When and where does the movie take place?

I don't know where this cartoon takes place. But as for the timeline: The funny thing is, I used to think it took place in the time it was made (the 1970s), until I rewatched it just now - you can tell I haven't seen this movie in a very long time!

I thought that until I saw the newspaper articles about Wilbur becoming famous, but then I noticed the words "Clark Gable to lose tonsils". Since Clark Gable died in 1960, that means the movie couldn't have taken place any later than 1960. So then I thought, since the book was written in the 1950s, maybe the cartoon also takes place in the Fifties.

Then I happened to notice a date on the newspaper - it was blurry, but it looked something like 1935. Which brings me to this part of your post:

Because, to me, the clothes the characters wear look like they're from no later than maybe the '30s.

And you would be right. I then noticed how old-fashioned the telephones looked, and pretty much everything else, like the cars and the women's hairstyles - not to mention there was no Rock n' Roll music, the song the 4 men dressed in red sang had a 1930s-ish style. One of those guys also had a Hitler mustache, which seemed to be popular in the Thirties.

"I only have to get a little kitty shot, but you have to get a DOG shot!"
-Garfield, 1986

reply share

add reply

formatting help

I am guessing late 40's or early 50's.

reply share

add reply

formatting help

The time was either the 1930s or 1940s, or someone really liked Franklin D. Roosevelt, as his picture was on the newspaper office wall. Someone also liked old-fashioned cars, telephones, etc., not to mention I wonder if any modern kid would get the corncob typewriter joke. I think the item about Clark Gable's tonsils nails the time most closely. As for the place, the original farm is in Brooklin, Maine: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/08/09/books-charlottes-web-barn-for-sale

reply share

add reply

formatting help