There's something unsavory about this one...

As I watched this cartoon short, it reminded me exactly why the Fleischer Brothers Studio failed when it tried to go head to head with Disney. Now during most of the 1930s, Disney and Fleischer Brothers both had niches--very different animated niches. Disney had, of course, the Mouse as well as their Silly Symphonies--which won several Oscars for their artistry. While Fleischer Brothers didn't have the glorious color Disney had nor the awards, their black & white cartoons were stunningly beautiful--and often with a nice 3-D effect. And, Betty Boop and Popeye were very popular in their own right. But the Fleischers wanted to go head to head with Disney--and their two animated features as well as their experiments with color shorts were pretty dismal by comparison. A great example of this is "Chicken a La King"--a thoroughly forgettable and slightly unsavory little short.

The film begins with a rooster in his harem of chickens. They treat him like a sultan--and he's bored! So, when a sexy(???) duck comes along, the rooster is instantly in love with Ducky Wucky. But, when Ducky's boyfriend finds out, he beats the rooster to a pulp--and demonstrating that folks should be happy with what they have and not want something they don't need.

The biggest problems with this cartoon are the animation and the writing--of course, what else is left?! The animation is splashy but lacks the wonderful backgrounds and high quality characters you'd expect from this studio. This, on the other hand, just looks cheap. And as for the story, yuck! A sexy duck?! Who thought this was a good idea? It just nauseated me a bit--like when I saw "Howard the Duck" and they showed naked ducks (you have to see it to understand what I mean). To make it worse, they obtained the world's worst impressionist to do a horrible Mae West. Since she also worked for Paramount, why didn't they just get the REAL voice of Miss West? Well, perhaps because even she had her standards. Overall, a terrible little picture that should have been much better.

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The family genre features stories specifically created to be suitable for a wide range of age groups within a family. Family-oriented content is designed to be enjoyed by both children and adults, often providing entertainment that is wholesome, relatable, and appropriate for all members of a family to watch or experience together.

Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A rooster sultan is bored by his harems. A duck strongly resembling 'Mae West' entices him. Her lover arrives, and they do battle; the lovers leave, and the sultan, humiliated, turns to his harem, who beat him up.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Chicken a la King

Photos

Top Cast2

User reviews3

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed