Run Sheep, Run! (1935) User Reviews

Bosko after the complete character redesign.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 13 May 2021]

At the end of 1933, the production team of Hugh Harmon and Rudolf Ising left Looney Tunes and took their creation, Bosko, with them to MGM. Considering how insipid many of the Bosko cartoons had been, it was actually a blessing for Looney Tunes, as it forced them to be more creative and come up with other characters.

As for Harmon-Ising, their first couple Bosko cartoons were a mixed bag. On one hand, they looked much like the old Bosko but using a two-color film process. They couldn't use full color until late 1935 because DIsney had exclusive rights to Technicolor for cartoons until that time. On the other, the first was quite nice...they second was burdened with singing and a saccharine story.

I have no idea why, but the somewhat ambiguous race of Bosko was no longer in doubt starting in the third MGM Bosko film. Up until then, he seemed pretty stereotypically black in the first couple Looney Tunes versions but the studio made a conscious choice to make him more ambiguous after...possibly to avoid alienating much of the audience. But by 1935, Bosko clearly had become a black child....and "Run Sheep, Run!" is one of these later cartoons...and in full color. The character looked a lot like "Little Black Sambo"...a VERY offensive and divisive character from this era....and so because of that, I strongly doubt if you'd ever seen any of these cartoons on TV. I found a few on YouTube.

So is this any good? Well, the art work is nice. Apart from that, it's just okay...better than some because it IS violent and less sweet....and Bosko uses a gun and is nearly eaten by a bear! But there still is some singing and cuteness that I find annoying...perhaps you don't mind cutesy characters. But the way the child is drawn is offensive...whether it was intended of not....is sure to annoy most viewers.

Guarding sheep with Bosko and Bruno

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 18 June 2017]

The Bosko cartoons may not be animation masterpieces, but they are fascinating as examples of Looney Tunes in their early days before the creation of more compelling characters and funnier and more creative cartoons. There are some good cartoons, as well as some average or less ones.

'Run Sheep Run' really isn't one of the best Bosko cartoons, to me it's one of his weakest and one of his less than average cartoons (mediocre for want of a better word). Not awful, just mediocre and forgettable. It's best to forget the story, which is derivative and almost non-existent, so thin to the extent that it struggles towards the end to sustain the running time making the cartoon feel draggy and (despite not being long) in need of a shorter length.

Some of 'Run Sheep Run' is also very repetitive (especially the whole business with the bear), not helped by that the idea has been done to death and nothing new is done with it, and there is nothing really that is amusing let alone funny. While personally am not going to necessarily call 'Run Sheep Run' racist, other parts are questionable and some people may find themselves on the offended side.

Bosko is a limited character here and not particularly fun or likable. The supporting characters are largely unmemorable. Only Bruno shines of the characters, he is endearing and does his best to inject some life and energy into a cartoon that desperately needs it and mostly lacking in it.

Other than Bruno, 'Run Sheep Run's' other strengths are the animation and music. The sound is also not too muffled and synchronisation is decent. As always for a Bosko cartoon the animation is good. Not exactly refined but fluid and crisp enough with some nice detail, it is especially good in the meticulous backgrounds and some remarkably flexible yet natural movements for Bosko. The music doesn't disappoint either, its infectious energy, rousing merriment, lush orchestration and how well it fits with the animation is just a joy.

In summary, mediocre Bosko. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Colored Sheep? Racist Cartoon.

[ragpap93 · 4/10 · 3 March 2017]

So the boy is a brother but he need not speak in that way. The dialect is racial profiling. Typical of any cartoon in the olden days with a character who is black. The black sheep was crying wolf like the 'boy who cried wolf'. The catches the sheep and calls him 'colored sheep'. Even if you ignore the blatant racism thus far, the story was not engaging and far too long. Then the dog pretends to be a bear. The boy shoots it. The bear has run off but the boy gives needless chase. The truth is revealed then a real bear comes and gives chase. After some more chasing and hi- jinx it then turns out this was the other four 'Caucasian' sheep dressed as a bear.Twist. Another memorable thing is when the 'colored sheep' turns white from fear upon seeing the bear.