Film classification regulations in Australia require all films to
either be formally classified OR restricted to an audience of 18
years of age and over. Like most festivals, we do not have the resources
to classify films, and it is for this reason alone that we
are not able to admit any person under the age of 18 years to
the main MIAF screenings.
saturday 25 june, 2.00pm
cinema 2 (unclassified
all ages)
Tickets for kids: only $6!
(Normal single session prices for everyone else)
Cartoon characters don’t get much more classic
than Mister Magoo. Originally brought to life in 1949, Magoo was
a one of the few animated human characters to appear on the cinema
screen. There would be scores of hugely popular shorts, two Oscars,
a successful shift to TV screens in 1960 and a galaxy of merchandise
and spin-offs. Magoo was also the subject of UPA’s first feature
film (“1001 Arabian Nights”).
Magoo’s voice is almost as iconic as the character
himself. It was provided by Jim Backus who was probably most famous
for his star turns as the pompous millionaire Thurston Howell III
in Gilligan’s Island or as James Dean’s father in “Rebel
Without A Cause”. Backus ensured that Magoo sounded delusionally
disconnected from the reality of the improbably crazed situations
that various UPA directors dreamed up for him.
Magoo could mistake a grizzly bear for his nephew
Waldo, he could crazy-ride a crane hook high up a sky scraper thinking
he was in a drafty elevator or accidentally go wandering across
the wing of an aeroplane thinking he was walking around a cinema
lobby. Many of the plots were surprisingly complex but every single
one of them was delivered with a deft and direct connection to the
ol’ funny bone.
The
Ragtime Bear
John Hubley
USA, 7'15, 1949 Magoo mistakes a banjo-playing grizzly bear
for his nephew, Waldo, during a weekend trip to Hodge Podge Lodge.
Trouble
Indemnity
Pete Burness
USA, 6'40, 1950 Mr Tirebiter, a slippery insurance salesman,
signs up Magoo for a juicy $400k policy. It's looking pretty good
until Magoo takes a shortcut through a construction site. Multiple
risks!
Barefaced
Flatfoot
John Hubley
USA, 6'50, 1951 Things traverse from silly
to sillier when Magoo plays amateur detective in a bid to save Waldo
from the non-existent dark forces of the night.
Hotsy
Footsy
William T. Hurtz
USA, 6'30, 1952 A wild night on the dance
floor gets everyone in a spin when Magoo steps into a spotlight he
can't quite see. Oooh, that Magoo.
Magoo
Express
Pete Burness
USA, 6'15, 1955 Spies, mysterious plots and
subtle subterfuge cascade around Magoo after he smuggles his poodle,
Gigi, onto the Orient Express.
When
Magoo Flew
Pete Burness
USA, 6'30, 1955 Magoo takes a wrong turn on
the way to the cinema and winds up on an aeroplane. A little disappointed
with the picture, he decides to step out for a moment.
