''Somewhere in Dreamland'' is a 1936 animated short in

Max Fleischer Max Fleischer (born Majer Fleischer ; July 19, 1883 – September 25, 1972) was an American animator, inventor, film director and producer, and studio founder and owner. Born in Kraków, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became ...

Color Classics ''Color Classics'' are a series of animated short films produced by Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures from 1934 to 1941 as a competitor to Walt Disney's ''Silly Symphonies''. As the name implies, all of the shorts were made in color form ...

series. The film was produced by Max Fleischer, directed by Dave Fleischer, co-directed by Dawn Fleischer, and was animated by Fleischer veterans Seymour Kneitel and Roland Crandall. The cartoon, set during the contemporary

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, follows two impoverished children who dream that they are in Dreamland where there is an area full of candy and ice cream. The cartoon is Fleischer's first in three-strip

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Plot

On a winter evening, a young brother and sister in ragged clothes pull a wagon through town, gathering firewood. They pass by several merchants' shops and stop for a moment to admire the confectioneries in the bakery. As a friendly

baker A baker is a tradesperson who bakes and sometimes sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Since grains ha ...

sees the children, he goes inside and comes back with cupcakes for them, but they have already left. The baker, the

tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...

, and the market owner gather to make a plan to help the poor children. The children reach their rundown home and sit down to supper consisting of hard bread and flat water. The children eat quickly, with the boy saying that he is still hungry. Their mother, unable to provide more food, begins to cry, at which the boy takes back what he said to comfort her, and she then kisses them goodnight. They change into their nighties, and they each sing a part of a song as they fall asleep beneath their tattered sheets. In their sleep, they enter Dreamland. They happily frolic through the wondrous land, which includes a merry-go-round cake, fields that grow ice cream cones and popcorn, toys, nice clothes, and two luxurious beds. They skip and laugh happily and then lie down on the soft beds, only to awaken back in their own shabby bedroom. To their surprise, a large feast is on the kitchen table, as well as toys and clothing surrounding the room, all of which is provided by the merchants. The children look up to the baker, the tailor, and the market owner, asking twice if all these things are for them. The merchants nod in affirmation. The children shout in joy and begin to eat. However, the boy, suspicious of his good fortune, sticks a fork in his bottom to ensure that he is not still dreaming. The children laugh and continue to eat as the cartoon closes.

Trivia

* This was

Fleischer Studios Fleischer Studios () is an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of i ...

' first film in three-strip Technicolor. * This cartoon is available on numerous public domain cartoon compilation DVDs and VHS tapes, but some of the included prints omit the first three minutes of the cartoon, instead starting with the children singing "Somewhere in Dreamland" in their beds before going to sleep. * Some copies of ''Somewhere in Dreamland'' circulate with NTA openings and closings, with the "in TECHNICOLOR" and "COPYRIGHT 1936 PARAMOUNT PRODUCTIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED." bylines censored with a black bar on the main title card, while others circulate with original

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

openings and closings. This is one of very few Color Classics to widely circulate with original Paramount title cards, whereas (in most current media) the rest have their openings digitally recreated. ** In 2021, as part of a new initiative by the Fleischer estate (in co-operation with Paramount Pictures) to formally restore the Fleischers’ entire filmography, a remastered print of ''Somewhere in Dreamland'' (sourced from the original negatives) premiered on the

MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television program ...

network on December 13 during ''MeTV's Super Colossal Cartoon Christmas'', later re-airing on their weekday morning cartoon series '' Toon In with Me''. * This show was included in an episode of ''

Donald's Quack Attack ''Donald's Quack Attack'' is an American animated television series which ran on The Disney Channel and was later rerun on Toon Disney. It premiered on November 2, 1992,''The Disney Channel Magazine'', Vol. 10, no. 5, October/November 1992: p ...

''. * A clip of the cartoon was shown in the opening for ''

Wonder Showzen ''Wonder Showzen'' is an American adult sketch comedy television series that aired between 2005 and 2006 on MTV2. It was created by Vernon Chatman and John Lee of PFFR. Described as a children's television series for adults, the show's format ...

''. *

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...

’s band

Mudcrutch Mudcrutch was an American southern and country rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They are best known for being the band that began Tom Petty's rise to fame. Mudcrutch formed in Gainesville in 1970 and soon became a popular act across Florid ...

used the sound bite “But, I’m still hungry mom... ahh, I’m just foolin’." from this cartoon in the music video for their song "I Forgive It All".

References

External links

* {{bcdb title, 1770 1930s American animated films 1930s animated short films 1930s color films 1936 animated films 1936 short films American animated short films Color Classics cartoons Films about dreams Films about poverty Fleischer Studios short films Great Depression films Paramount Pictures short films Short films directed by Dave Fleischer 1930s English-language films Animated films about children Films about single parent families Animated films about siblings