The Night Watchman (1938) *

Because it took Chuck Jones several years to fully grasp the concept of the High Warner style of animation (invented by Tex Avery and further developped by Frank Tashlin and Bob Clampett), "The Night Watchman" (his directorial debut for the studio) shows far more affinities with the Disney style of animation. The rhythm is slow, characters are cuter there's little satire and no self-reflexive, brechtian humor. The story concerns a sick watchman asking his little son to replace him in guarding the kitchen. Local hoodlums push the little guy around and have a field day stealing the food supplies.