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6.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Sweet Jennie Lee remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have six minutes to spare today, Sweet Jennie Lee is absolutely worth a quick watch. Animation nerds and fans of weird 1930s jazz will love it, but if you hate old black-and-white stuff where things stretch for no reason, steer clear.
This is one of those old Screen Songs cartoons from Dave Fleischer. It is basically a music video from a time when music videos weren't even a thing yet.
The whole plot is just a setup to get you to sing along. Honestly, the bouncing ball segment is kinda hypnotizing.
I kept staring at this one background character. It is a weird little dog-looking thing that just sort of wiggles in the corner for no apparent reason.
Why does everything in this era have to have a face? Even the trees look like they need a nap and a therapist. 🌳
It reminds me a bit of Time on My Hands, another short that relies way too much on the crowd being excited. Except here, the energy is much more chaotic and messy.
There is a moment where a character's legs just... stretch into infinity. It is not even scary, just deeply, deeply weird. 🦵
The song itself is actually pretty catchy. I’ve been humming "Jennie Lee" for three hours now and my roommate wants to kick me out. Thier loss, honestly.
It is definitely more fun than Highly Polished, which felt like it was trying way too hard to be funny. This one just lets the music do the heavy lifting.
It is not a masterpiece, but it is a neat little time capsule. Just don't expect any deep storytelling here.