New Showbiz

You are here:
Cracked Ice

Cracked Ice

1938

NR

Director

Frank Tashlin

Runtime

8 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

It's ice skating time. After a few generic ice-skating gags, we get to the main story. An animal falls through the ice, and a pig doing W.C. Fields (W.C. Squeals, apparently) calls for help from a Saint Bernard dog. The dog dispenses a drink, and Squeals begins scheming to get some himself. First he tries faking his own fall through the ice, but the dog sees through it and downs the drink himself. Then Squeals tries using a dish of bones and a magnet, but the magnet falls through the ice and gets stuck around a fish. The fish then swims through a liquor spill from the dog's casket; the drunken fish grabs an ax and, swimming in a circle, dunks another skater. He then latches onto Squeals' skates, and hauls him into an ice-skating contest, where the fish-induced antics win him first prize. Squeals fills the loving cup from the dog's cask, and the fish swims off with it.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

2.4/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks any depiction of queer identities or non-cisnormative subtext. The anthropomorphic characters focus entirely on slapstick rivalry and physical comedy.

Gender Representation

Limited

There is no significant presence of female characters to evaluate. The narrative centers on the interactions between a pig and a Saint Bernard.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The use of animal characters bypasses human racial signifiers. However, the designs reflect the homogeneous creative landscape of 1930s animation without using species as metaphors.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The story follows traditional comedic structures and tropes. It uses standard elements like a 'loving cup' for mischief rather than critiquing social or religious frameworks.

Disability Representation

Minimal

No intentional representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities exists. Physical mishaps are used strictly as tools for kinetic, slapstick comedy.

Strengths

  • Utilizes sophisticated cinematic techniques and rhythmic timing characteristic of Frank Tashlin's direction.
  • Provides high-energy, kinetic slapstick comedy through clever physical gags and animal antics.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks meaningful representation of marginalized identities or diverse character archetypes.
  • Fails to provide any agency or presence for female characters within the narrative.

AI Analysis

Cracked Ice is a quintessential 1930s slapstick short that prioritizes rhythmic movement and gag cycles over character depth. The narrative relies on anthropomorphic animals to drive physical comedy, which inherently avoids human social signifiers. Because the film functions within established cartoon archetypes of its era, it lacks the intentionality needed to address identity or social hierarchies. The focus remains on the chaotic antics of Squeals the pig and a drunken fish.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.