User Reviews

"Greetings Bait" is an animated short film that has its 75th anniversary soon, so it came out during the days of World War II and features some of the usual names from Warner Bros around that era, namely Friz Freleng, Tedd Pierce and Mel Blanc. This little film here was nominated for an Oscar and it was the 6th and final nomination for Leon Schlesinger and he ended up empty again as Tom and Jerry took home the prize that year again. "Greetings Bait" is actually the sequel to another cartoon and this one here is about a little worm who is used as bait to catch fish, but he is smart enough to never get in danger himself until a crab appears 4 minutes into the film approximately. Who will prevail? Watch for yourself. Or don't, as this cartoon really was not too funny or memorable and I can see why the film and the character (read he resembles Jerry Colonna, no idea who that is) are almost entirely forgotten today. No idea how people, also other reviewers, can give this one a perfect 10/10. This is not on par with the best films in history, obviously. It's not even nowhere near the best cartoons from the early 1940s, even if Blanc shines once again. Not recommended.

And I am still trying to decipher some meaning from the title. Given that this a WWII era cartoon short, is it comparing the "worm's" (I've done some fishing in my time, but I've never seen a big green worm like this; if this story was taking place in the modern era, perhaps I could stretch my imagination and see it as a talking caterpillar on steroids; or, conversely, suspending my disbelief, it could be ALICE IN WONDERLAND's chum as a child. or whatever you call a juvenile caterpillar) fish "catches" to the guys who respond to those dreaded missives with the salutation "Greetings" from the local draft board? If so, this allusion is a tenuous connection at best (and it also would beg the question as to whether the "worm's" eventual rival for fish and threat to survival--namely, the lobster--is supposed to represent Hitler or Hirohito; personally, I'd vote Hirohito, based on the resemblance around the eyes). Though DRAFT HORSE, another Merrie Melodies animated short which Turner couples with another Bogart war-time effort in its DVD package, is more entertaining (thanks to Mel Blanc), GREETINGS BAIT is okay, if ambiguous. (And the confusion people are having is because IMDb does NOT include GREETINGS BAIT in its list of 250 Merrie Melodies animated shorts, an oversight anyone taking the time to actually WATCH this fishing cartoon will recognize.)