Cartoons are rarely as original, funny or clever as the MGM ones of Tex Avery. And in his series of futuristic cartoons of tomorrow, he proves to be all three.
The House of Tomorrow was the first in the series and the one that set the tone for the others to follow. The title says it all, for in documentary fashion, a voice over and clever animation show us in detail what homes will look like in the future - complete with stereo's that become ovens and an extra-wide door for mother-in-laws. I personally find this cartoon the weakest of the series, but it's still loaded with laughs and clever ideas that are well worth checking out.
The Tomorrow series really hit its stride with Car of Tomorrow, featuring none other than cars of the future, complete with ones that drive sideways, cars for your giraffe, a fold-up car that fits in your pocket to avoid parking, and a car with a glass bottom so if you run over a pedestrian, you can look down to see if it's someone you know. This is my personal favorite, although the others are also quite good.
Many people didn't even have television in their homes yet, when this classic first hit the theaters. TV of Tomorrow, like the others, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the future, with this one focusing on television sets, and featuring a non-stop barrage of wacky televisions which includes one for gamblers with a built in teller booth to place bets on the horses, a television complete with fish so one doesn't have to go outside to partake in his favorite pastime, and a set that fixes disturbances caused by overhead planes, by including machine guns for one to use to shoot down the culprit.
THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW - 1949
The House of Tomorrow was the first in the series and the one that set the tone for the others to follow. The title says it all, for in documentary fashion, a voice over and clever animation show us in detail what homes will look like in the future - complete with stereo's that become ovens and an extra-wide door for mother-in-laws. I personally find this cartoon the weakest of the series, but it's still loaded with laughs and clever ideas that are well worth checking out.
CAR OF TOMORROW - 1951
The Tomorrow series really hit its stride with Car of Tomorrow, featuring none other than cars of the future, complete with ones that drive sideways, cars for your giraffe, a fold-up car that fits in your pocket to avoid parking, and a car with a glass bottom so if you run over a pedestrian, you can look down to see if it's someone you know. This is my personal favorite, although the others are also quite good.
TV OF TOMORROW - 1953
Many people didn't even have television in their homes yet, when this classic first hit the theaters. TV of Tomorrow, like the others, is a tongue-in-cheek look at the future, with this one focusing on television sets, and featuring a non-stop barrage of wacky televisions which includes one for gamblers with a built in teller booth to place bets on the horses, a television complete with fish so one doesn't have to go outside to partake in his favorite pastime, and a set that fixes disturbances caused by overhead planes, by including machine guns for one to use to shoot down the culprit.
THE FARM OF TOMORROW- 1954
The Farm of Tomorrow is the last of the Avery Tomorrow cartoons and probably the least seen. However, it is as fresh and clever as the three classics before it. And like the others, the jokes come so fast and furious that it's hard to remember most of them by the time it's over - although I do seem to remember a duck that you can peel like a banana, a chicken slot machine and a cow crossed with a beaver to help swat flies.
These four shorts that make up the Tomorrow series are as good an argument as any for Tex Avery to be considered as one of the most creative animation directors of all time. They are not always politically correct, but like the television show Mad Men, it's a look into a time period long gone. If you've never seen any of these four cartoons in Tex Avery's Tomorrow series, I suggest you seek them out. You'll be richer for it.
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