BCDB: Cartoon Reviews: King For A Day

This is the first in the series of eight Technicolor cartoons starring the the Town Crier of Lilliput, Gabby. In this entry, he is a mailman with a letter for King Little. The message says, "Your majesty, please be at home at two o'clock. I have orders to shoot you." Thinking this is an assination plot, the king appoints Gabby as King. While on the throne, Gabby dicovers the letter, and paranoia sets in with his every step. He sees the shadow of window curtain cord as a hangman's noose, entangles himself in the drapes, and falls against a suit of armor, getting the arm holding a dagger stuck on his head. The armor arm swings down, poking gabby in the back, which triggers a blind sword fight. Victorious, I believes he has conquered the would be assisin, and calls the king out from hiding. Just as the king takes back his crown, a shadow moves over the king, and an ominous voice from off screen speaks, "King Little, I have come to shoot you!" There is an explosion, and Gabby runs out of the castle. When the smoke clears, we see Snitch the Spy developing a photo, saying, "Gosh, that's the best shot I ever took!" And we see a view of the King in a fearful pose. This short is well animated and somewhat amusinging, but the sword fight sequence seems confused and not really funny. It is plesant to see these characters again. It would have been interesting to see more interaction with Gabby and the king, but they were reunited only in this title and in SWING CLEANING.