An Inch in Time Review

An Inch in Time is a 1943 animated short film from the Merry Melodies series. It is a pretty good, very funny flick.

It follows Elmer and his dog who gets attacked by a very persistent, annoying flea. This is an especially relatable carton for me as a dog owner. The characterization of the flea is fantastic and I loved the approach of giving him personality which is fittingly annoying and very stubbornly ambitious. He’s the central focus of the film and the reason why the flick works so well as his song in particular is so catchy and fun while his design is also excellent.

The dog also has his moments with the angry outburst being particularly memorable. The ending is fine, but not great and the entire second half is definitely weaker than the first one. Elmer is also unnecessary here and I do not understand why he was in here to begin with. The animation is pretty strong though.

An Inch in Time has its problems, but the reason why it’s so funny lies in the flea character who’s an ingenious, phenomenal creation.