Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941) User Reviews

If this film were by Disney it would be a classic

[sbibb1 · 8/10 · 4 February 2006]

Mr. Bug Goes to Town was one of those films that I grew up hearing about, however a copy could never be obtained until now. I just watched this film on DVD and thought it was a delightful and charming film, with wonderful animation, a good plot and great songs. If this film was made by Disney then the film would be considered a classic, however because it was made by a little known film studio that is long gone, the film has slipped through the cracks.

The film was made by the Max Fleischer studios at their Miami, FL studios and was released through Paramount Pictures. The film was to have had its premiere on Dec. 7th, 1941, the date of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Though this probably did hurt the release of the film, the film did play at some movie theaters for up to a year as evidenced by doing some research. The film was called a family favorite by most of the major American newspapers. The film continued to be re-released about every year or so, usually around holidays like Easter, at least in major cities.

In the mid 1950s, this film was re-released under a new name "Hoppity Goes to Town," named after the lead character in the film.

The film is a true period piece, capturing a slice of Americana as it was back in the late 30s and 1940's. The animation is great, and many of the characters are very cute. The animation of the humans in the film is via the rotoscope process, meaning that actors were filmed and then that footage was traced over by animators, giving the movement a very real look.

The Fleishcher studios were one of several animation studios making animated cartoons back in the 30s and 40s. While some of the Fleischer characters like Betty Boop, Popeye and the Superman cartoons are better known, the work of the studio is more or less forgotten.

Almost as a whole the body of work of the Fleischer studios are in the public domain. All of the Superman cartoons are public domain, all but one of the "Color Classics" series are public domain, and the film "Gulliver's Travels" is also in the public domain. This film never appears to have been released in the US on VHS or DVD but was released in Europe. However some looking around on the internet can very quickly produce you with a copy. I recommend the search.

Good effort with too many lulls also had bad timing for its release

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 26 May 2018]

The version I saw was titled "Bugville", from a 1989 Legend DVD release (I Think--it has a sloppily prepared title card and matches the Wikipedia description, and the promo video TCM has is of the beginning of MBGtT is an exact match, excepting the title card).

OK Fleischer/Paramount animated feature (Fleischer made the animated 1939 "Gulliver's Travels) about bugs endangered by man has a listenable score by Frank Loesser, very good opening and closing sequences, and a good nightclub scene (watch for the Jitterbug). Film has too many lulls between the interesting scenes, and in general is cloyingly sweet. Film is a disappointment.

This is the one that was released two days before Pearl Harbor. Thanks at least partially to bad timing, film was a financial disaster. Film is hard to find, so is worth a watch. Just have a pot of coffee close by.

Accomplished animated film, unfairly forgotten.

[barnabyrudge · 8/10 · 16 January 2009]

While Disney have been THE animation studio for the past 70 years, there have always been rivals to their supremacy. When this review was written in 2009, for example, companies like Dreamworks and (to a lesser extent) Warner Brothers and Ardman, were bringing out animated movies that could be said to challenge the Disney dominance. Back in the beginning, in that late '30s and early '40s heyday when Disney was serving cinematic banquets like Snow White, Dumbo and Fantasia, the competition was provided by brothers Dave and Max Fleischer. Despite releasing two very commendable films, they never quite cornered the market – many attribute their downfall to the commercial failure of Mr Bug Goes To Town, released the same week as the attack on Pearl Harbour (which gave the American public something more significant to think about than going to the cinema to watch a cartoon!) That this film has faded into relative obscurity is a travesty.

In a patch of overgrown garden in the city a bunch of bugs are in dire danger. Humans use the land as a shortcut, discarding litter and cigars, and other hazards, right on top of the bugs' homes as they go. Honey-shop owner Mr Bumble (voiced by Jack Mercer) fears that the future is bleak, and wonders how he will ever be able to raise his daughter Honey (voiced by Pauline Loth) in more secure surroundings. A highly unscrupulous creature, Bagley C. Beetle (voiced by Tedd Pierce), offers to provide her a safer place to live if she will accept his hand in marriage, but Honey is much more interested in her childhood sweetheart, the perennially cheerful and optimistic Hoppity (voiced by Stan Freed). Hoppity believes that everything is about to be resolved for the better, but is left looking foolish when Bagley Beetle and his pair of comical sidekicks manipulate the crisis to their own devious end. Only at the very end, as their patch becomes the foundation for a huge new skyscraper, do the bugs switch loyalty back to Hoppity as they look to him to lead them a new, safe home away from the destructive influence of humans.

What really works in this film is the delightful characterisation – all the bugs are cleverly developed and designed for maximum audience appeal. The bumbling villains Swat the fly and Smack the mosquito (hilarious names, if you stop to think about it) are particularly memorable. Equally admirable is the storytelling drive – even the youngest of children can enjoy this story, while at the same time it skillfully conveys a message for older audiences about the way human carelessness can impact upon the survival of wildlife. Time has inevitably dated some aspects of the film, and when viewing it the audience needs to accept (and forgive) these occasional signs of general age and wear. But on the whole Mr Bug Goes To Town is an accomplished, funny and very slickly presented animation with a worthy message to boot.

A sweet old film that don't get no respect.

[Bobs-9 · 10 September 1999]

I have never read a review of this film that doesn't dump on it to some extent for not being Disney, or not being modern, or what have you. Like Rodney Dangerfield, this piece never did "get no respect." I understand that the date of its premiere was December 7, 1941! Needless to say, people in this country had other things on their minds. Having just found a used laserdisc of it, I viewed it for the first time since seeing it on television as a kid, and for anyone who fondly remembers seeing it like that, it's a powerful shot of nostalgia. While appropriately cartoonish, the drawing and animation is satisfyingly rooted in the real, physical world enough to make the figures and backgrounds come alive. So many of the "animation festival" pieces you see seem to be drawn by left handed gorillas, and the characters are rendered as formless blobs. But the glowing color palette, and the fine drawing and animation of "Hoppity" is a real treat to the eye. A very good-looking film. Moreover, it is just full of period charm (something which can be appreciated even by people like me, who were not around during that time). The characters, even the villains, are just so damn cute, and I should think anyone with an affinity for the earlier Disney animation (e.g. pre-World War II) would get a kick out of it. If you remember it fondly from years past, as I did, its a special treat. I just wanted to put in a few more nice words about this sweet, simple relic of the past.

A Lovely Piece of Childhood Revisited

[ed_two_o_nine · 7/10 · 24 December 2007]

Hoppity is a charming if slightly phycadelic animated movie that considering it was made in the 1941 has stood the test of time incredibly well. Now I have to admit I have a soft spot for 'HoppityGoes To Town' (as it is called in the United Kingdom) having watched a VHS version taped of the TV by our parents many times with my siblings.Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning just in time to catch it on Channel Four (at 0615 never the less!) The film was just as delightful as I remembered it with the animation standing the test of time and a lovely moral tale which should appeal to parents and children alike. Maybe one day I to shall share this forgotten classic with children of my own. With a nice running time for kids (88 Min's)and a simple yet involving storyline there really is something for everyone in this tale of the little guy coming good. I really could see this being successfully remade in CGI. Take note Pixar.

"Oh, Hoppity, you make everything so complicated."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 26 June 2015]

Long before A Bug's Life or Antz there was Mr. Bug Goes to Town, a charming but flawed animated film from Dave and Max Fleischer. I'm a big fan of the Fleischers' work. Their Superman, Popeye, and Betty Boop cartoons are some of my favorites. Their first foray into full-length animation was 1939's Gulliver's Travels, which has its share of detractors but I like it a lot. I don't like Mr. Bug quite as much but it is worth a look. The story follows a community of bugs that live in a vacant lot. One bug in particular, Hoppity the grasshopper, is at the heart of most of the goings-on in this somewhat rambling story that eventually becomes about the bugs trying to save their home and Hoppity's girlfriend being forced to marry a villainous beetle.

The animation is beautiful and charming but I found something off with this one. The voicework and music score are pedestrian and the general tone of the movie is a little flat. I'm not really sure if I can put my finger on it but the first forty-five minutes or so feels slow and aimless. It's lovely to look at throughout but the last half hour is the most exciting. Despite its flaws this is an enjoyable animated film that plays well to little kids, as well as adults who appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making quality animation back in the day. Unfortunately Mr. Bug was a financial disaster for the Fleischers and led to the brothers being ousted from their own studio, which was renamed Famous Studios by Paramount. Part of the reason for it flopping was undoubtedly its bad luck of being released two days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's an interesting movie, especially for animation buffs, and I do believe it will entertain the right audience. See it for the lovely animation if nothing else.

A Much Better Fleischer Feature

[elicopperman · 7/10 · 5 May 2018]

Although Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels got a cold critical reception upon its original release in 1939, it did well enough to give the studio another feature to produce. This second feature ended up as Mr. Bug Goes to Town, a more original and modern tale set in New York City as opposed to being based on some other form of medium. Sadly, the film did poorly at the box office due to the events of Pearl Harbor, not helped by the inner feud that went on between Max and Dave Fleischer. Soon afterwards, Paramount forced the Fleischer brothers to resign from their own studio by contract, thus causing the defunct of the Fleischer Studio and the reformation of Paramount's own Famous Studio....so yeah, the film was met with nothing but trouble upon its release...and yet, it's better than Gulliver's Travels.

Set in a vacant corner in Manhattan called the Lowlands, the bugs that reside there deal with humans interfering with their homes, whether by dropping cigarettes on it or by doing all sorts of ruckus. Upon his arrival, Hoppity the grasshopper finds hope of a new garden home around the house of two humans, Mary and Dick. However, the crooked C. Bailey Beetle wants the Lowlands and Hoppity's sweetheart Honey all to himself, so it's up to Hoppity to save the bugs and their own homes.

Unlike Gulliver, the story has enough momentum and entertainment value to warrant a watch, as we get to see just enough of the bugs to feel sorry for them and to want them to have better lives. As such, when the film gets suspenseful, it's hard not to want Hoppity to succeed in saving the critters and to win over the nasty beetle. Not to mention, we also feel sorry for the aforementioned humans since Dick is trying to write songs for Broadway to get his career off and to keep his house in solitary confinement, making the film surprisingly relatable. In addition, the third act is the most suspenseful part of the film, and while it does get a little too overwhelming, it produces the right amount of hysteria when the bugs flee from their grounds getting destroyed. It's no wonder the story is more appealing than Gulliver, it's more relatable to those who deal with similar issues in real life.

As for the characters, while most of them aren't exactly fully fleshed out, they're still charming enough to root for. Hoppity is the kind hearted soul who wants what's best for his folk, Honey is the sweat hearted love interest, her father Mr. Bumble is the lovable old squirt whose always looking out for himself and others, and...well, that's all there really is to them. They're certainly not unlikeable, they're just not the most memorable characters around, but at least they're good natured and want everyone safe and sound. On the other hand, the antagonistic C. Bailey Beetle is quite the devilish conman who will always try to get what he desires, and it's not hard to scorn the insect when he performs his dastardly deeds. Although, his henchmen Swat the fly and Smack the mosquito are the most entertaining characters in the whole film, mainly from their bumbling comedic nature and witty banter. So yeah, the characters may not be three dimensional, but the horrible outcomes that happen around them make it hard not to feel for them.

As for the animation, the film manages to recreate a solid looking New York street of the 1940s by presenting a world smaller than ours, making the perspective more visually interesting. Where the humans are more realistic in both movement and design, the bugs have a more cartoony presence that makes them a lot of fun to watch, complete with lively acting and humorous facial expressions. This is a much better contrast between realistic and simplistic characters, since it creates two different species in their own separate realities rather than trying to make realistic and cartoony humans exist in the same world like Gulliver. Not to mention, the bigger stuff like skyscrapers, shovels, leveled dirt and water look exceptionally well crafted, showing how much hard work hours were put in crafting equipment during the days of consistent hand-drawn animation.

Now I will admit, I don't remember too many of the songs, as most of them didn't leave too much of an impact. The only one I remember is "Katy Did, Katy Didn't", which is a very upbeat and jazzy song reminiscent of jazzy show songs of the 1940s, with jive lyrics and smooth choreography. The rest, while not terrible, feel more like an after thought that mostly blend in the background, and they didn't offer enough memorable melodies or lyrics to sing along to, but that's just me.

It really is a shame that the Fleischer studio ended when it did, because judging by this film, they really could've progressed making more brilliant works. Overall, Mr. Bug Goes to Town is a vast improvement over Gulliver's Travels with a more engaging story and stakes, more consistently smooth animation, better laughs and a touching tribute to Broadway. Sure most of the characters aren't all that special and the songs could've had more substance, but the fact that the film details the daily struggles that some people suffer from in the world, whether their houses getting wrecked or having to leave their home due to financial turmoil, really speaks to me. It's unfair to see anybody have to suffer with such a loss, and everyone deserves a chance to live a free and well mannered life like you and I. Give this film a watch to understand just how devastating the loss of a home can truly be.

FABULOUS!!!

[KatMiss · 10/10 · 18 May 2001]

"Hoppity Goes to Town" was the second and last full length animated feature made by Max and Dave Fleischer, who created a parallel universe to Disney. While Disney's films are well remembered today, both of the Fleischer films "Gulliver's Travels" and this one are forgotten.

"Hoppity" is a spellbinding original, not an adaptation like the first picture. That is a major plus, one would think. No, the critics, rarely on the Fleischers' sides to begin with, tore into them for this. Yes, the story is not as tight as "Gulliver", but how can you hate a film that flaunts itself so joyfully?

It is filled with great musical numbers and a very involving story, which would be a crime to reveal. The characters are lovable and charming and there is heart in this film.

The Fleischers' really outdid themselves here and never quite did so again. Most of their time would be devoted to one-reelers after this tanked at the box office. It's a shame they didn't continue making features. Who knows? Their next attempt may have become the masterpiece they were aiming for.

**** out of 4 stars

Mr Bug Goes to Town review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 23 April 2020]

The Fleischers second and last feature-length cartoon is a fairly ordinary entertainment until the final reel when it finally kicks off. The songs are pleasant but unmemorable, as is the animated hero, but there's something a little bit wrong about an inter-species love affair.

I will never forget Mr. Bug goes To Town !!

[florriebbc · 10/10 · 8 July 2002]

Hello again, I have been thinking about this movie all my life. I saw it when I was 5 years old in Los Angeles, California in 1942. What a wonderful story of being good to one another, kindness, and charity. You forget it is the bugs relating to one another. It was just as if they were people. I love this movie and so do my adult children. Such beautiful color in this movie.I need to see this movie again. There is a story about an envelope in the movie, that I just can't remember the "why" of it.

Thanks for listening.

Or: Hoppity Goes To Town (1941)

[refsworldlee · 10/10 · 11 January 2007]

I first watched this in black and white, circa Christmas in the early Sixties, when it was shown on British television. I was absolutely hooked, and watched it over again whenever it was repeated on TV (possibly two or three times only, as it happens - if only we'd had video recorders then!).

As outlined by other contributors, the plot describes the return of Hoppity the Grasshopper, after a period spent away, to a Forties American city. He finds that all is not as he left it, and his good insect friends (who live in the 'lowlands' just outside the garden which belongs to a songwriter and his wife) are now under threat from the 'human ones', who are trampling through the broken down fence which prefaces the property, using it as a shortcut.

Insect houses are being flattened by their feet, and are also often burned by cast away cigar butts and matches. Old Mr Bumble and his beautiful daughter Honey (Hoppity's childhood sweetheart) are in grave danger of losing their Honey Shop to this threat.

To compound their problems, devious insect 'property magnate' C. Bagley Beetle has romantic designs on Honey Bee himself, and hopes, with the help of his henchmen Swat the Fly and Smack the Mosquito, to force Bumble to give him her hand in marriage.

Will the heroic and fearless Hoppity win the day, and manage to save the community of bugs from their dastardly fate, and especially his precious Honey from hers? Enjoy the classic songs ("Katy Did, Katy Didn't" is a superb, swinging, upbeat example), and the colourful visuals, as the tale unfolds.

Time has not blunted my fascination for this masterpiece of animation and story-telling, and I was much pleased to find that it had been released to video, although I later found out that it was in NTSC PAL format. Never mind, I sent off for the video immediately, and only then bought a portable TV/video combination (complete with NTSC playback).

I have enjoyed many nostalgic viewings since then, and have even discovered that the TV rights have switched from BBC (who informed me they were unlikely to ever show the film on any of their stations) to FilmFour, who have (at last!) been showing it on their digital stations in early 2007.

My granddaughter (aged three) was absolutely entranced while we watched it together - and this is a child who has been influenced by the digital age and the resulting computer-generated productions!

I would thoroughly recommend this film for any age, and especially the youngest of viewers.

Give Max Fleischer a posthumous Oscar!

Kind of dull kids movie

[cherold · 5/10 · 15 April 2015]

Wow, every single use review on this site is a rave! I have to conclude that this is a movie all these people first saw as children and have fond memories of.

As an adult who watched this because of its historical significance, I found it often tedious. There were clever ideas here and there, notably in the bugs' interaction with the human world, and a vaguely exciting finale, and some good songs, but it's very corny and very predictable and very much for kids only.

It's a shame the Fleischer Brothers never made a feature with the surreal imagination of their shorter works. They never did Disney as well as Disney did, and one wonders what would have happened if they'd made a Betty Boop movie instead of this and Gulliver's Travels.

Forgotten Pioneer

[kriegers1900 · 24 July 2004]

Although never received well critically, this is a truly beautifully animated movie. This film, made at the outbreak of WW2 was one of the first 5 full length animated films ever made, and displays superb animation. Excellent too is the way human castoffs are used by the insects. Unfortunately the character of the principal villain is weak and two dimensional, and the story suffers as a result. The songs, however, are among the best I can recall in any animated film, and "Castle in the air" has to be one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately Max Fleisher was not as independent as Walt Disney, and as a result was never given an opportunity by Paramount to make another animated feature. However, the two that Fleisher was able to release will continue entertaining us for generations to come.

Fleischer Studios Last Major Hurrah Enchanting

[pinkylacy1929 · 10/10 · 15 June 2007]

"Mr. Bug Goes To Town" was the last major achievement the Fleischer studios produced. The quality of the Superman series produced at the same time is evident in this extraordinary film.

The music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and Hoagy Carmichael (with assistance by Flieshcer veteran Sammy Timberg are quite good, but not as much as the scoring of the picture by Leigh Harline who also scored Snow White for Disney. Harline's "atmospheric music" is superb, and a treat for the ears.

The layout and staging of the picture was years ahead of it's time, and once again the Fleischer's background artists outdid themselves. The techincolored beauty of the film cannot be denied, and while Hoppity the grasshopper is the star, the characters of Swat the Fly and Smack the Mosquito steal the picture. Swat's voicing by Jack Mercer (of Popeye fame) is priceless. Kenny Gardner (brother-in-law) of Guy Lombardo...and a featured vocalist in his band...does his usual pleasant job in the role of Dick Dickinsen.

The movie has been criticized for all the wrong reasons. The Fleischer Studios were animation experts par excellence and this shows very clearly in the finished product. The movie is tuneful, the story great for all ages, and the final scenes of the bugs scrambling for their lives upon a rising skyscraper is some of the best staging and animation of any animated film past and present.

Do not miss this wonderfully hand drawn film. Also don't fail to appreciate the title sequence with the most elaborate example of Max Fleischer's remarkable 3-D sterioptical process which took four months to construct and employed 16,000 tiny panes of glass in the "electrified" buildings of Manhattan.

Do not miss Mr. Bug Goes To Town...aka Hoppity Goes To Town. I'll wager you'll be bug eyed at the results!

Great Cartoon

[eshejh · 10/10 · 26 July 2001]

I have viewed this cartoon as a child, a father, and now a grand-father. It is my favorite cartoon. I love the characters, the great little tunes, and the very good drawings. I totally love the main song which comes up throughout the cartoon. I think it is a beautiful little cartoon. Everyone I have shown it to simply loves it. It is too bad it opened on such a bad day (Pearl Harbor bombing). If it wasn't for the bad timing it would have been a great success. I hope I can find a DVD of it because all the VHS tapes don't do it justice.

I think if anyone shows it to their child they will come up with the same result. They will just love it.

clever,well done nostalgic movie.

[blairw · 10/10 · 12 April 2003]

I have for years remembered a song "JUST A COUPLE IN A CASTLE" ("No. twenty moonbeam square, just a couple in castle in the air"). I couldn't find the song, but I remembered that it it had to do with cartoon bugs. I located a reference to the movie on the web. I had seen the movie when I was only 9 year old at the Ligonier PA theatre. I was pleased to find that it had Kenny Gardner the singer with Guy Lombaro (I am a Lombardo fan). And then to see that it was produced by the Fleisher Bros. who did another very good full lengh cartoon feature of "Gullivar's Travels" (also remembered fondly). Also the songs were associated with Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser who are among the very best. No wonder I remembered the film, the song, and the colorful animation. As a full lengh musical this is a movie which should be remembered as a one of the best of the early full lengh musicals. Now that I remember it, the plot may not have been earth shaking, but was very well presented and makes for a easy to watch abd delightful movie.

Mr. Bug and Fleischer

[tostinati · 25 June 2006]

Leslie Carbaga's excellent book on the Fleishers tells the whole story of the Fleischer's big move of their entire animation unit to Florida, and their subsequent ejection by Paramount.

Mr. Bug Goes to Town didn't destroy the animation pioneers' credit with Paramount, although it's often told that way, and this was Paramount's favorite version of the story. According to Carbaga, the big studio, more than anything, wanted to get their mitts on the animation studio and ease the famously bickering brothers out of the picture altogether. Mr. Bug provided them the pretext to do just that. --The sad closing of a great quirky, innovative chapter in American animation.

I wanted to comment, also, that the film actually debuted December 4, 1941, not December 7. That may have been close enough to do the trick, anyway, in terms of national mood damaging the film's success. But another part of the legend of this troubled little film is that it was killed by having the bad luck to be in the theaters at the same time Dumbo (released October 23, 1941) was still doing very brisk holiday business. I haven't done the research into box office numbers, but I'd say that Dumbo's concurrent presence in theaters likely had an impact on Mr. Bug. Movie-going was at an all time high at this period, and successful films could go strong in theaters for months. -- Something unimaginable in these typically short-run, quick to-DVD days.

Another wonderful film from the Fleischer Bros.

[ja_kitty_71 · 10/10 · 22 September 2008]

Normally, I am a "creepy-crawly-hating" girl, but after watching this film (on YouTube, of course), I have changed my mind. And also, I did not know that my favorite animation studio, Fleischer's, had made another feature film.

The film's story is about a community of insects whose city garden home is threatened by humans (lit cigars, cigarette butts, footsteps, etc.). And how a brave young grasshopper named Hoppity saves the day and wins Honey the bee's heart. I adore Ms. Honey. You know, after watching the film, the bugs reminded me of some of the "jitterbugs" from Don Bluth's film "Thumbelina." Also, of the songs in the film, I love "We're a Couple in the Castle." When I sang that song, it almost made me cry.

This wonderful film was the second and, sadly, the last feature film to come out of the Fleischer studio. The film was originally going to be released in November of 1941. But since Fleischer's rival, Disney, released "Dumbo" weeks earlier, Paramount has changed the date to December of the same year. Sadly, "Mr. Bug" unfortunately fell into an unrealized trap of terrible timing, which was opened two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

After that, "Mr. Bug" was a financial disaster and led to the ousting of Max and Dave Fleischer from the studio they had established in 1919 and the reorganization of the company as Famous Studios. Another huge factor in their departure was the fact that Max and Dave Fleischer were no longer speaking to one another due to disputes. Now, how sad that was! Overall, I enjoyed both of the Fleischer brothers' films, "Gulliver" and "Mr. Bug."

Buggy Adventure A Pleasant Diversion

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 15 April 2001]

When HOPPITY GOES TO TOWN he discovers nothing but bad news for his little insect neighbors in the Lowlands. Can this honest, good-natured grasshopper save his sweetheart, Miss Honey Bee, from the machinations of the evil C. Bagley Beetle - and also lead his friends to a safe new home - before it's too late?

While not one of the great animated features (a very new art at the time this film was created) HOPPITY is an enjoyable film which should bring pleasure to uncritical viewers. Technically it is well made, with animation of a generally high quality. The movie's main drawback is that none of the characters really have any `heart' - they don't come `alive' on the screen in the way Jiminy Cricket did a year earlier in PINOCCHIO.

However, it is ultimately unfair to compare the Fleischer Studio output with that of Disney. Max & Dave Fleischer had their own star to follow; their contribution - and it would be a considerable one - would be in the realm of the one-reel cartoon. With their POPEYE and BETTY BOOP series they created alternate realities as viable as any produced by other cartoon studios. HOPPITY was their second experiment with feature length animation (after GULLIVER'S TRAVELS in 1939), and henceforth they would expend their energies again on the cartoon short subject. In fact, the first in the highly acclaimed SUPERMAN series was already in release.

HOPPITY'S story owes a great deal to Frank Capra, with it's energetic, go get ‘em hero up against powerful societal forces. Indeed, the film's original title was MR. BUG GOES TO TOWN, which immediately puts one in mind of Gary Cooper or Jimmy Stewart and their Capraesque adventures.

Jack Mercer, famous as the voice of Popeye, here speaks for two very different characters, old Mr. Bumble & Swat the Fly. Movie mavens should be able to catch veteran voice actors Pinto Colvig & Mae Questel, both in uncredited roles.

The film has some pleasant songs supplied by Hoagy Carmichael & Frank Loesser, of which `Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee' is the most familiar. `We're The Couple In The Castle' is a fine romantic tune which deserves to be rediscovered.

It is unfortunate that the film's initial animation, with its sweep out of the heavens and past the in-depth New York skyline, is obscured behind the opening credits.

I'll never step on another bug as long as I live!

[DaFraggle · 10/10 · 5 July 2002]

well, i may be bias as i grew up watching a VHS copy of this film that is now ready to snap and have just spent the last couple of hours tracking down a DVD copy as a birthday pressie for my Dad. The film is so harmless and inoffensive it suits all ages.... much better than anything Disney ever made in my opinion (and i used to work in the Disney Store!!!). The characters are enjoyable and the award for best scene is a tie between the disrupted wedding (especially the musical talents of Swat, the fly. and Smack the mosquito), and the amazing night club scene. The musical numbers still have me humming 20 years after i first watched it. there is no other film that i can better recommend whilst baby-sitting, and in fact every child i know (thanks to my Hoppity loving parents) have seen this film, many times. It will always get top marks for its fabulous love story, a brilliant baddy and over all originality.

Fabulous Family Fun

[tpm45 · 5 September 2004]

This is a wonderful family film,with a great storyline which in 2004 is very true to the mark,Iwont reveal it and spoil your fun. All the little bugs have great hearts and a story to tell.The humour is spot on with some catchy tunes. I wish it was on sale ala DVD. a lot better than some Disney films. The photgraphy is very good,you are drawn quite cleverly into the film,which has good colour,with well drawn characters. The movement of each little bug is well defined and their are lots of them,but each is easy to remember,and easy to like. Without giving to much away the story evolves around a species in danger,a love story,and the relationship between insects and humans,I loved it years ago and its even better now. your kids will adore it.

Bugs You Really Care About!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 10 February 2009]

What I liked best about this feature-length animated film from 1941 is the great feel it gives for the early 1940s. It's the songs, the clothing, automobiles, buildings lingo of the day, etc. You feel like you've stepped back into time.

From reading some of the reviews here, I see this was a hard-luck film, being released a couple of days before the Pearl Harbor attack. Wow, no one would be interested in going to the movies for a feature-length cartoon during those eventful and shocking days, I'm sure. Too bad, because the folks missed some nice animation would have really impressed back then, almost 70 years ago. The colors are nice, drawings are good and story involving as we root for the bugs led by "Hoppity" and and his beautiful girl "Honey" to make it happily-ever-after and out of harm's way. It's also about all of them finding a grassy spot they can live and not worry about humans trampling them.

There is a nasty villain, though - "C. Bagley Beetle" - and two of his henchmen. Those helpers ("Swat, The Fly" and "Smack, the Mosquito") are comedians, complete with their Brooklyn-ese accents! The story is a familiar one where a nasty old man wants to marry the sweet young thing and uses unscrupulous means to force her hand. The good guy, meanwhile, has the decked stacked against him but in the very end, of course, prevails.

My favorite part - this will sound worse than what it was - was when good-guy "Hoppity" got temporarily electrocuted and he danced in black-and-white. That was fantastic animation!

You know, it's a good thing I didn't see this as a very little kid; I would have been afraid to play outside and squash all those nice bug-people! You never know what (or who) is in that grass beneath your feet!

In This Case DO Bug Me

[writers_reign · 8/10 · 22 February 2008]

This is a very modest, very lovely movie with a great score by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser with a standout number, We're The Couple In The Castle, that is totally evocative of the period and harks back to Penthouse Serenade just as the opening premise (Hoppity's coming) may well have inspired Fred Saidy and Yip Harburg's opening (Woody's Coming) in Finian's Rainbow six years later. I totally agree with those posters who have noted that were the name Disney appended to this it would by now have achieved 'classic' status rather than have fallen into neglect. It's wonderfully inventive, never more so than when objects barely noticed in the 'real' world assume a much greater significance - both pro and con - in the insect world. Actually it IS a classic, albeit a minor one.

Its not pixar

[petersj-2 · 8/10 · 6 August 2008]

There was a time when not all animation was Disney or Pixar. Its so nice to see this wonderful film again and I actually got hold of a good, reasonable copy on DVD. Be careful as its out of the public domain and there are some really bad copies around.I got a very good copy by a company called Flashbacks and its quite good. In the old days I watched it on black and white on TV and its magic to see it in colour. Very much better than some would have you believe. The songs are delightful and the colour is great. Interestingly the characters are really well developed which is odd in animated movies. I loved Hoppity and the villain Mr Beatle is a real cad. Its incredibly imaginative. The way inanimate objects like cotton reels, old tins become part of the environment and have new functions is great. The anthropomorhic use of insects is amazing considering the much malinged creatures most people sadly think are repugnant. Hopefully we may never step on an insect again! THe insects enemy is man. In reality of course its the insects that will survive. No matter how hard we try to rid ourselves of ants here in Australia they keep coming back. The battle has been lost and we have to live with them. There are several scenes that stand out such as when Hoppity and Mr Bumble are caught in a watering can, the great flood and the journey to the top of the building are all wonderful. Its also rather anthropomorphic but in a way thats charming. The human characters look very like the ones in Gulliver and its incredibly effective. The wedding scene looks beautiful. Its a crime this movie has not been hailed as a classic. The only jarring note for me is the occasions in the film when the characters slip into verse. Speaking verse spoils the narration and it was no needed, The verse is awful and spoils an other wise good script. Its great and kids will love it. Its a joy to look at. There's a very clever ending too.

Warm memories of a great little movie

[catjoescreed · 1 April 2006]

This film used to play occasionally on daytime TV when I was a child. I must have seen it at least three times. Made by the same team (Gordon and Fleischer) that brought us "Gulliver's Travels", it's a charming little movie with a plot very similar to the later Pixar film "A Bug's Life." I remember first learning the name Hoagy Carmichael when I read the credits as an eight-year-old (my mother was astonished to know that I had heard of him.) If "Hoppitty" were ever released on DVD I would buy it in a heartbeat. I don't know anyone else who has ever seen it, though, which necessarily limits the amount of outcry over this deep injustice to a great little movie.