Susie the Little Blue Coupe is an anthropomorphized car created by Walt Disney Studios for the animated short with the same name. To anthropomorphize is to assign human characteristics to non human objects. Either animals, plants or inanimate objects can be used. Of course, Disney Studios, along with all other animation studios have a long history of this. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Porky Pig are examples. These are all animals. This blog is about anthropomorphizing inanimate objects like Susie the Little Blue Coupe.
Some of my favorite cartoons are these kind. The way animators can imbue cars or hats or boats with a totally believable human personality can be quite entertaining. In the case of Susie the Little Blue Coupe, Susie often seems more human than many people you might meet. Susie is not the only inanimate object that Disney was able to give a human personality to.
Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet were two hats who fell in love. Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl. Boy and girl get separated. Boy and girl are reunited. That’s the definition of a musical comedy. And all to the voices of the Andrew Sisters. This was the ninth segment out of ten which made up the Walt Disney anthology film Make Mine Music in 1946.
Susie the Little Blue Coupe is a stand alone animated short released in 1952. It is narrated by Sterling Holloway. Susie is a small coupe and is purchased by a wealthy man. She is battered over time and traded in. Residing in a junkyard seems to be her permanent fate. Finally, a young man finds her and restores her to a sleek and fine hot rod.
Susie the Little Blue Coupe animation cel
Susie the Little Blue Coupe served as inspiration for the Disney Pixar film Cars in 2006.