Nicole Cherry
June 29, 2025

  • Series Casper the Friendly Ghost 
  • Directed by Bill Tyla 
  • Produced by Seymour Kneitel ,I. Sparber, Bill Tytla, Sam Buchwald (associate producer) (all uncredited) 
  • Story by I.Klein 
  • Scenics Robert Little 
  • Musicc Winston Sharples 
  • Animation by George Germanetti 
  • Studio Famous Studios 
  • Run Time 8min 6sec 
  • Release date October 13, 1950 

How was it made? 

  • Animation 
  • Traditional hand-drawn animation on cels. 
  • Technicolor was used for vibrant color. 
  • The Music was friendly and cheerful, and playful not overbearing or scarry. The score was done by the composer Winston Sharples, and it’s the music that really makes this short work, and entertaing. 
  • The songs were written for the short and are “Ghosts Were Made to Haunt and Scare” and Casper Is Our Kind”, both never recorded. The “Radetzky March” by  Johann Strauss Sr. is played during the Fish Fair. 
  • Voices 
  • Jackson Beck 
  • Jack Mercer 
  • Mae Questel 
  • Sid Raymond 
  • Alan Shay 
  • (all uncredited) 

Theatrical Release 

released theatrically as a short subject, shown before feature films in cinemas, which was the standard practice for animated shorts at the time. 

Distribution Its part of the Noveltoon series produced by Famous Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures 

Characters 

  • Casper the Friendly Ghost Voiced by Alan Shay 
  • Goldie the Goldfish Voiced by Mae Questel 
  • Ghost Leader Voiced by Jackson Beck 
  • Other Ghosts Voiced by Sid Raymond, Jack Mercer, and others 
  • Fish Fair Barker Voiced by Jackson Beck and Jack Mercer,  
  • Fishermen Voiced by Jackson Beck, Jack Mercer, and Sid Raymond 

Plot & Narrative Structure 

The cartoon follows a classic three-act structure. Casper gets rejected by society and his peers, goes into despair, and tries to drown himself with a rock tied around his neck. Instead, he finds friendship with the fish under the sea. When his new friends are captured in a net, he rescues them—becoming a hero. This leads to a happy ending and a sense of closure. 

First, poor Casper gets the cold shoulder from the other ghosts and ends up feeling totally alone—so much so that he tries to sink himself to the bottom of the sea (but he’s a ghost, so things don’t go as planned). Instead, his rock bottoms makes him stumbles into an underwater world and finds a bunch of new fishy friends starting with Goldie a pretty flirty fish. But just when it seems like things are looking up, trouble strikes: his pals get scooped up in a fishing net! Casper steps up, saves the day, and earns himself a song of praise. 

This cartoon has some strong elements that blend and balance nicely. We see the effects of rejection and loneliness and how that can lead to drastic measures. Yet, we also see how something as simple as friendship and kindness can completely change someone’s life, putting them on a new path and helping them find a place in the world. Even if you’re not a hero to everyone, it doesn’t mean you’re not a hero or important to others. That’s quite beautiful. 

There’s some humor and sadness, and even a little bit of playful flirting between Goldie the goldfish and Casper at the beginning—all coming together with the uplifting music and vibrant colors of the scene. In just eight minutes, you’re taught something invaluable in this short cartoon.  

How Did I See It? 

I watched the film on YouTube 

My Thoughts 

I was taken in right from the start by the musical score in this short. It’s just so fun and cheerful, which feels kind of uplifting—but then, we’re talking about ghosts! These aren’t your usual scary ghosts, though, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for Casper right off the bat. He gets kicked out just for wanting to be a good ghost and not scare people. 

There’s nothing he can do to change who he is. Even the bees in the cartoon burst out of their nest and form into words that say “a ghost,” and then Casper gets covered in honey. It’s like there’s nothing in the world that can see him for more than just his ghostly appearance, and I thought, wow, that’s kind of dark. The fact that this is a kids’ cartoon and Casper’s tying a rope around his neck and throwing a rock off the dock to try to sink himself—it’s heavy stuff. And then, when he hits the bottom, I was like, oh my God, Goldie the fish is flirting with Casper. 

I’ve always loved Casper the Friendly Ghost, and seeing him interact with all the sea creatures was great. The way they did the coloring and the different events at the fish fair made it feel fun and lighthearted, lifting you back up out of the brief sadness. You get to root for Casper, and then you see him become the hero and rescue his friends. I really enjoyed it. I think it’s a well-balanced and fun cartoon, and there are some good, heartfelt lessons in it. 

Reception 

specific box office or audience data from the 1950 release is scarce, the cartoon is retrospectively regarded as one of the best early Casper shorts. It is often highlighted for its animation quality and emotional storytelling. Modern reviews said it was great animation with vibrant colours and great musical score. 

It is recognized as one of the most honourable mentions among the Casper Cartoons. 

  • A fun detail i read: This is the first time the Casper theme song is heard playing at the beginning. 
  • This is the earliest Paramount cartoon to be packaged in the Harvey Films library.