Truly Dreadful Film

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did. All five Screwy Squirrel cartoons are great (my least favourite is 'Big-Wheel-Watha' but it is still wonderfully and hugely funny, just have a preference for the more daring Screwy cartoons), it is a shame that there weren't more, with 'Lonesome Lenny' being a close second favourite after 'The Screwy Truant'.Despite being a compelling, much more anarchic than his sweet appearance and funny character, as well as being charismatic enough to carry his cartoons as a lead character (as he does here), it is somewhat easy to see why Screwy didn't click and didn't last long, being a brash character with few sympathetic qualities. As one can guess, while one can see why others find him annoying, he's never been a problem with me. The Lenny-like dog, dumb and strong, manages to be Screwy's best opponent.Tex Avery does a wonderful job directing, with his unique, unlike-any-other visual and characteristic and incredibly distinctive wacky humour style all over it once again.Furthermore, 'Lonesome Lenny' is once again wonderfully over-the-top, very creative in its violent tone and some of it is hilarious, with enough variety to stop it from being repetitious.It's beautifully and brilliantly animated as usual. The character designs are unique, Avery always did have creative character designs, and suitably fluid. The music, courtesy of Scott Bradley, is lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms and fits very well indeed.Voice acting is very good.Altogether, wonderful and it was sad that there weren't more Screwy cartoons. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Lonesome Lenny (1946) was sadly the last of the run of Screwball Squirrel. The Napoleon hat wearing manic Squirrel met his match with a very large and dim witted dog name Lenny.SpoilersLenny is a doofus who likes to keep and play with small furry things (based upon the infamous Lenny Smalls from Of Mice and Men). He even has his own theme music. In several scenes "If I only Had a Brain" is played instrumentally in the background. Screwball confronts the big oaf and challenges him. An unwise decision. Poor Screwball pulls out every single trick in his hat but all to no avail. He becomes Lenny's latest victim. Screwball's run ended in typical Tex Avery fashion.A highly recommended short and one of the first characterizations of Lenny Smalls. He even calls Screwy "George"! Tex Avery would use this in several other cartoons. I guess he liked to parody George and Lenny. Funny short if you can find it!A+

This is one of my favorite cartoon. Unlike others I think the screwy squirrel is a very funny character. Tex Avery was a very gifted and talented animator with a dark humor and all his cartoons are excellent. This one is not an exception. Too bad that there are only five cartoons of this crazy character.

This short was the last one to feature Screwy Squirrel. His nemesis here is a dog patterned after the character Lenny from Of Mice and Men, which was a device used quite often in cartoons, particularly by Tex Avery (who used the two leads as the pattern for George and Junior as well). Good, if not particularly novel, short, which is probably why Avery stopped-he'd taken Screwy as far as he could and there wasn't much more to do with him. Characters were seldom important to Avery in any case. Well worth tracking down. Recommended.