Eliza on the Ice (1944) User Reviews

On ice with stereotypes and Mighty Mouse

[TheLittleSongbird · 4/10 · 20 July 2019]

Terrytoons Studios' output has always varied with me, few of the yearly batches being consistent, on both extremes of weak and good with most in between. But their output generally showed steady improvement over time despite not caring for much of their later output. Mighty Mouse was a watchable series of cartoons, though got increasingly formulaic. And Mighty Mouse himself was limited but was hardly an unlikeable character.

1944 was not a bad year for Terrytoons, one of their better and least inconsistent years in my view and one could see the improvement. That certainly applies to up to this point of the batch, where the cartoons ranged from average to pretty good generally. Which was why it was a let down watching 'Eliza on the Ice', one of the weaker 1944 Terrytoons cartoons, feeling like quite a big step backwards and like something that one would expect in an early 30s Terrytoon, except with better animation quality. It is also sad that the previous cartoon 'My Boy Johnny' was one of the studio's best and most mature and then such a short time later it was like that cartoon and the step in the right direction had not happened.

Will start with 'Eliza on the Ice's' good things, because they are there. Its best asset, not unexpectedly, is the music. Beautifully orchestrated, lush, character and adds much to the images and goings on. On an equal level is the animation, as said more than once the studio's most improved component from when they first started. It is nicely detailed, lively and colourful without being garish.

Also thought the ice floes on the river gag was quite nice and amusing and Eliza is a likeable character, the only one to really make an impression.

Neither of the rest of the characters were interesting in personality and have nothing to make one like them, they are also stereotypes and not ones for the easily offended either, ones that would have been more in place in the 30s. It's billed as a Mighty Mouse cartoon, except he is here a plot device supporting character, if even that, and one that is completely unnecessary and out of place amongst everything else. The climax is pure formula and not very exciting when you know how it is all going to end.

Other than the ice floes gag, the gags are not enough and what there are are predictable or distasteful. The story is dull, starting off quite strange and never properly recovers, and barely exists, most of it is a very old-hat idea recycled but now very tired and the (very formulaic) Mighty Mouse climax is like watching a different cartoon.

'Eliza on the Ice' on the whole is worth a peek for historical and completest sake but not much more than that. 4/10

Pretty much a typical Mighty Mouse short, except this one will offend a lot of people

[llltdesq · 6/10 · 21 December 2015]

This is a cartoon in the Mighty Mouse series produced by Terrytoons studio. There will be spoilers ahead:

This, in many respects, is your basic Mighty Mouse cartoon-the first two-thirds of this sets up a peril which befalls a heroine, with the villain creating problems and then, just when it looks hopeless, Mighty Mouse is called in to save the day. But the heroine is Eliza, from Uncle Tom's Cabin, the villain is Simon Legree and the peril is the chase across the ice. Somehow, I suspect Harriet Beecher Stowe is whirling in her grave!

There's a jazz band and Uncle Remus comes bopping in while Eliza and Legree are standing around. Uncle Remus gives the signal to start the chase, after asking the various participants (including the bloodhounds) if they're ready and then off everybody goes.

The gags are largely standard for Terrytoons, although there are a few which are relatively novel and some with racial connotations/stereotypes. There's a nice gag with regard to the ice floes on the river and how that begins. There's also a joke where Eliza and her baby are stoking the furnace on a train with something unusual and very stereotypical. A lot of people would blow a gasket just on this gag alone.

After roughly two-thirds of the short is over, Eliza is in trouble, but Little Eva places a call to Mighty Mouse from her perch on a cloud and he comes in to save the day. Standard Mighty Mouse ending, down to the superfluous ending peril so that Mighty Mouse can show off.

Worth seeing, but if you're easily offended, you might want to pass on seeing this one.

Old Copy of "Eliza On Ice"

[WillNich-1 · 3/10 · 16 August 2009]

I have an old home movie copy of "Eliza On Ice" that's missing a few feet at the beginning but is otherwise in excellent shape. Yes, by today's standards this would be definitely offensive because of the several racial stereotypes. The worst, I think, is a scene where black men on a train are using watermelons to stoke the engine. Of course, on the flip side, Eliza (and Mighty Mouse) do win out in the end over the evil slave hunter Simon LeGree, so there's a positive message (of sorts). But I agree that this film will probably never be shown at a film festival. At best, it is important for students of 20th century culture and those who study race and race relations, so in that regard it's important for serious historians. But I liken this film to the old Mammy cookie jars and some of those old salt and pepper shakers of black boys eating watermelon (the pepper came from his head, the detachable watermelon had the salt, I believe). Offensive but, from a historical standpoint, curious.

Very rare banned Mighty Mouse

[stevenfallonnyc · 10/10 · 17 August 2004]

This is an extremely rare Mighty Mouse cartoon, banned because of its racial stereotypes so there's a good chance this will never seen the light of day again, unless you find it in bootleg circles (as I have).

In black and white, the cartoon starts off pretty strange as Eliza and her baby go to the "starting line" with the infamous Simon LeGree and his snowdogs. Uncle Tom, who starts the event, even asks everyone if they're ready ("Is the dogs ready?").

Once they're off, LeGree then chases Eliza through a winter wonderland of ice and snow. Of course during the chase Eliza comes across a giant slot machine that she has to play. Mighty Mouse ends up getting a call (from Little Eva) in his hideout and comes to "save the day" once again.

One thing of interest is something at the start of the cartoon during the titles which indicated the cartoon was for home use only or something along those lines. So perhaps this was something people could rent out or buy to bring home, much like VHS tapes and DVDs years later? Definitely a cartoon Mighty Mouse completists would want for their collections.