Is French Fried (1930) actually funny or just loud?

Should you even watch this?

If you have six minutes and you like old cartoons that feel like they were made on a sugar rush, then yeah. It’s fun.

If you hate repetitive music and characters with no bones, stay far away. French Fried is very much a product of its time—loud, fast, and kinda nonsensical.

The vibe of the kitchen

Paul Terry and Frank Moser weren't trying to win awards here. They just wanted to make kids giggle and keep the theater seats warm.

The chef in this is hilarious because he looks like a giant thumb with a mustache. He’s trying to cook, but these mice are basically ruining his life.

There’s this one part where a mouse jumps into a pot and it just feels... gross? Even for a cartoon. 🐭

The animation is that classic rubber hose style. Everyone’s limbs just stretch like they’re made of chewing gum.

I noticed that the stove actually has a face for like, three seconds. Why? No idea. It never happens again.

The music is a lot

The score is basically just one song played over and over on a loop. It’s catchy but it starts to feel like a drill in your ear after the fourth minute.

It reminds me of the soundtrack in The Blues, but way more frantic. It’s like the band was trying to finish before the building burned down.

I actually think the music is what makes it watchable. Without it, you’d just be watching a guy get hit with pans in silence.

"It’s the kind of cartoon where logic goes to die and physics are just a suggestion."

I was thinking about how this compares to The Hug Bug. That one felt a bit more focused. This one is just... splat.

There is a weird bit where the chef's hat falls off. It happens so fast I had to rewind. It’s like the animator forgot to draw it for a frame.

I love finding those little mistakes. It makes it feel like real people were actually drawing this in a basement somewhere.

Why the mice are so mean

Mice in 1930s cartoons were usually jerks. These ones are no exception.

• They steal the food.
• They trip the chef.
• They basically laugh at his pain.
• One of them uses a fork like a weapon.

It’s a bit different from the stuff you see in Alice's Brown Derby. That had more of a story feel. This is just a kitchen brawl.

I wondered if this was supposed to be a parody of French cooking. Probably not. It's mostly just an excuse for slapstick.

The background art is actually surprisingly good. The kitchen looks lived-in. There’s soot on the walls and the tiles look cracked.

Compare that to the characters who are just white and black blobs. It’s a strange contrast.

I think Moser was better at drawing pots and pans than he was at drawing faces. That’s okay. We all have our strengths.

Is it as weird as Mrs. Thompson? No, nothing is that weird. But it’s got its own brand of crazy.

I watched it twice because I missed a gag the first time involving a rolling pin. The timing is so fast it’s easy to blink and miss the joke.

The ending is pretty abrupt too. It just... stops. No real resolution. The chef is still mad, the mice are still there. 🍟

Didja notice?

• The chef’s apron changes length in almost every shot.
• There’s a cat that shows up for two seconds and then vanishes forever. 🐱
• The way the steam curls off the soup looks like it was rotoscoped.
• One mouse has four fingers, then three, then four again.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a neat little time capsule. If you’re bored, give it a go. Just don't expect it to make sense.

I’m probably gonna go watch The Firebrand now to see if it’s any more grounded. Probably not.

Anyway, French Fried is a solid 'okay' for me. It’s cute. It’s fast. It’s messy.