OVERLOOKED FILM: BILL AND COO (1948)

If there was an overlooked film that was for the birds, this was it.

A review by Trilby 1989 on Internet Archive explains it much better than I could:

"So Cool It Hurts!
"Welcome to Chirpendale, where life is a lark until the raven mad Black Menace swoops down upon the tweet citizenry and brings normal life to a screeching halt.  The role of protecting the roost falls upon our hero, poor but hardworking young taxi driver Bill Singer.  Madly in love with hotel heiress Miss Coo.  Bill must save her and all of Chirpendale from the hateful old crow - twice.  It's a chippy shot for clever, grit-in-the-craw lovebird Bill!
"Swallow 'a few' droppings of bird puns, empty the bird-seed from your pockets and get into the fly-by-night circus, and duck when you see the Black Menace - it's a hoot!"

Based on an idea by entertainment personality Ken Murray (who also produced the film), Bill and Coo was directed by Dean Riesner (his only directing stint) from a screenplay by Riesner and royal Foster. 

Ken Murray, Elizabeth Walters, and George Burton provided the prologue, while the acting came courtesy of Burton's Birds provided most of the acting chops, although Curly Twiford's Jimmy the Crow had the villain role as The Black Menace.  An uncredited Pinto Colvig, "the Dean of Hollywood Voicemen" (perhaps best known as the creator of Bozo the clown, as well as the original voices for Goofy, Pluto, Grumpy, Sleepy, and Popeye's Bluto), sang for the film.

This one-of-a-kind novelty film is charming.  It also holds the distinction of having the smallest set in movie history -- a village mounted on a 30' by 15' table.  Bill and Coo received an Honorary Academy award in 1948.

Gather your family, flock together, and enjoy.


https://archive.org/details/Bill_and_Coo