This film is part of Free

Train Trouble

Who knew so much was riding on a squirrel's breakfast?

Advert 1946 3 mins

Overview

Cartoon proof that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In this 1940s cinema advert the tardiness of Signalman Squirrel's breakfast brings passengers to the brink of a major rail disaster every day. The solution is not setting his alarm earlier, finding an extra pair of hands for his long-suffering wife, or (heaven forbid) making his own breakfast. No, the answer lies in a home delivery mix-up of a familiar cereal box.

Often cited as the first film produced by Halas & Batchelor Cartoon Films in 1940, a recent re-examination of the film negatives and other contemporary documentation reveals that this film was actually released in 1946. Two versions of the film were produced - this 5½ minute version and a shortened cut at just under three minutes. The squirrel character reappears in a second Kellogg's commercial from the same year titled Radio Ructions, with breakfast tardiness nearly leading to a missed broadcast rather than a rail disaster.

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