backstory:
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Mouse on the Mayflower is a tasty little Thanksgiving tale that was launched in the early days of big audience network television, in a simpler and less political time. Rankin / Bass really knew their holiday cartoons. After some airings on NBC, the family film did scurry around on the VHS format when that format was starved for material, however, it was never brought to the DVD table (officially). But Orphan Works always have a home at PDFU.NET. So feast your eyes on a forgotten story.
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CLICK HERE FOR DVD
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REVIEWS (OURS, YOURS, WHATEVER...GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS ON Motm)
Nod Review
Mouse on the Mayflower is one of those gems from many a Baby Boomers childhood that rang in the holiday right after Halloween every year. Yes, it’s extremely dated, a bit racist and shows a very one-sided view of a very dark period in American History. And it’s basically a story about a little church mouse! Honestly, no one alive knows what really happen centuries ago in any era. Even though this little cartoon may get a lot of the facts wrong or white-wash some of the darker of the early settlers and how they treated Indigenous people. The program DOES have a historical value because it shows how we used to think about certain events in US history.
OK, enough classroom talk, here’s my straight review of the Mouse on the Mayflower:
Mouse on the Mayflower is one of those gems from many a Baby Boomers childhood that rang in the holiday right after Halloween every year. Yes, it’s extremely dated, a bit racist and shows a very one-sided view of a very dark period in American History. And it’s basically a story about a little church mouse! Honestly, no one alive knows what really happen centuries ago in any era. Even though this little cartoon may get a lot of the facts wrong or white-wash some of the darker of the early settlers and how they treated Indigenous people. The program DOES have a historical value because it shows how we used to think about certain events in US history.
OK, enough classroom talk, here’s my straight review of the Mouse on the Mayflower:
The tale starts in the middle of a fierce storm on the famous Mayflower ship, then we go back to give a backstory of why the future pilgrims left the old country of England. About how they left to escape religious persecution. Most of that seems accurate, or really close enough, isn’t it?
One of the pluses of this 50+ year old production, is that some of the visuals were tremendous for it’s time. The mouse catching up to ship, paddling a shoe. Really a lot of the movie is very cinematic, which was typical of many Rankin / Bass productions.
Some of the stereotypes are cringe-worthy, but again, I don’t feel the need to go into too much (Mainly, cause everyone does and is quite hung up on it. ) Good or bad it’s our history.
Lastly, the songs, like most musicals, I find the songs very distracting and take away from the story flow, even though they are very well done and Tennessee Ernie Ford had an incredible voice.
That brings this review to its conclusion. Mouse on the Mayflower is a mite dated but it is a fantastic animation and great family picture. Besides if you watch it with someone young (if you can get them away from their phone or tablet), it would be a great opportunity to discuss the differences in the way we view history today and the way we used to view history. Take the opportunity. I give this classic cartoon 4 out of 5 Nods.
One of the pluses of this 50+ year old production, is that some of the visuals were tremendous for it’s time. The mouse catching up to ship, paddling a shoe. Really a lot of the movie is very cinematic, which was typical of many Rankin / Bass productions.
Some of the stereotypes are cringe-worthy, but again, I don’t feel the need to go into too much (Mainly, cause everyone does and is quite hung up on it. ) Good or bad it’s our history.
Lastly, the songs, like most musicals, I find the songs very distracting and take away from the story flow, even though they are very well done and Tennessee Ernie Ford had an incredible voice.
That brings this review to its conclusion. Mouse on the Mayflower is a mite dated but it is a fantastic animation and great family picture. Besides if you watch it with someone young (if you can get them away from their phone or tablet), it would be a great opportunity to discuss the differences in the way we view history today and the way we used to view history. Take the opportunity. I give this classic cartoon 4 out of 5 Nods.