Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
... and welcome to 'Day Eleven' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" where I aim to bring you another creepy cartoon classic from the plethora of spooky animated short films that have been released throughout the course of animation history - any of which can be streamed on TV via the magic of Roku media players - so let's dim those lights, for some more fun & frights! :-O
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - that I published eleven days ago, you will know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my post from 'Day Ten' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that it featured a witch who had a valuable lesson to impart, on the subject of Hallowe'en, and began with some youngsters getting ready to "Trick or Treat" the neighbours. Well, by some strange coincidence, there's also a witch in today's creepy cartoon classic... and the title of this short is "Trick or Treat"! :-)
Now, if you still don't recognise the origin of this vintage animated short, I'm sure you will recognise who the star is once you see the opening sequence... which features a likeness of the character painted in white across a garden fence - as per the still frame image shown below - any ideas!?!! ;-)
Yes, it's none other than 'Donald Duck'... and the caricature that's daubed on the fence is no doubt a bit darker than normal to signify that this is a Hallowe'en episode and 'Donald' is a little more sinister than usual - dare I say, even too cruel at times - when it comes to greeting Huey, Dewey and Louie as they arrive on his doorstep hoping to fill their "Trick or Treat" bags but get more than they bargained for from 'Uncle Donald', who takes even more delight than normal in pranking his nephews. Luckily for them, help is at hand... in the shape of 'Witch Hazel', who uses her magic to stop their uncle! :-D
As with many spooky animated shorts, the opening segment is often given over to setting the mood for what is to follow... and, more often than not, this is done simply by showing a sweeping panorama of wherever the story is set. In this case, we are treated to an amazing night-time scene whereby the "camera" rests just behind a rickety wooden fence, atop the rolling hillside, beneath the shadow of the moss-covered branches of a spooky-looking tree with a nearby town - it's church tower backlit by the golden moon - clearly visible on the horizon below a moonlit sky, as shown in the still frame below:-
It's amazing just how quickly a scene such as this can immerse you in the story that's about to follow and, when that's followed-up by the dark figure of a witch on a broomstick, cackling to herself as she zooms across the night sky, you know you are in for a real "treat" of a time... with the possibility of a few (magic) "tricks" along the way. Thereafter, a close-up reveals the red-nosed face of 'Witch Hazel' (see still frame image above) just before she flies past the bell tower of the church, in which as many as twenty pairs of "glowing" eyeballs light-up the blackness of the belfry, and blows a "raspberry" in their direction... adding a loud "BOO!" just for good measure to spook whatever was hiding there! :-)
We soon discover, after all the commotion causes them to flee their hiding place, that those eyeballs belonged to a colony of bats. They fly-off into the night sky, after 'Witch Hazel' uses her broomstick to ring the bell in the church tower several times... before flying straight through them, dispersing the colony in a number of different directions, as her Hallowe'en "joyride" continues through the night!
Descending into the town, 'Witch Hazel' encounters a black cat sitting on a fence post and, leaning forward towards the cat, whispers a quiet "boo!" causing the frightened feline to leap into the air and arch it's back, with fur ruffled and claws extended, in that classic "scaredy cat" pose we all know...
Hopping from one fence post to another, her next encounter is with a large pumpkin perched atop the fence but, when it spins around to reveal a terrifying 'Jack-O-Lantern' face carved into the other side, it's 'Witch Hazel' who falls victim to this latest "jump scare" and promptly hides behind a tree. Then, as the pumpkin appears to move along the fence-top on it's own, 'Witch Hazel' ponders out loud and asks herself: "What manner of ghoul is this?" but, on reaching the end of the fence, it soon becomes clear that the pumpkin is sitting on top of the head of a "ghost" who is leading a trio of costume-clad Trick-Or-Treaters around the block to the next house. Despite their devilish disguises, their tiny duck bills protruding from the costumes reveal them to be none other than Huey, Dewey, and Louie! :-D
As they approach the porch of the next house, the "devil duck" extends his toy pitchfork to press the doorbell. When the buzzer sounds, we discover the occupant of the house is their 'Uncle Donald' who is better known to you and I as "Donald Duck" - remember the fence painting from earlier? - and he quickly jumps-up, exclaiming: "Uh-oh! It's the boys!" but, instead of picking-up the candy bowl from the table, he moves the "treats" aside and grabs some firecrackers with which to "trick" his nephews!
Donald laughs at the sad faces of his nephews, as they glance down at the smouldering remains of their "Trick Or Treat" bags but, instead of comforting them, he decides to escalate things even more by adding: "Now, here's your... TRICK!", before pulling on a rope above his head which is attached to a large bucket above the heads of Huey, Dewey, and Louie who are still stood on the porch...
Now, normally, being drenched in water is not a problem for a duck... but, given these three young ducklings were all in Halllowe'en costume at the time, it certainly put a dampener on their evening. With their misfortune observed, from high-up in a nearby tree, 'Witch Hazel' can't help but feel sorry for the trio of little ducks and sighs: "Awww.... Bless their little black hearts!" in a show of empathy.
As the triplets sit in the gutter, feeling dejected, 'Witch Hazel' flies down on her trusty broomstick - which, by the way, happens to be called 'Beelzebub' - and, on landing beside them, reveals to Huey, Dewey, and Louie, that: "I saw the whole thing, kids!" then, on seeing their excitement at being in the presence of a "real" witch, she adds: "Oh joy! Thou do believeth in witches!", a fact that pleases her so much she pats them all on the head, saying: "Just for that, I'll help thee get thy candy!" :-D
If you think that's bad enough, worse was yet to come... but, rather than reveal any more of the plot at this stage, why don't you sit back and enjoy this Hallowe'en episode of "Donald Duck" yourselves, courtesy of this 'YouTube' video, which was kindly uploaded by 'The Long 4' for everybody to see:-
PLEASE NOTE:- That, while there is also an 'HD version' floating about online, the higher quality is only offered at the cost of a (slightly) cropped image. From what I can tell, it looks like the picture on that copy has been zoomed-in prior to uploading. What I will say is that, if you're not bothered by the prospect of not seeing the full image on-screen, the colours in the 'HD' version really do "pop" and are far better than in the low quality embedded video above. However, for the purposes of this post, I wanted to share a video which showed the full picture (as the animators intended) so, for that reason, I decided to sacrifice the (cropped/zoomed) higher quality for the sake of seeing the whole thing! ;-)
Of course, in addition to watching this embedded version of the cartoon right here on this blog, you can also choose to stream it on your big screen television by using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted eleven days ago, to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you will first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that walks you through the process step-by-step! ;-)
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
On whichever platform you decide to stream this video, listen-out for the recurring theme tune that accompanies different sections of this animated short. In addition to being heard during the opening sequence for this cartoon, the song is reprised (with additional verses & lyrics) just after the 4-minute mark... and again (briefly) from around 07m 46s until the end credits roll. Written by Paul J. Smith (who also composed the "Leave it to Beaver" theme, plus some feature-length Disney classics such as "Pinocchio", and "Cinderella", to name but two) the song "Trick or Treat for Halloween” is extremely catchy and will doubtless get stuck in your head for ages after you hear it. Full credit goes to the artist for doing such a great job with this track... and, if you'd like to discover more about "The Mellomen", there is a dedicated page on 'Wikipedia' which is as good a place as any to start. Meanwhile, in case you would like to sing along, I've transcribed the lyrics for all three sections of the song below:-
Lyrics to "TRICK OR TREAT FOR HALLOWEEN" by The Mellomen
PART ONE - from 00m 00s to 00m 30s:
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat for Halloween
Better give a treat that's good to eat
If you want to keep life serene
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat the whole night through
Little scallawags
With fiendish gags
Can make it tough on you
So when ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring the bell on your front door
Better not be stingy or
Your nightmares will come true...
PART TWO - from 04m 06s to 04m 50s:
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat for Halloween
When the pumpkin shells
Cast evil spells
Your little white house turns green
Your little white house turns green
Your little white house turns green
Every post
Is a ghost
If you've got a witch's brew
And if you want your gate to circulate
Ho ho! We can do that too!
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat for Halloween
When ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring the bell on your front door
You'd better not be stingy or
Your nightmares will come true...
PART THREE - from 07m 46s to 08m 08s:
So when ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring your bell or pound your door
Better not be stingy or…
BOOO!
Since we're on the subject of the music from this animated short, now seems as good a time as any to share a screenshot image of the front cover to the sheet music of "Trick or Treat for Halloween" and, as an added bonus, an excerpt from the official comic book that features the words to the song being sung by a chorus of ghosts in the night sky, as 'Donald Duck' watches from his window below:-
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - that I published eleven days ago, you will know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my post from 'Day Ten' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that it featured a witch who had a valuable lesson to impart, on the subject of Hallowe'en, and began with some youngsters getting ready to "Trick or Treat" the neighbours. Well, by some strange coincidence, there's also a witch in today's creepy cartoon classic... and the title of this short is "Trick or Treat"! :-)
Now, if you still don't recognise the origin of this vintage animated short, I'm sure you will recognise who the star is once you see the opening sequence... which features a likeness of the character painted in white across a garden fence - as per the still frame image shown below - any ideas!?!! ;-)
Yes, it's none other than 'Donald Duck'... and the caricature that's daubed on the fence is no doubt a bit darker than normal to signify that this is a Hallowe'en episode and 'Donald' is a little more sinister than usual - dare I say, even too cruel at times - when it comes to greeting Huey, Dewey and Louie as they arrive on his doorstep hoping to fill their "Trick or Treat" bags but get more than they bargained for from 'Uncle Donald', who takes even more delight than normal in pranking his nephews. Luckily for them, help is at hand... in the shape of 'Witch Hazel', who uses her magic to stop their uncle! :-D
As with many spooky animated shorts, the opening segment is often given over to setting the mood for what is to follow... and, more often than not, this is done simply by showing a sweeping panorama of wherever the story is set. In this case, we are treated to an amazing night-time scene whereby the "camera" rests just behind a rickety wooden fence, atop the rolling hillside, beneath the shadow of the moss-covered branches of a spooky-looking tree with a nearby town - it's church tower backlit by the golden moon - clearly visible on the horizon below a moonlit sky, as shown in the still frame below:-
It's amazing just how quickly a scene such as this can immerse you in the story that's about to follow and, when that's followed-up by the dark figure of a witch on a broomstick, cackling to herself as she zooms across the night sky, you know you are in for a real "treat" of a time... with the possibility of a few (magic) "tricks" along the way. Thereafter, a close-up reveals the red-nosed face of 'Witch Hazel' (see still frame image above) just before she flies past the bell tower of the church, in which as many as twenty pairs of "glowing" eyeballs light-up the blackness of the belfry, and blows a "raspberry" in their direction... adding a loud "BOO!" just for good measure to spook whatever was hiding there! :-)
We soon discover, after all the commotion causes them to flee their hiding place, that those eyeballs belonged to a colony of bats. They fly-off into the night sky, after 'Witch Hazel' uses her broomstick to ring the bell in the church tower several times... before flying straight through them, dispersing the colony in a number of different directions, as her Hallowe'en "joyride" continues through the night!
Descending into the town, 'Witch Hazel' encounters a black cat sitting on a fence post and, leaning forward towards the cat, whispers a quiet "boo!" causing the frightened feline to leap into the air and arch it's back, with fur ruffled and claws extended, in that classic "scaredy cat" pose we all know...
Hopping from one fence post to another, her next encounter is with a large pumpkin perched atop the fence but, when it spins around to reveal a terrifying 'Jack-O-Lantern' face carved into the other side, it's 'Witch Hazel' who falls victim to this latest "jump scare" and promptly hides behind a tree. Then, as the pumpkin appears to move along the fence-top on it's own, 'Witch Hazel' ponders out loud and asks herself: "What manner of ghoul is this?" but, on reaching the end of the fence, it soon becomes clear that the pumpkin is sitting on top of the head of a "ghost" who is leading a trio of costume-clad Trick-Or-Treaters around the block to the next house. Despite their devilish disguises, their tiny duck bills protruding from the costumes reveal them to be none other than Huey, Dewey, and Louie! :-D
Huey, Duey, and Luey... en route to "Trick or Treat" their next victim!
As they approach the porch of the next house, the "devil duck" extends his toy pitchfork to press the doorbell. When the buzzer sounds, we discover the occupant of the house is their 'Uncle Donald' who is better known to you and I as "Donald Duck" - remember the fence painting from earlier? - and he quickly jumps-up, exclaiming: "Uh-oh! It's the boys!" but, instead of picking-up the candy bowl from the table, he moves the "treats" aside and grabs some firecrackers with which to "trick" his nephews!
Donald Waits For His Nephews To Arrive, With A Large Bowl Of Candy At The Ready...
...And Then Comes The Knock At The Door... "Trick Or Treat" !!
But, Instead Of Handing Out Candy... Donald Slips Firecrackers In Their Bags !!
Donald laughs at the sad faces of his nephews, as they glance down at the smouldering remains of their "Trick Or Treat" bags but, instead of comforting them, he decides to escalate things even more by adding: "Now, here's your... TRICK!", before pulling on a rope above his head which is attached to a large bucket above the heads of Huey, Dewey, and Louie who are still stood on the porch...
Safety-Minded - As Any Good Uncle Should Be - He Douses The Flames...
...Then Cruelly Laughs, And Points A Finger, When They Get A Soaking !!
Now, normally, being drenched in water is not a problem for a duck... but, given these three young ducklings were all in Halllowe'en costume at the time, it certainly put a dampener on their evening. With their misfortune observed, from high-up in a nearby tree, 'Witch Hazel' can't help but feel sorry for the trio of little ducks and sighs: "Awww.... Bless their little black hearts!" in a show of empathy.
As the triplets sit in the gutter, feeling dejected, 'Witch Hazel' flies down on her trusty broomstick - which, by the way, happens to be called 'Beelzebub' - and, on landing beside them, reveals to Huey, Dewey, and Louie, that: "I saw the whole thing, kids!" then, on seeing their excitement at being in the presence of a "real" witch, she adds: "Oh joy! Thou do believeth in witches!", a fact that pleases her so much she pats them all on the head, saying: "Just for that, I'll help thee get thy candy!" :-D
Witch Hazel Tries The "Sweet" Approach, To Get Some Of Donald's Candy...
But, Unfortunately, That Doesn't Work... And Witch Hazel Gets An Even Worse Soaking !!
If you think that's bad enough, worse was yet to come... but, rather than reveal any more of the plot at this stage, why don't you sit back and enjoy this Hallowe'en episode of "Donald Duck" yourselves, courtesy of this 'YouTube' video, which was kindly uploaded by 'The Long 4' for everybody to see:-
PLEASE NOTE:- That, while there is also an 'HD version' floating about online, the higher quality is only offered at the cost of a (slightly) cropped image. From what I can tell, it looks like the picture on that copy has been zoomed-in prior to uploading. What I will say is that, if you're not bothered by the prospect of not seeing the full image on-screen, the colours in the 'HD' version really do "pop" and are far better than in the low quality embedded video above. However, for the purposes of this post, I wanted to share a video which showed the full picture (as the animators intended) so, for that reason, I decided to sacrifice the (cropped/zoomed) higher quality for the sake of seeing the whole thing! ;-)
Of course, in addition to watching this embedded version of the cartoon right here on this blog, you can also choose to stream it on your big screen television by using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted eleven days ago, to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you will first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that walks you through the process step-by-step! ;-)
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
On whichever platform you decide to stream this video, listen-out for the recurring theme tune that accompanies different sections of this animated short. In addition to being heard during the opening sequence for this cartoon, the song is reprised (with additional verses & lyrics) just after the 4-minute mark... and again (briefly) from around 07m 46s until the end credits roll. Written by Paul J. Smith (who also composed the "Leave it to Beaver" theme, plus some feature-length Disney classics such as "Pinocchio", and "Cinderella", to name but two) the song "Trick or Treat for Halloween” is extremely catchy and will doubtless get stuck in your head for ages after you hear it. Full credit goes to the artist for doing such a great job with this track... and, if you'd like to discover more about "The Mellomen", there is a dedicated page on 'Wikipedia' which is as good a place as any to start. Meanwhile, in case you would like to sing along, I've transcribed the lyrics for all three sections of the song below:-
Lyrics to "TRICK OR TREAT FOR HALLOWEEN" by The Mellomen
PART ONE - from 00m 00s to 00m 30s:
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat for Halloween
Better give a treat that's good to eat
If you want to keep life serene
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat the whole night through
Little scallawags
With fiendish gags
Can make it tough on you
So when ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring the bell on your front door
Better not be stingy or
Your nightmares will come true...
PART TWO - from 04m 06s to 04m 50s:
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat for Halloween
When the pumpkin shells
Cast evil spells
Your little white house turns green
Your little white house turns green
Your little white house turns green
Every post
Is a ghost
If you've got a witch's brew
And if you want your gate to circulate
Ho ho! We can do that too!
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat (Trick or Treat)
Trick or Treat for Halloween
When ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring the bell on your front door
You'd better not be stingy or
Your nightmares will come true...
PART THREE - from 07m 46s to 08m 08s:
So when ghosts and goblins by the score
Ring your bell or pound your door
Better not be stingy or…
BOOO!
Since we're on the subject of the music from this animated short, now seems as good a time as any to share a screenshot image of the front cover to the sheet music of "Trick or Treat for Halloween" and, as an added bonus, an excerpt from the official comic book that features the words to the song being sung by a chorus of ghosts in the night sky, as 'Donald Duck' watches from his window below:-
Donald Duck - Trick Or Treat (1952) [Sheet Music Cover]
Donald Duck - Trick Or Treat (1952) [Comic Book Art by Carl Barks]
Aside from the sheet music and comic book memorabilia, I also found some additional items when performing a search of 'Google Images' as I compiled this post. They're a bit random... but, taken as a whole, I did feel that they added something to help round-off my look at this creepy cartoon classic:-
Aside from the sheet music and comic book memorabilia, I also found some additional items when performing a search of 'Google Images' as I compiled this post. They're a bit random... but, taken as a whole, I did feel that they added something to help round-off my look at this creepy cartoon classic:-
Walt Disney Presents: Donald Duck - "Trick Or Treat" (1952) [Original Film Poster]
Donald Duck - Trick Or Treat (1952) [Production Cel of Witch Hazel]
Pumpkin / Jack-O-Lantern Mask - Included With "Trick Or Treat" Vinyl [Disneyland Records]
Witch Hazel Mask - Included With "Trick Or Treat" Vinyl [Disneyland Records]
Donald Duck - Trick Or Treat (1952) [Publicity Photo] (via Walt Disney Archives)
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Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of animated film history, when I will suggest another spooky short for 'Day Twelve' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" that you can stream right here on this blog - as well as through the equivalent channel on your Roku player(s). Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" website & show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it, if you visit their blogs and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
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ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by checking-out my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts each weekend where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a weekly basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
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