This film is part of Free
Train Trouble
Who knew so much was riding on a squirrel's breakfast?
Overview
Cartoon proof that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In this 1940s cinema advert the tardiness of Signalman Squirrel's breakfast brings passengers to the brink of a major rail disaster every day. The solution is not setting his alarm earlier, finding an extra pair of hands for his long-suffering wife, or (heaven forbid) making his own breakfast. No, the answer lies in a home delivery mix-up of a familiar cereal box.
Often cited as the first film produced by Halas & Batchelor Cartoon Films in 1940, a recent re-examination of the film negatives and other contemporary documentation reveals that this film was actually released in 1946. Two versions of the film were produced - this 5½ minute version and a shortened cut at just under three minutes. The squirrel character reappears in a second Kellogg's commercial from the same year titled Radio Ructions, with breakfast tardiness nearly leading to a missed broadcast rather than a rail disaster.
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