One Step Ahead of My Shadow is a 1933 Merrie Melodies short directed by Rudolf Ising.
Plot[]
Among the people in a Chinese city are a traffic cop, a bicyclist who uses hat like a bell, a trolley working for "Shanghai Express", a woman holding a pot on her head, and two people impersonating Amos and Andy.
A Chinese boy pushes a boat down a stream, and a duck swallows several fishes, until a giant fish swallows him whole. The boy continues moving along the stream, but stops to sing "One Step Ahead of My Shadow" in a terrible Chinese impersonation. His sweethearts, and the two join in on the song. He pushes a tree sing next to her, and pushes her on it a few times.
A Chinese Aristocrat rides a rickshaw being pulled by a man whose winnying is similar to that of a horse. The rickshaw bumps on the road, and the meter responds with, "No Sale". The aristocrat sharpens his fingernails with his a pencil sharpener, and climbs back onto the rickshaw by shaping the convertible top into a stairway. He arrives at his home and hears a Chinese band. He pulls out an instrument and plays along. Some servants also join in. One of the servant boys uses a man's hat as a cymbal.
The boy and girl are still playing on the swing, when they stop and hear the music. They rush inside the house.
Inside, a dragon hanging from the wall comes to life and starts singing along. A man stands on a row of bald men. The aristocrat and two of his servants continue to sing the song, along the way making fake Chinese words.
Elsewhere, a dragon escapes from his cage and enters the house. He lets out a fierce roar. He sees the girl and chases her into a corner of the house, only for the boy arrive and attempt to throw a sword in the dragon, which fails. They eventually are able to get away, but find themselves being corned again. The boy spots a box of fireworks and throws it into the dragon's mouth. The fireworks burst inside the dragon, although a couple of the rockets do manage to get away such as one that falls into a goldfish bowl and explodes. Another explosion leaves the dragon with nothing but his skeleton. He flees and everybody rejoices.
Caricatures[]
- Jimmy Durante - the people and one fish inside the pots do an impression of him.
- Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll - two people impersonate the title characters from Amos 'n' Andy.
Availability[]
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 3, Side 1: Harman-Ising
Forbidden Hollywood Collection Volume 3 (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Footlight Parade (Warner Archive Collection; unremastered SD)
Notes[]
- This is the earliest Merrie Melodies short currently under copyright. However, in 2029, this and all other shorts released in 1933 will lapse into the public domain in the United States due to the work entering its 96th year of publication or release. The current copyright law only lasts 95 years (an additional 67 from the renewal after the original 28-year period).
- This short is seldom aired on American television today due to Chinese stereotyping.
- Vitaphone release number: 5610
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Catalog of Copyright Entries
- ↑ Scott, Keith (20 September 2022). Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 2. BearManor Media. ISBN 979-8887710112.