Somewhere in Dreamland is a 1936 animated short in Max Fleischer's Color Classics series.[1] The film was produced by Max Fleischer, directed by Dave Fleischer, co-directed by Dawn Fleischer, and was animated by Fleischer veterans Seymour Kneitel and Roland Crandall.[2] The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression, follows two impoverished children who dream that they are in Dreamland where there is an area full of candy and ice cream. The cartoon is Fleischer's first in three-strip Technicolor.[3]
| Somewhere in Dreamland | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dave Fleischer |
| Produced by | Max Fleischer |
| Music by | Murray Mencher Charles Newman |
| Animation by | Seymour Kneitel Roland Crandall |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | Fleischer Studios |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 minutes 55 seconds |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
During the Great Depression, a young brother and sister carry a wagon through town, gathering wood for their home stove. They pass by several merchants' shops and stop for a moment to admire the confectioneries in the bakery. As a friendly baker sees the children, he goes inside and comes back with ice cream for them, but the children have already left. The baker, the tailor, and the market owner gather to make a plan because they want to help the poor children who are mentioned to live around the corner.
The children reach home and sit down for supper: hard bread and flat water. The children eat quickly, with the boy saying that he is still hungry. Their mother, unable to provide enough food for them, begins to cry. The boy tries to make her feel better by assuring that he was only fooling, and their mother kisses them goodnight. They get in their pajamas, and they each sing a part of a song as they fall asleep beneath their tattered sheets.
In their sleep, they enter Dreamland. They happily frolic through the wondrous land, which includes a syrup river, an ice cream cone field, toys, nice clothes, and two luxurious beds. They laugh happily, and then fall asleep, only to wake up the next morning.
To their surprise, a large feast is on the kitchen table, as well as toys and clothing surrounding the room, all of which is provided by the merchants. The children look up to the baker, the tailor, and the market owner, asking twice if all these things are for them. The merchants nod and reply "All for you, yes!" The children shout in joy and begin to eat. However, the boy, suspicious of his good fortune, sticks a fork in his butt to ensure that they aren't just dreaming again. The children laugh and continue to eat as the chorus, "Somewhere in Dreamland tonight," plays.