From "The Reluctant Dragon"

Release Date June 20, 1941

Synopsis

Characters

Baby Weems

John Weems

Mrs. Weems

Albert Einstein

George Bernard Shaw

Salvador Dali

Walter Winchell

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Laserdiscs

Japan

Cartoon Classics : Limited Gold Editions : Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studios

DVD

United States

Disney Treasures : Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studios

Comments

Released as part of the feature film, "The Reluctant Dragon."

From Jerry Edwards : One of my favorite "shorts" of all time. Baby Weems is born a baby genius, being able to talk and out "Einstein" Einstein. The short explores the dark side of someone with such genius - he is such a "national treasure" that his own parents aren't even allowed to see him. It is only after the baby falls ill with a high fever that "reduces" him to "just" a normal baby that his parents are allowed to have their baby back. I enjoy this for the surface humor and the "just below the surface" social commentary. The limited animation has always bugged me - I feel Disney committed one of their biggest mistakes in not releasing this as a fully animated short.

From Paul Brinson : I saw this short once about sixty years ago and have never forgotten it. It would be nice if someone woulfd do a think-piece on this think-piece.

From Ryan : It's a pity this short didn't become fully animated, but the storyboard in itself is a work of art. I enjoy the pastel drawings of this cartoon in production as well as the character designs. There is a scene that I particularly enjoy involving Baby Weems discussing one of Einstein's theories.

From Baruch Weiss : I agree 100% that this cartoon should have been fully animated. The idea of a talking baby is cute, must have inspired the Rugrats and the Movie Baby Geniuses. Despite the fact this cartoon was not fully animated it is still great. I enjoyed the scene where after the nurse faints, she calls all the doctors in the city including a doctor called Dr.Shapiro.

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