The Friendly Ghost (1945)

the audience applauded

Expected more

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Blistering performances.

The Friendly Ghost may not be the best of the Casper cartoons, there is understandably a not-quite-found its feet yet. However, this still manages to be a good start, and made room for better to follow.The Friendly Ghost is not the best-looking of the series, it's not quite as lush or colourful, the grainy picture quality doesn't help and Casper did look odd and as if his design was still developing (understandable). Overall however, it is still quite good, most of the characters are well drawn and move well, some of the colours are beautiful and the backgrounds are very detailed and have a lot of atmosphere in the early parts of the cartoon. Winston Sharples' music as always is outstanding and often one of the best assets of all the cartoons they feature in. It's beautifully orchestrated, lively, poignant-sounding without being saccharine and in the early parts it's also quite spooky.Dialogue here is sweet and moving (this is not the sort of cartoon that's particularly funny, the man at the end's fright at seeing Casper is wonderfully exaggerated), though Casper feeling sorry for himself doesn't quite avoid being too sentimental. The story, while not particularly innovative, is incredibly cute, with the befriending of the children, has a lot of charm and atmosphere and is quite poignant (if not as heart-wrenching as the cartoon made afterwards). I do agree that the family's acceptance of Casper was too rushed and too quickly introduced. The moral does avoid being laid on too thick or heavy-handed. The characters are engaging, and the voice acting is very solid.All in all, there is better in the Casper the Friendly Ghost series but this is a good start. 7/10 Bethany Cox

First and foremost, this little cartoon I only watched because I said that I was more scared by Casper The Friendly Ghost than Friday The 13th.This cartoon is about a ghost who, unlike dozens of others prefers to stay home and read "How To Win Friends" instead of scaring people. He decides to leave and try and be something else other than an object of horror. But that is easier said than done in this world because in here everyone believes in ghosts and they all are scared of him. He then meets 2 friends and their mother. Then when a banker with a mortgage comes along his disappearance is faster than his appearance when he sees Casper.Now, this cartoon was made in 1945 so you know exactly what to expect. This sort of "Gee-Whiz" attitude that occupied most screens when the film is targeted at children. If you can't stand that (which I can't) then do not watch this movie unless you like stories with a good moral. Now with this moral, you've heard it about a million times before in stuff like fairy tales and other (better) kids films "It's what's on the inside that counts." So in the long run there is nothing new or innovative about this one, I could think of about a million better ways to spend 10 minutes.The way he gets accepted into the family is about 200 times too fast. If you look away from your screen for thirty seconds you'll only get as far as "She's scared of Casper" and after you look away for thirty seconds your thoughts will be "He's in the family, How did that happen?". I don't suggest you watch it unless you like the "Gee Whiz" attitude from kids films around that time. If you don't like that then you won't like this.

Here is an excellent start of the "Casper" cartoon series, because this is the very first Casper cartoon. I remember watching this short from an old VHS I used to have, but was lost with the other two early Casper cartoons ever made.The story goes with a pudgy Casper running away from home, upset about the ghostly antics of his many siblings. Along the road, Casper tries to make friends, but the all ran away. Poor Casper was so sad and depressed, he tried committing suicide by sitting on the railroad tracks, but forgotten he's already dead and wept. Now at that moment, two children came by and ask Casper if he wants to play with them. Of course Casper said "yes", and it looks like he made two friends. But will it lasted? well just watch it and see. So, I love this cartoon! and like I said, it's an excellent start of the Casper cartoons.

This first CASPER cartoon is an engaging little film (though Casper is almost unrecognizable--his design was later "cleaned up" and streamlined as he developed, much like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny) that has much to offer younger children. Issues such as fair play, overcoming peer pressure and being accepted for who you are (not by how you appear) make this a charming bit of animation for children that offers a nice moral education as well.Later on, as Famous Studios would try to understand how to approach Casper as a character, they would often get esoteric (THERE'S GOOD BOOS TONIGHT is an example of how they tried to make Casper a "serious" cartoon, and features actual death). Ultimately, Harveytoons would make Casper into a brain-dead ghost--but here he is a ghost with a soul.