Tubby the Tuba (1947 film)
Tubby the Tuba is a 1947 American animated short film from Paramount Pictures, directed by George Pal as part of his Puppetoon series. It was based on the original song by Paul Tripp and George Kleinsinger. The film features narration by Victor Jory.
The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short. A feature-length version was released in 1975 by AVCO Embassy. The 1987 compilation feature, The Puppetoon Movie, featured the original short in its entirety.
Plot
This story takes place in an orchestra featuring, among other instruments, a piccolo (Peepo), a flute, an oboe, a clarinet, a bassoon, a trumpet, a French horn, a trombone, a tuba (Tubby), a violin, a cello, a double bass, a xylophone, cymbals, timpani, and a piano. Tubby, the orchestra's tuba, comments after a rehearsal's warmup that he is tired of playing only the bass line. This draws ridicule from the other instruments, and Tubby runs off crying to a nearby creek. A frog who lives there consoles Tubby; both are treated poorly, as neither is thought to be capable or worthy of a solo. The frog teaches Tubby a melody and the two part ways.
The next day, at the warmup, Tubby begins playing his newly learned melody. The orchestral instruments are shocked, but are encouraged to let the tuba have his solo by their conductor. With the frog's help, Tubby gets to play his solo.