String Bean Jack (1938)
Article 6068 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 10-16-2022
Directed by John Foster
Voice cast unknown
Country: USA
What it is: Slightly comic retelling of fairy tale

Jack is sent out by his mother to sell the family cow for money, but he sells it for a handful of jelly beans. The mother throws them out but they grow into a beanstalk overnight, and you know the rest…

This cartoon from Terrytoons has a certain historical value, in it was the first one the studio did in color. For this studio, it’s not too bad; it does have a little fun with the two-headed giants, and there are a couple of famous comedians referenced (W. C. Fields and Harpo Marx). Still, once you realize it’s a “Jack and the Beanstalk” variation, it has little in the way of surprises, and the giant appears to be no taller than a rather tall man, a disappointing choice for an animated cartoon. Still, it is one of the better Terrytoons out there.