The Elstree Erbs

Teddie, Piggie and Poll might not have gone down in history like Mickey Mouse, but here is a British answer to Disney’s Steamboat Willie

Disney must have been quaking in his boots. With the all-American Mickey Mouse dominating the British screens the hunt was on for a British equivalent. Joe Noble had been animating since the early 1920s, and was a prime mover in bringing synchronised sound to cartoons. The temporary titles and lack of follow-up episodes is a sign that this effort fell somewhat short of the mark in both technique and tone.