The Rainmakers (1951)

Director:

Connie Rasinski

Release Date:

13 May 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short

Plot Keywords:

Heckle And Jeckle

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Cinecolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Terrytoons

Long may they rain

'The Rainmakers' is one of the more enjoyable Heckle and Jeckle cartoons. This one intentionally places less emphasis than usual on laughs, and concentrates on telling a story that kids and adults can enjoy. Without lecturing or moralising, this cartoon's enjoyable story also makes a serious point: if you do something that causes trouble, you've got to fix it.

Heckle and Jeckle are trying to enjoy a picnic lunch that includes a roast chicken. (Hmm, two cartoon birds are eating chicken.) But a rainstorm is pelting down, ruining their picnic. The two magpies find the wishbone in the chicken, and they make a wish. "I wish it would stop raining, forever!" says Jeckle, as the wishbone breaks and he gets the bigger piece. Instantly, all the raindrops hang suspended in midair, never to touch the earth. Heckle and Jeckle pop the raindrops as if these were soap bubbles, and then they do a cheerful song and dance: 'It's never going to rain a-gain, a-gain!'

Next comes the one real gag sequence, as Heckle and Jeckle learn (from a news report on television) the consequences of Jeckle's wish. There is no more rain, anywhere in the world. We see a few spot gags, such as a cartoon dog (who hasn't found out about the drought) diving into his swimming pool and discovering it has no water. When Jeckle realises that this is all his own fault, the news reader pops out of the television screen and demands to know what Jeckle intends to do about it. Jeckle shrugs with both arms (wings?) while he uses his foot to switch off the telly.

Fortunately, being cartoon characters, Heckle and Jeckle keep a private aeroplane handy inside their house. (Well, they would, wouldn't they?) The two magpies take off into the stratosphere, in search of a likely raincloud. There is one brief scene that younger children might find disturbing, when Heckle lassoes a raincloud that is animated to look like a little girl. The little-girl raincloud clearly doesn't want to be lassoed, and she puts up a struggle as both magpies stuff her into the cargo bay of their 'plane. Then they release her at an appropriate altitude to start a rainstorm.

'The Rainmakers' isn't especially funny, but it doesn't try to be. Many cartoons depict characters who wreak mayhem with no consequences to themselves, so it's intriguing to see a cartoon in which the main characters make amends for their own actions. The drought is depicted as specifically the fault of Jeckle, not of both magpies together, so it's pleasing to see Heckle making so much effort to help his friend. Also, this cartoon's excellent story has another point that kids might want to think about: if you actually get what you wish for, you might discover you didn't want it after all! I'll rate 'The Rainmakers' 8 points out of 10.