This is the last of four Oscar-nominated "Puppetoons" I watched as part of my ongoing Academy Awards marathon to commemorate George Pal's birthday. It is the most Disney-ish of the lot, involving an anthropomorphic orchestra. During rehearsal, a number of instruments get to play pretty melodies – while the tuba only supplies monotonous accompaniment; he pines for a chance at his own showpiece, but is ridiculed by the others for deluding himself. He goes off into the forest and runs into a frog, who teaches him that even an unattractive object can stand out from the crowd; rejoining the band, he breaks into a melody – surprising his colleagues who, after the initial shock, spontaneously join in and cheer the tuba's new-found strength. As with much of the era's animation, there is a moral at the heart of the narrative and it is usually a celebration of diversity and inner beauty. For the record, the TV-sourced credits in the copy I watched off "You Tube" misspell the title of this one as TUBBY THE TUBBA!
9 Reviews
Wonderful animation that shows that it can be a good thing to just be yourself and march to your own tune!
llltdesq2 May 2001
This Puppetoon was nominated for an Oscar in 1947 and is absolutely delightful to watch. It shows that, no matter who you are, being true to yourself is not just a good thing for you, but, in the long run, for others as well. Amazing in the detail work and simply and grandly wonderful. I cannot recommend this strongly enough. A marvelous effort!
A wonderful Puppetoon from my childhood
TheLittleSongbird12 June 2010
From such a young age, I have loved music, ever since my granddad introduced two musical gems to me and my brother and sisters. One was Sparky's Magic Piano. The other was this, Tubby the Tuba. Tubby the Tuba is simply wonderful for so many reasons. The detail in my opinion of the visuals are to be admired, and the music is outstanding, some of my friends and I have taught ourselves Tubby's theme and still hum it. The story is sweet and engaging, and Tubby the Tuba does have a wonderful, and I think important, message of it's great to be yourself. I also love the charm and quirkiness of the characters, Piccolo, Senor Pizzicato and of course the endearing little tuba Tubby himself. And the narration is well written and brilliantly delivered. Overall, a wonderful Puppetoon, and a childhood favourite. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Hmmmmmm no
Horst_In_Translation17 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"Tubby the Tuba" is an American animated movie from 1947, so it has its 70th anniversary this year. It runs for slightly under 10 minutes and was the last time director George Pal was nominated for an Oscar in his highly successful 1940s. And again, he lost to Warner Bros. But I am not too mad about it I must say as his puppetoon approach is nothing I am really big on and this includes other works and this one here too. Generally I like underdog stories and the plot is probably still better than the looks of this short film, but I never found myself as curious about the tuba or the other character (flute and frog etc) as I hoped I would be. That's why overall I am not really satisfied here. It is different to what you know from WB and Disney from that period, but that doesn't mean it's particularly good or even memorable. Sorry little tuba guy, but I have to give you a thumbs-down. I hope the 1970s full feature film about the same character is better if I ever check it out.
My favorite Puppetoon
rdfarnham19 November 2009
I saw this at the age of 10 and was fascinated by the idea of this poor little tuba learning how to be something special. Later, in high school, I played the tuba in school band and, yes, I taught myself how to play Tubby's tune. It teaches the lesson that no matter who we are, or how we are regarded by others around us, we are each unique and special with gifts and talents of our own. One of the things that makes this cartoon stand out in my mind is its use of stop motion animation rather than drawings. When this was released on DVD, along with several other of George Pal's creations, I was one of the first to buy it. If you have never seen it try to do so.
George Pal Started A Movement
Seamus282915 March 2009
George Pal was a force to be reckoned with. After leaving Hungry to move to the United States,he inked a deal with Paramont Pictures to produce/direct/animate a long running series of beautiful stop motion animated "puppet" shorts for that studio. Tubby The Tuba,from 1947 is just one of those shorts. Adapted from a popular children's record of the time,Tubby dreams of being a soloist in the orchestra,only to be reminded that he's only an instrument in the harmonic section of the orchestra. Tubby,not listening to the others,decides to test his fate. Does he manage to fulfill his quest? All I can say is,just watch & find out (good luck,as the Paramont shorts have all but been sucked into the proverbial black hole in space,although 'Tubby'has turned up on a few video releases in the 'El Cheapo' budget video section in certain department stores. Not rated,but perfect for the small fry's
surprised
quinn34483 February 2006
I watched this during my first grade student's music class. The film was nicely done and good for children of that age.
However, I was surprised when I saw one of the main characters (Piccolo) in what could only be described as black face.
No harm to the kids.
They didn't understand.
I just found it odd, my cartoon life having been sanitized by Warner Bros. and Disney in the past several years of anything that could slightly be deemed sensitive.
Good or bad, our history is our history.
People should be allowed to view it all.
The movie provided a great way to introduce students to a wider variety of music.
A great message in a time when people are becoming sheeple.
However, I was surprised when I saw one of the main characters (Piccolo) in what could only be described as black face.
No harm to the kids.
They didn't understand.
I just found it odd, my cartoon life having been sanitized by Warner Bros. and Disney in the past several years of anything that could slightly be deemed sensitive.
Good or bad, our history is our history.
People should be allowed to view it all.
The movie provided a great way to introduce students to a wider variety of music.
A great message in a time when people are becoming sheeple.
Tubby the Tuba was so far ahead of its time
goldwing-404165 December 2016
The video (or soundtrack) teaches kids the members of an orchestra, from Strings to Winds, from Brass to Percussion. As each part of the orchestra joins in, the music become more and more rich. The Theme motif is such that all children will like it, as do every adult I have played this for. But more than that, it teaches about bullying and why it is so nasty. Tubby is a total delight, no matter what your age. I discovered this wonderful stop-animation cartoon in 1948 and have loved it since. The story is warm, so easy to feel Tubby's emotions as the story winds out. My sons learned the members of the orchestra with Tubby, perhaps yours will also. Tubby The Tuba was nominated for an Oscar the year it was released.
So Nostalgic
Hitchcoc13 October 2021
I first saw this when I was a little kid. I felt sad for the single instrument in a symphony orchestra. He has no melodies, only accompanies. But as he finds out, he can stretch himself to be the best at what he does. He's also an integral part to the overall sound produced. Quite a lovely little story for those who have something to give but don't realize it.
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