Swing Wedding is a 1937 MGM Happy Harmonies cartoon directed by Hugh Harman. A "sequel" to the 1936 short The Old Mill Pond, the cartoon portrays a wedding celebrated by a group of frogs in a swamp. The frogs are designed as caricatures of various African American celebrities of the 1930s, such as Ethel Waters, Stepin Fetchit, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and the Mills Brothers. Though hailed as "'one of the finest one-reelers in all of animation" by some commentators, others have derided the use of Zip Coon-type figures and stereotypical dialogue (including expressions such as "Who dat?" and "Yowza!"). The film also contains a controversial scene in which a frog musician uses his trumpet valve as a syringe. The scene plays on the stereotype of black jazz musicians using drugs before performing. Plot: The story parallels a Mill Pond sequence but without a wedding in the plotline. In Swing Wedding, Ethel-like Minnie sings "Let Me Take You Down to Chinatown (It's Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day)" quite well, backed up by the Boswell Sisters sound-alike gal frogs, who wear flimsy long gowns that reveals their very chorus-girl legs right up to their crotches. In The Old Mill Pond following a big number by Frog Calloway, Ethel as Minnie sings "Jungle Rhythm" without back-up singers, although she is attended by a chorus line of dancing gals. Cab's appearance is delayed in Swing Wedding until cued by his intention to steal Minnie away from Smoky Joe. - Wild Realm Reviews, The Jazz Frogs
Thanks for sharing. This cartoon is an important piece of history featuring many defining aspects of minstrel shows and blackface. There is a brief Wikipedia article on this short, as well as a fascinating article on the origins of Who Dat?
Like the other toon 'The Old Mill Pond', the characters are styled after the popular black entertainers of the day..Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Stepin Fetchet, The Mills Brothers ,etc.
Songs included in this cartoon in order: 1. Mississippi Mud 2. Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Parade 3. Sweethearts on Parade 4. Lulu's Back in Town (with different lyrics) 5. Runnin Wild
I think it's because alot of musicians in the old days used weed or heroin. I think it was a illusion to show that they were using drugs.(cuz he breaks his instrument into a needle) I can't tell if he was yelling weee or weed.
Love this one, so musical, such fine singing !
Swing Wedding is a 1937 MGM Happy Harmonies cartoon directed by Hugh Harman.
A "sequel" to the 1936 short The Old Mill Pond, the cartoon portrays a wedding celebrated by a group of frogs in a swamp. The frogs are designed as caricatures of various African American celebrities of the 1930s, such as Ethel Waters, Stepin Fetchit, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller and the Mills Brothers.
Though hailed as "'one of the finest one-reelers in all of animation" by some commentators, others have derided the use of Zip Coon-type figures and stereotypical dialogue (including expressions such as "Who dat?" and "Yowza!"). The film also contains a controversial scene in which a frog musician uses his trumpet valve as a syringe. The scene plays on the stereotype of black jazz musicians using drugs before performing.
Plot: The story parallels a Mill Pond sequence but without a wedding in the plotline. In Swing Wedding, Ethel-like Minnie sings "Let Me Take You Down to Chinatown (It's Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day)" quite well, backed up by the Boswell Sisters sound-alike gal frogs, who wear flimsy long gowns that reveals their very chorus-girl legs right up to their crotches. In The Old Mill Pond following a big number by Frog Calloway, Ethel as Minnie sings "Jungle Rhythm" without back-up singers, although she is attended by a chorus line of dancing gals. Cab's appearance is delayed in Swing Wedding until cued by his intention to steal Minnie away from Smoky Joe.
- Wild Realm Reviews, The Jazz Frogs
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Thanks for sharing. This cartoon is an important piece of history featuring many defining aspects of minstrel shows and blackface. There is a brief Wikipedia article on this short, as well as a fascinating article on the origins of Who Dat?
People really need to watch this to appreciate how far as a people America has gone.
Like the other toon 'The Old Mill Pond', the characters are styled after the popular black entertainers of the day..Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Stepin Fetchet, The Mills Brothers ,etc.
This cartoon got in trouble with the Hays code when it was released.
Songs included in this cartoon in order:
1. Mississippi Mud
2. Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Parade
3. Sweethearts on Parade
4. Lulu's Back in Town (with different lyrics)
5. Runnin Wild
Now that you mentioned it, this looks like something Loony Tunes would make
These frogs have a lot normal swag.
0:54 The frog with a tuxedo sounds just like Jim Crow from Dumbo.
To me he sounds like Denzel Washington to me
6:27
7:26 WTF
The original Reee
I think it's because alot of musicians in the old days used weed or heroin. I think it was a illusion to show that they were using drugs.(cuz he breaks his instrument into a needle) I can't tell if he was yelling weee or weed.
The cartoon is similar to the old mill pond
Well it is a direct sequel to it, featuring the same characters
ث😅ج٣🔪🙄
3:20