Tommy Tucker's Tooth

[sealsm]

Okay guys, I'm trying to find some information on Tommy Tucker's Tooth, a short Disney made in 1922. I've done some internet searches, but there seems to be nothing out there except basic Disney filmography. Does anyone know anything about this film? Is it still in existence or did it get lost somewhere along the way? If it is out there, is there any way to view it? Thanks for the help!

[Neverlandtink]

Re: Tommy Tucker's Tooth

Hi Sealsm,

Tommy Tucker's Tooth was made in Kansas City. This is from the Walt Disney Family Museum...

"As the Laugh-O-gram's Studio was facing increasing financial difficulty, Walt turned to live-action educational filmmaking. He was able to sign a contract with a local dentist, Dr. Thomas McCrum, to make a Laugh-O-gram cartoon, "Tommy Tucker's Tooth" for the Kansas City Dental Institute. The budget was $500.

"Tommy Tucker's Tooth" is primarily a live-action film, featuring children recruited from Kansas City schools. It tells of two boys, one of whom is neat and clean and takes good care of his teeth, while the other is unkempt and sloppy and has bad dental hygiene. When both apply for a job, only Tommy Tucker, the well-groomed one, is successful. Disney then explains basic principles of tooth care by means of easily understandable illustrations. Consistent brushing and dental checkups, for example, are compared to darning a hole in a sock immediately before it grows larger. All of this is augmented by animated details, such as tooth decay demons hacking away at a set of teeth, or pain daggers radiating from the unkempt boy's toothache. Numerous films of later years would attest to Disney's native ability to inform and educate in an entertaining way; this 1922 effort is an auspicious beginning to that sideline. (Apparently, it achieved some success; four years later, by then relatively well established in Hollywood, Disney was commissioned by Dr. McCrum to produce a second dental film. This one was titled "Clara Cleans Her Teeth" and featured Disney's niece, Marjorie Sewell.)

The income from "Tommy Tucker's Tooth" enabled Walt to make his most innovative and ultimately most successful film from this period: "Alice's Wonderland." One obvious reason is an onscreen performance by Walt Disney himself. The film's opening seems almost mythic today: "Alice" -a four-year-old charmer named Virginia Davis- knocks at the Laugh-O-gram office door and announces: "I would like to watch you draw some funnies." Walt, affable and energetic, is happy to oblige. He invites little Alice to sit at his drawing board and, with her, we enter into the magical world of a cartoon studio."

Some of the Alice Comedies are on DVD, but I don't believe that Tommy Tucker's Tooth was ever on video. At least not that know of.

You can also try this address - [email protected]. It was the Disney Magazine "Ask Dave" e-mail for questions about ancient Disney history. Not sure if it's still in use, but you can try. I wrote to them about a year ago about some old dolls I bought on Ebay. I was impressed that they wrote back within a few days with an answer.

Good luck on your search!

Leigh Anne - former Trivia Queen Disney Store #375 -hehe!

[sealsm]

Re: Tommy Tucker's Tooth

Thank you so much for the information! I'll try the e-mail address.

[Neverlandtink]

Re: Tommy Tucker's Tooth

Your welcome! Let us know if you hear from them. Now I'm curious about it!