In the early days of color, a variety of color processes approximated color...but they really were NOT full color. A good example is the Two Color Technicolor system which employed a black & white strip of film overlapped with both a blue-green and orange strip. This did not result in the full spectrum of colors and everything tended to look oddly orangy greeny! So why do many of the early Disney cartoons look beautiful while the competition looked odd? Well, this is because the new Technicolor used three color strips and FINALLY looked like real color...and Disney bought a monopoly on it that lasted until mid- 1935. So, the makers of "Toyland Broadcast" could have either made the cartoon in black & white (like most of the time) or use the inferior two color systems (such as Cinecolor). The results look very strange today, that's for sure.
So what do I think of this film? Well, given that it's a Harmon/Ising Production, it's safe to say I disliked it because their cartoons for MGM and Warner Brothers tended to be very saccharine--with cute characters and often with annoying morals to the story instead of making them fun. And, this film is not particularly fun...though if you were familiar with the humans being parodied in this one (such as Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby and Kate Smith) then you'd get more out of it. Be forewarned however, there's nothing funny to be found in this one AND there are many black characters who are walking stereotypes...the types that give folks today heart attacks!! Have you heard the expression 'an oldie but goody'? Well, it does NOT apply to "Toyland Broadcast"!!
