This is a very good cartoon in many respects, but it's virtually impossible to avoid comparing it to Skeleton Dance, which is a shame, because this cartoon is lessened in the comparison (almost anything would be-Skeleton Dance was the first Silly Symphonies and is one of the great animated works of all time). Part of the problem is the "star" of the short-all too often, Flip the Frog has all the charm and personality of wet mulch. Here, he's principally a prop, a target for sight gags. The short would have been better served with no Flip, no dialog and more sight gags, but then the similarities to Skeleton Dance would be even more pronounced. Besides, Iwerks was trying to develop a recurring character, like Disney had with Mickey. Without Flip, the cartoon wouldn't exist. Still, making Flip more interesting (as they were able to do in other shorts) would have differentiated it from Skeleton Dance more and thus made it an even better short. Visually a treat in any case, even with Flip's blandness as the trick here. Well worth watching, glad it's in print and most recommended. Happy Hallowe'en!
