Name: Pesty Guest
Genre: Family, Animation, Short
Released: 1965-06-01
Duration: 7 min
Rating: 5.8
Cast: Daws Butler

Chilly Willy's best cartoons were perfect examples of how a potentially one-joke character and concept could end up actually being a perfect mix of the cute and the funny with a lot of colour and good comic timing to go with it.

As far as the Sid Marcus-directed Chilly Willy cartoons go, there are better ones such as 'Fractured Friendship' and especially 'Half Baked Alaska' (the latter being one of the most well-known Chilly Willy for a reason). There are also worse ones like 'Salmon Loafer' and in particular 'Pesky Pelican'. Chilly (the best Chilly Willy cartoon to me is 'The Legend of Rockabye Point') and Smedley have certainly done better than 'Pesty Guest', but the two are great characters and are always watchable together.

'Pesty Guest' is light on plot, and anybody has seen any other Chilly and Smedley cartoon where the main conflict is Smedley trying to stop Chilly from disturbing characters who don't want to be disturbed will find themselves a step or two ahead of the cartoon the whole time. It's that predictable and some of the action is repetitive.

The hunter character is bland even for a character not in it so much, and an explanation could have been provided for Chilly being out in the desert, a very different habitat and one where it doesn't make sense for him to be in. He has changed habitats before but those respective cartoons provided reasons. Some of the animation again is a little rushed looking.

However, the colours are bright and colourful and the backgrounds very simple but handsome enough. One just wishes that the drawing was better. Walter Greene's music is lively and rousingly, cleverly and beautifully orchestrated and fits very well if not quite enhancing the action. Love the opening title credits music.

All the gags are rarely less than amusing and beautifully timed, revolving around Chilly's efforts to disturb the hunter and how it backfires all the time on poor Smedley. The chemistry between Chilly and Smedley sparkles, and it is always remarkable at what Chilly has up his sleeve and how he does it, even when sleep deprived. Underneath all that irresistible cuteness he is one clever, funny and at times fairly brutal penguin.

Chilly is adorable and is also a lot of fun, with his actions speaking far louder than words. He may be a nuisance to his opponents but he wins the viewer over with his cuteness and timing. Smedley shows perfectly why he and Chilly Willy work so well together, and is marvellously voiced by Daws Butler in southern drawl Huckleberry Hound mode. Oh and the ending is very sweet.

In conclusion, not great but cute and fun. 6/10 Bethany Cox

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.

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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.

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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)

Chilly Willy goes to a hotel where Smedly works for. A man wants to spend the night there.

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Pesty Guest

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