Review: "Who Killed Who" (1943)

Cartooning is next to godliness. Cartoons are excuses to exaggerate real world appendages and conventions in order to make them a vision of an over-the-top director. As a fan of the medium, I feel obliged to shine a light on one of the true visionary director's- Tex Avery and one of his fine works- "Who Killed Who"

This was 1943. Let that really sink in. This was a time where movie violence was over acting. The realm of physics and believability in cartoons was pioneered by the likes of Tex Avery. Small jokes such as the victim reading the book "Who Killed Who (based on the cartoon of the same name)", and the inspector, rather than tip toeing over to be sneaking, extending one leg across the room on a tip toe and then the other leg reeling itself is a visual gag many have copied since then. Sure there were many of these jokes in existence before, but to the level of exaggeration and the rapid pace? It all makes sense in Avery's flow. The inspector asking for all the weapons on the table- lights off. Lights on- we see a giant stack of guns. Lights off- the complete room is now empty, with dust outlines from picture frames and all. Just that little extra bit. Just the pure genius of the line "At the sound of the gun- it will be midnight" and bang the victim is dead! The storyboard of these cartoon are so precise and so well timed that not a second goes by without a build up or gag. Sure this cartoon doesn't ring as loudly as it did in the 1940s (what could?), but there still is a bit of a thud in scenes of a man trying to look behind his back as to have both pupils in the corner of one eye or 17 dead bodies falling out a door (one of them pausing to break the action and call out the gag itself). Then you have Santa for no reason. The story stays true to itself as the entire last third of the film is chasing the masked killer. Grounded in realism- punctuated by absurdity.

So I'm imploring you- don't view this as something to make you laugh. Our generation's cartoon pool is deluded too much for this offer sincere guffaws. Rather look at these as timeless pieces of art, and a important piece to the puzzle of outward thinking. Breaking the 4th wall, rhetorical questions to the audience, the believability of inconsistency, and having a non sequita, non animated conclusion- all these things are thrown at you, and all are within question. This is a plea for reverence. Back in 1943, this was your Dr. Steve Brule, your Andy Kaufman, your Lenny Bruce. See where cartoons are at today and go out and find cartoons that are still true to the spirit of anarchy and urgency of change. This is a plea for respect- Tex Avery and cartoons such as Who Killed Who broke out of complacency, and charted their own territory of what can be possible. This is a plea for a return- do studios eve care what they put out anymore? I get that bottom line is money, but can they get that they can make the future happen? I'm off on a tangent here. Please watch the cartoon. Please watch any Droopy or Screwy Squirrel cartoon. Tex Avery also defined Bugs Bunny in "A Wild Hare". Done now? Done now.