Symphony in Slang 1951

John Brown as The Hipster / Noah Webster (voice) (uncredited) guides the narration in this surreal afterlife fable, where Saint Peter asks for an account of a life told in slang that he cannot quite translate. The tale unfolds in a dreamlike, vaudeville echo, driven by a narrator whose speech is packed with slang and playful misreadings, sparking a string of visual gags born from literal interpretations.

The adventure begins with a rapid, almost mythic jump through time: the protagonist grows up in a flash, the Night Sky fractures into a Morning, and he finds himself skirting the edges of poverty after an early, ill-fated stint in food service. He drifts back to a cracked hole in the Wall, overwhelmed with anger, and sets his sights on a new life by taking a train toward Texas to punch bulls. Along the way, he travels to Chicago where he meets a girl named Mary. For their date, he dresses in White Tie and Tails, while Mary wears a striking neckpiece that makes an impression. They dine together, and Mary eats with gusto, “like a horse,” while he can’t quite cover the bill, provoking the ire of a restaurant proprietor with a toothbrush moustache.

Imprisoned at one point, the narrator eventually escapes and makes his way to Mary in New York City. Mary remains silent, a cryptic scene framed by the recurring motif of the cat having her tongue. He confronts her, and the moment collapses him inward; he drifts away from the scene and heads to Joe’s Malt Shop, where a collection of regulars lounges and watches the world go by. A soda clerk catches his eye, chewing on a rag as the absurdity of the moment broadens the humor.

From the grapevine comes a new twist: Mary is said to be seeing an “old flame” who spends money like water and is tied to a Railroad corridor. Mary and this rival begin to dance, leaving the narrator unable to make room for them, and the rival’s presence stirs his hair in a complicated tangle of jealousy and embarrassment. The world outside turns chaotic—it’s raining cats and dogs—and the narrator’s mood shifts to a deep blue as the scene slides toward black.

The journey continues toward the Thousand Islands, where memories of Mary resurface as he combs the beach and a tear traces his cheek. He sends Mary a cable, and she answers with a wire the next day, a small exchange in the middle of a sprawling, surreal odyssey. After another round of travel and pleading, he discovers Mary is surrounded by many children, while her husband endures relentless household duties. The moment amuses him to the point of death, and he dies laughing.

Back in Heaven, the narrator asks whether Webster has followed him, only to have the dictionary man stammer, hindered by the familiar cat that still clings to his tongue. In this strange afterlife, the lines between slang, longing, and literal humor blur into a long, winding memory album that keeps circling Mary, the impossible relationship, and the cosmic joke of a life told through language that never quite settles.