Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-review by Prof. Popinjay

This is a Rankin and Bass animated adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. This is a hand drawn animation as opposed to the usual stop-motion Rankin and Bass production such as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and the like. Nevertheless the art style is recognizable.

It’s a cute story which harkens greatly to similar feelings imbued by A Christmas Carol. I am grateful R&B simplified this version however as the original story has so many characters it would be confusing for children.

Dickens has such a talent for establishing characters you really want to hate in the beginning of a story and by the end you pity and even may even love them. Cricket on the Hearth is no exception to this kind of storytelling.

Yes, there’s a bunch of tacked on songs and “Big lipped alligator” moments as defined by the Nostalgia Critic. That’s nonsensical songs and diversion scenes that add nothing to the plot. But hey, those diversions keep the kiddies’ interest for just a smidge longer so I applaud them. It’s the equivalent of adding recognizable pub songs to parody operas to keep the drunks happy. Everybody gets their money’s worth.

The cricket is voiced by Roddy McDowell and narrates the story from a “fly on the wall” perspective, hence the title. Oddly enough the whole thing starts and ends with an introduction and outro by Danny Thomas who does not narrate but provides the voice of the character Caleb. It makes sense considering this animated short was made for the Danny Thomas Show but it seems out of place now. Could have saved us a healthy five minutes to cut him off the front and back of this.

It’s an odd coincidence that I wrote this now as I just finished “I’ll See You in My Dreams” featuring Danny Thomas as famed lyricist Gus Kahn. He was fantastic by the way.

Cricket on the Hearth is a sweet/weird animated story with songs and is very accessible version for kids. It only runs about fifty minutes so, why not I guess.