Gabby Series (Fleischer Studios)

Hey look, It's that annoying little dwarf from Gulliver's Travels!

Gabby is an animated cartoon series created by Max Fleischer and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The character made his first appearance as the town crier in Fleischer's 1939 animated feature, Gulliver's Travels. Following this, Paramount and Fleischer launched a Technicolor spinoff series starring Gabby, which spanned eight episodes from 1940 to 1941. The character's voice was provided by Pinto Colvig, who was also known for voicing Disney's Goofy, as well as Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Jack Mercer, known for voicing Popeye and characters like King Little, Sneak, Snoop, Snitch, and Twinkle Toes in Gulliver's Travels, frequently collaborated with Colvig, taking on roles such as a king, mayor, snitch, fish, castle worker, fire chief, fireman, or occasionally even providing the humming for Gabby.

The Gabby cartoons were sold to U.M. & M. TV Corporation in 1955, which later became part of National Telefilm Associates, which became Republic Pictures, and was then sold to Paramount's current parent Viacom in 1999. Today, the Gabby cartoons are in the public domain. For official releases, the cartoons are currently syndicated on television by Trifecta Entertainment & Media (inherited from CBS Television Distribution and other companies), original distributor Paramount owns the theatrical rights, and Olive Films owns the DVD rights. However, most Gabby cartoons can be found in faded public domain television prints, usually featuring National Telefilm Associates openings.

Shorts

1940

• "King for a Day" (October 18, 1940)
• "The Constable" (November 15, 1940)

1941

• "All's Well" (January 17, 1941)
• "Two for the Zoo" (February 21, 1941)
• "Swing Cleaning" (April 11, 1941)
• "Fire Cheese" (June 20, 1941)
• "Gabby Goes Fishing" (July 18, 1941)
• "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day" (August 15, 1941)

Why It Sucks

1. The main character, Gabby, is portrayed as quite bothersome and disagreeable, lacking empathy for others, believing he can instruct others on proper conduct, yet often creating problems along the way.
2. Gabby's voice is very grating and shrill. The Fleischers attempted to create a comical effect by pitch-shifting Pinto Colvig's voice, but this approach did not resonate well.
3. Much of the writing tends to be monotonous and foreseeable, lacking the creativity required to captivate the audience.
4. The series barely follows nor mention any of the events of "Max Fleischer’s Gulliver’s Travels". Neither Princess Glory nor Prince David appear in any of the shorts.
5. In "The Constable", a guard commits suicide after seeing Gabby dressed as a pig (albeit done off-screen).
6. The designs for the Rubber-Neck Kangos from "Two for the Zoo" are uncreative and feel like hybrids of Kangaroos, Elephants, and Giraffes.
7. Many jokes fall flat, lacking humor and strength, to such an extent that the Fleischers seem to equate screaming with acting, and the characters display excessive violence towards one another, devoid of any charm or appeal.
   • In "Two for the Zoo," Gabby stretches a baby Rubber-Neck Kango to test if it will grow, which is depicted as a severe form of animal cruelty.
   • Indeed, throughout their time in Miami, the Fleischers often strived excessively to be humorous. However, it was the acquisition of the Superman license towards the end of their studio's tenure that prompted a shift in their approach.
8. Alongside Animated Antics and Stone Age, this series contributed to the decline and subsequent rebranding of Fleischer Studios into Famous Studios.

Redeeming Qualities

1. The animation and music remain impressive for their era.
2. The pilot short; "King for a Day" is decent.
3. Humorous instances are scattered throughout.

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