PUSS IN BOOTS (1936)
Article 5303 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-21-2016
Directed by Lotte Reiniger
Voice cast unknown
Country: Germany
What it is: Silhouette-animated fairy tale

A boy is sent out into the world with only a few items and a cat to keep him company. However, when he buys boots for the cat, the cat helps him to be a success.

The songs and dialogue in this short are in German, but the story is familiar enough and the short pretty much follows the standard story. Like all of Reiniger’s shorts, the silhouette animation is engaging and creative; I especially like the encounter with the giant that makes for the climax of the story. I also like the closing scene, which I don’t recall from previous versions of the story, but which gives a nice, fitting close to it. It’s not one of Reiniger’s most breathtaking efforts, but it is very enjoyable.