Congo Jazz
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| Congo Jazz | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising |
| Produced by | Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising |
| Starring | Bernard B. Brown (uncredited) |
| Music by | Frank Marsales |
| Animation by | Max Maxwell Paul Smith |
| Color process | Black-and-white |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6:18 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Congo Jazz is a 1930 American animated comedy short film directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. It is the second film in the Looney Tunes series starring Bosko.[2] It was released as early as July 26, 1930.[1][a] Congo Jazz was the first cartoon to feature Bosko's falsetto voice, provided by Bernard B. Brown, that he would use for the bulk of the series' run; the previous Bosko short, Sinkin' in the Bathtub, had used a derisive African-American dialect.
Plot
[edit]As Bosko is hunting in the jungle, a tiger creeps up behind him and gives him a lick. Finding his gun useless, Bosko tries to flee while the tiger gives chase. After having his body stretched and his head slapped off, Bosko pulls out a flute and begins playing music, which greatly entertains the tiger despite his tone-deaf playing. Bosko discovers that his music makes the tiger docile, dancing with it and playing its whiskers and tail like guitar strings. Now that the tiger has been rendered thoroughly harmless, Bosko kicks it off a cliff. Bosko then spots two little monkeys playing leap frog. He picks one of them up, but the monkey spits in his eye. Bosko begins spanking the monkey's buttocks, until he notices an ape looming above him. Acting nonchalant towards his threats, Bosko offers the ape some chewing gum; befriending the ape as he is amazed by the stringency of the gum, playing notes while it is stretched. They both stretch the gum out of their mouths and begin plucking a tune. The rest of the jungle animals join in, performing music through gratuitous violence on each other or plants. A tree does a provocative fanny-slapping dance, gyrating its coconut bosoms, until one flies off and hits Bosko in the head. Bosko and three hyenas laugh.
Home media
[edit]Congo Jazz is available on disc 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6 DVD set.[3]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Archived from a July 29 article, this is based on the fact that new cartoon shorts would premiere in theaters on Saturdays.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Congo Jazz - Earliest Known Date". Press of Atlantic City. July 29, 1930. p. 7. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 1. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ "Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Vol. 6". DVD Talk. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- Schneider, Steve (1990). That's All Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt & Co.
External links
[edit]- Congo Jazz at IMDb
- 1930 films
- 1930 American animated films
- Looney Tunes shorts
- Animated films about music and musicians
- Animated films about animal hunting
- Animated films set in jungles
- Films directed by Hugh Harman
- Films directed by Rudolf Ising
- Bosko films
- Films scored by Frank Marsales
- African-American animated films
- Animated films about birds
- 1930 English-language films
- American animated short films
- Animated films set in Africa
- Animated films about tigers
- Animated films about monkeys
- Animated films about kangaroos and wallabies
- Animated films about elephants
- Animated films about hyenas
- Animated films about giraffes
- English-language short films
- American animated black-and-white films
- 1930 animated short films
- 1930s Warner Bros. animated short films
- Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films
- Looney Tunes stubs