The Organ Grinder

A beloved Italian organ grinder plays his music and sings his song through an immigrant-filled ghetto neighborhood, where hard-scrabble kids and well-proportioned matrons get hep to the beat that flows from the organ grinder's calliope. There are lots of spoofs of life on the Lower East Side and lots of monkeyshines as the organ grinder's pet performs "42nd Street" and imitates some Hollywood greats. The monkey takes wing and gets behind the wheel of a car, driving all over the area and wrecking everything.

Directed by Rudolf Ising, The Organ Grinder leans on a strong ensemble — Ken Darby, Rudolf Ising, Johnny Murray — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about animation titles of 1933.