A Fowl Affair (1931) User Reviews

For The Birds

[boblipton · 4/10 · 1 December 2021]

It's a burlesque of a melodrama in which all the parts are taken by birds. There's lots to be offended by, given that it's a talking comedy, with lots of stereotyped voices, and so forth, and it's not too long before you get tired of the gimmick.

Hal Roach tried a series like this in the early 1920s. It was called the Dippy Doo Dads, and all the performers were animals. It was very expensive to produce, not popular enough to keep going, and surviving examples show up every now and then.

Very bad...but worth seeing!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 4 December 2021]

"A Fowl Affair" is a very bad short film from Educational Pictures. However, you just cannot appreciate how bad it is until you see it! Imagine...a melodrama starring ducks and a few other birds...with humans providing voices. Additionally, they'd all performing on a set that looks like it's the old west...though ducks in cars zip up and down the street! Weird, of course...and so strange you really should see it once. However, I'd be surprised if you watch more than a few minutes, as the film is pretty dippy and isn't all that entertaining...and the idea wears off VERY quickly.

By the way, if you actually like seeing animals dressed and acting like people, there was a series of shorts starring dogs during this same era....and they are also pretty bad. The Dogville Shorts were MGM's answer to the public's demand for dog starring in comedy shorts.