Week 02

MR. TOAD and TICKETY TOCK

Week 02

Mr. Toad

This is a very faithful audio rendition of the probably NOT so faithful (but exceedingly charming) Disney animated film version of Kenneth Graham's "The Wind and the Willows". The recording features most of the original cast including the wonderfully "fruity" (as very accurately described on the Weekly Recordings 2006 Message Board by member "Crispin"), Eric Blore as eccentric Mr. Toad and J. Pat O' Malley (a familiar character actor with an appearance like Alfred Hitchcock that has been seen and heard in hundreds of cartoons, movies and television shows), as Cyril the horse. Their performance of "No Where In Particular" has always been one of my favorites of the more obscure numbers in the Disney musical stable. The story is told quickly and adeptly though, curiously, sometimes in rhyming verse and other times not. The "action" is nicely realized, orchestrally, by the VERY facile Billy May and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion with the requisite (in children's programming), but vague moral about learning something, as Toad did. I also would like to note that the album art on this particular recording is made up of excellent 4 color illustrations of key moments in the story, very nicely rendered by the Disney studio for this recording. All in all a very nice package of a great little story, sure to appeal to adults as well as kiddies.

Tickety Tock

One of the great, simple little children's records, "Tickity Tock, The Clock That Couldn't Tell Time" is extremely well cast and produced. It is really a shame that the cover art on this offering does not live up to it's aural counterpart. I recognized a couple of familiar, unaccredited voices. Grandfather Clock and Farmer appear to be Pinto Colvig (Goofy, Bozo, Grumpy, etc) and then, of course, the Quintessential Arthur Q. Bryan (Elmer Fudd) as Tickity Tock. The story by Ted Pierce and Warren Foster is very cute and is augmented by a nice Billy May score. Looks like a lot of big people in the animation industry at that time did moonlighting for the Kiddie Records industry. Lucky for us, and in this case for "Tickity Tock", they did.

Dave Pruiksma

Mr. Toad

Basil Rathbone and Original Cast

Music by Billy May

(1) 12" 78RPM record in bi-fold sleeve

Total Time: 10:34

Tickety Tock

Knox Manning featuring Arthur Q. Bryan

Music by Billy May

Capitol EAS-3016

(1) 12" 78RPM record in bi-fold sleeve

Total Time: 9:00