A bunch of Disney-looking Dwarfs play the overture to La Gazza Ladra and do some Rip van Winkle style bowling in this pretty good Walter Lantz Musical Miniature.Although not the best of the Lantz musical cartoons of this period -- those were the swing-style efforts directed by Seamus Culhane -- this one certainly keeps moving along. The style may seem a little antiquated by 1958, being pretty much the "Synchronized Music" style of cartoon that were typical of the earliest sound Mickey Mouse cartoons. Still, the budget and direction were very much up-to-date and the occasional all-musical effort made it worthwhile to dig back into older techniques. This one won't win any new fans for Rossini or director Dick Lundy, but it's certainly fun.
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