IN CONSIDERING THAT this cartoon short was a production of Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios, which to our way of thinking was never very clever or original, A BOUT WITH A TROUT would certainly have to rank at the top of the studio's output, all time. The story is a commonplace enough sort, being a morality play about playing by the rules, even though it is often inconvenient or less than pleasant.
BY FOLLOWING THE long established studio tradition, the story is embellished with a very extensive assembly of visually appealing sight gags; which both move the story along and at the same time slow it down. This handling of the cartoon was very typical and indistinguishable from most of their other projects. It does, however, manage to break out of the pack due to two prominent elements.
FIRST OF ALL, the cartoon has the usual sort of incidental music employed in order to emphasize and underscore the on screen action. But here is where things successfully diverge into another avenue of fantasy.
AFTER GETTING KNOCKED unconscious by accident, we are privy to a highly hallucinogenic dream that is set to the song 'Swinging on a Star'. Being a perfect choice for a parable about choosing the proper path of behavior. That this is also a hit song done by Paramount's crooning movie star, Bing Crosby, certainly didn't hurt matters, either.
BUT THE STUDIO didn't stop there; as images of Bing, Bob Hope and Jerry Colona (Paramount players all) appeared on stars in the heavens during the dream sequence. After all, why have screen rights if you can't use your own properties? Especially when you can get in a plug for your own output, it seemed to be a opportunity for shameless commercialism.
SECONDLY, THIS PRODUCTION explores the realm of the Surrealist's treatment of a work of animation. The entire length of this dream of Lulu's is richly laden with images that support our assertions. King sized talking ABCs, dancing letters, stairways to the stars and to heaven itself are all in evidence. And there is nothing here included that could be considered to be in the least gratuitous.
IN THE END, of course, in complying with the old Hayes Office standards, Lulu does see the light. But she is, after all LITTLE LULU, as her fade-out punishment of writing her Teacher's prescribed penance on the blackboard 1,000 times demonstrates.