The 26 Little Lulu cartoons made during 1944-1948 (and the two made in the early 60s) were uneven (individually and the series as a general overview) but watchable.While there are, previous to 'A Bout With a Trout', some good Little Lulu cartoons such as 'Hullaba-Lulu', 'Magica-Lulu', 'Musica-Lulu', 'Bargain Counter Attack' and 'Beau Ties' and some great ones like 'Bored of Education', 'Cad and Caddy' and 'Chick and Double Chick', there are also mediocre or less ones such as 'Lulu Gets a Birdie', 'Lulu at the Zoo' and 'Lulu's Birthday Party' (two of those three having the character of Mandy as one of the main problems).'A Bout With a Trout' is also up there with the best Little Lulu cartoons. It does wonders with a very old, for Famous Studios and in cartoons in general, premise involving a dream sequence, and ends up being one of the most inventive and even educational uses of it. It starts off quite well, but gets better significantly (with funnier and more imaginative material and with visuals that are both inventive and wonderfully surreal).Once again, the animation is nice. The style of it may take some getting used to but when you compare this cartoon to Little Lulu's debut 'Eggs Don't Bounce' the difference is staggering, here the drawing is more refined and the colours more vibrant and some of it is rich in imagination. Winston Sharples' music score is whimsical, beautifully orchestrated and characterful as always. The title song is infectious.Doesn't fall short in the laughs department either, the gags are very well executed and while not always hilarious they are highly amusing and never less with misfires being none. Great ideas, fascinatingly executed without being disjointed. It was interesting to see a more conflicted Little Lulu, the angel and devil concept not being new but still very well done.Also interesting to see a rare example of no dialogue and to see the faces on the stars of Jerry Colonna, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, very famous and popular stars of the time. The voice work is good.Summing up, great cartoon and one of Little Lulu's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

IN CONSIDERING THAT this cartoon short was a production of Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios, which to our way of thinking was never very clever or original, A BOUT WITH A TROUT would certainly have to rank at the top of the studio's output, all time. The story is a commonplace enough sort, being a morality play about playing by the rules, even though it is often inconvenient or less than pleasant.BY FOLLOWING THE long established studio tradition, the story is embellished with a very extensive assembly of visually appealing sight gags; which both move the story along and at the same time slow it down. This handling of the cartoon was very typical and indistinguishable from most of their other projects. It does, however, manage to break out of the pack due to two prominent elements.FIRST OF ALL, the cartoon has the usual sort of incidental music employed in order to emphasize and underscore the on screen action. But here is where things successfully diverge into another avenue of fantasy.AFTER GETTING KNOCKED unconscious by accident, we are privy to a highly hallucinogenic dream that is set to the song 'Swinging on a Star'. Being a perfect choice for a parable about choosing the proper path of behavior. That this is also a hit song done by Paramount's crooning movie star, Bing Crosby, certainly didn't hurt matters, either.BUT THE STUDIO didn't stop there; as images of Bing, Bob Hope and Jerry Colona (Paramount players all) appeared on stars in the heavens during the dream sequence. After all, why have screen rights if you can't use your own properties? Especially when you can get in a plug for your own output, it seemed to be a opportunity for shameless commercialism.SECONDLY, THIS PRODUCTION explores the realm of the Surrealist's treatment of a work of animation. The entire length of this dream of Lulu's is richly laden with images that support our assertions. King sized talking ABCs, dancing letters, stairways to the stars and to heaven itself are all in evidence. And there is nothing here included that could be considered to be in the least gratuitous.IN THE END, of course, in complying with the old Hayes Office standards, Lulu does see the light. But she is, after all LITTLE LULU, as her fade-out punishment of writing her Teacher's prescribed penance on the blackboard 1,000 times demonstrates.

Little Lulu proves to be very entertaining and educational in this cartoon. Lulu decides to blow off school and go fishing instead, and there's a conflict between her good and bad sides. Siding with the devilish Lulu that insists, "Fishing for fish is her life", and ignoring the angelic Lulu who warns her, "If you don't go to school, you may grow up to be a mule", Lulu goes fishing and bumps her head reeling in a fish. She then dreams about all the great things that come from learning, and all the horrible possibilities of how her life might be if she doesn't. Lesson learned, when Lulu wakes up she's determined not to become a mule and she rushes off to school. A classic cartoon that should be remembered. 10/10