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| King for a Day | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dave Fleischer Directing animator: Willard Bowsky |
| Story by | Joseph E. Stultz |
| Produced by | Max Fleischer |
| Starring | Pinto Colvig Jack Mercer |
| Music by | Uncredited musical supervision: Lou Fleischer Uncredited musical direction: Winston Sharples Musical arrangement: Sammy Timberg |
| Animation by | Character animation: Willard Bowsky James Davis |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
King for a Day is a 1940 animated short film featuring Gabby released by Paramount Pictures in the Max Fleischer Cartoon series. The cartoon was released on October 18, 1940. [1] It was the first entry of the Gabby series, the spin-off cartoon series of Gulliver's Travels .
Gabby is a Lilliputian mailman who has a confidential letter for King Little of Lilliput. Given the King is taking a bath, Gabby waits for him to finish. Eyeing the Royal crown and robes, Gabby tries them on. However, King Little catches him in the act. Gabby nervously returns the crown and robes and hands the King his letter before dashing off. "So, he’d like to be king," Little chuckles as he opens his letter: "Dear Majesty, please be at home today. I have orders to shoot you. Sincerely yours". Shocked at what he takes to be a death threat, the King has a frightened Gabby fetched immediately. Fearing for his safety, Little asks Gabby if he would like to be king for a day, an offer Gabby, surprised the King is not cross with him anymore, eagerly accepts, not knowing that he may be in danger. As Little hides, Gabby reads the letter and, since he is now king, believes it is addressed to him. He then fears for his own life when he realizes that the author is an assassin. What follows is Gabby frantically running from and fighting an enemy who is not even present. Believing he has vanquished an enemy when he fends off part of a suit of armor, Gabby assures Little that he is safe. Little congratulates Gabby and dismisses him, just as an unknown figure arrives to shoot the King as promised. Little and Gabby argue over which is the king, and Gabby runs off just as there's an explosion of flash powder; the man is revealed to only be a photographer (who is similar to Snitch), and the photo is not at all flattering.
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