful gusts of wind and snow end up feeling as gut wrenching as they look on screen. Some other notable filmmaking techniques like dissolve and jump cuts allow for the pacing to take its time while also speeding things along at a natural flow. Not often does a tale of conflicting between one's morals and impulses feel this fierce in its portrayal of heartbreak and turmoil through animals alone.
It is a shame that Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising didn't get to create as many achievements in animation beyond the 1930s and 40s, because The Hungry Wolf brilliantly details how far they had come as near masters of their own craft. For those unfamiliar with their work, outside of the Bosko and Happy Harmony series, this would be a nice place to start to see their finest projects that have influenced so many people in both film and animation. From Disney to Warner Bros to MGM, it would be safe to say that these two did more for the industry than the average man would assume.