As much as cartoons are, or were, supposed to make us laugh, it’s a sure guess that some have had the opposite effect (and I don’t necessarily mean the MGM cartoons ending with “Sad ending, isn’t it?”)
These made me break down:
“Lost and Foundling,” Warner Brothers, 1944; Sniffles and the hawk whom Sniffles fears, but who actually loves him;
“Tom Thumb in Trouble,” Warner Brothers, 1940; imitation of Disney formula. Woodchopper’s tiny son rescued by a little bird; plenty of schmaltz.
“Two Little Pups,” MGM, date unknown; streetwise tomcat lives in house, along with two pups; but when they are threatened he comes to their rescue.
“Feed the Kitty,” Warner Brothers, 1952; well known.
Popeye cartoon, date (in 1930s) unknown, title unknown; Sweepea runs away from home; Popeye finds one of his shoes; finds his can of spinach–empty.
Post your own examples.
Does anime count? If so, I have to say that “Grave for Fireflies” was absolutely THE saddest movie I have ever seen. I was weeping like a baby by the time the credits rolled. Emotionally devastating.
Japanese Anime BETTER count! Hah!
I was easily moved to tears in Miyazaki’s “Kiki’s Delivery Service”…not from tears of sadness, but from joy, when she triumphs.
Furthermore, Miyazaki’s “My neighbor Totero”, which brings back the imagination and love of young children…brought tears to my eyes.
Also, the obscure anime “Angel’s Egg” which clocks in over two hours of nearly speechless animation moved me.
The only American animated production I can think of that made me misty eyed was probably “Bambi”.
On an off note: Many video games, heavily inspired by Japanese animation, have likewise brought me to tears.
Final Fantasy 7 (Aeris’ death)
Klonoa (Phantomile)
Threads of Fate
=================================
I will see “Metropolis” next week, based off Fritz Lang’s 1930’s film, reinvented via Japanese animae. I saw the trailer during Amilie, it looked wonderful.
Jet Black
My point exactly, JetBlack. All of the cartoons I mentioned above had happy endings–but I cried anyway.
I cried my eyes out the first time I saw The Little Mermaid. I was 19 at the time, I must have had PMS. 
Disney’s Hercules.
Seeing how badly they butchered Classical mythology just made me want to cry my eyes out!
the looney tune with the bulldog and the kitten, and the kitten gets into the cookie dough and the dog thinks it’s dead, and carries a kitten-shaped cookie around on its back. that still makes me cry.
I’ll second Hercules. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck.
I cried watching a commercial anime series. Although it was Trigun, and it was during (spoiler obliterated) so I don’t feel so bad.
Trigun ROCKS. I need to watch the whole thing again.
Dougie, and Dragongirl,
I think whatever moves you, and makes the connection is worthwhile. I’m often sad to hear people dismiss animation as a potential for connecting to the human spirit - through the iconography of the mind and heart. Animation does this well. (Hah!, Listen to me waxing like Joseph Campbell)
Though the cool and hip art film, “Waking Life” uses iconographic imagery almost to it’s fault, I still loved it for expressing such a bold statement through film media.
I also recalled many saturday morning cartoons on TV that inspired me. “Kimba the White Lion” (later ripped off by Disney’s “The Lion King”) was a favorite of mine as a child. As an artist, I was heavily influenced by the combination of story and art. Thus, ANYTHING animated was on my ticket for the rest of my life.
There is one animated film I saw at a theater, when I was a scant lad. It has eluded since, though my friend has identified it and reportedly has been released on DVD. It’s a French film titled (I’m guessing here) “Fantastic Planet”…had a distinct European style, and featured very small people on a planet…they rode bugs, and small winged creatures…the populace were naked, for the most part… but then all this is via my memory, which unlike Bob Dylan sung, is not serving me well.
Any hints to that film title, origin…whatnot?
Also…I’m sure there are many animated shorts that have touched me. Spike and Mike’s have had a good number, to boot.
Jet Black
Originally posted by Racinchikki
That’s “Feed the Kitty.” The bulldog was Marc Antony; the kitten was Pussyfoot.
Before I comment on the point, I noted that all of the Warner Bros. cartoons that you mentioned were directed by Chuck Jones. I noted that because of all of the WB animation directors of the 40s and 50s (Freleng, McKimson, Tashlin, Clampett, Avery, Davis), he’s the one who’d make the sentimental cartoons.
I was typing all of that to stall. I’m trying to remember what cartoons made me cry, but I’m having a hard time of it. I almost welled up at the end of “What’s Opera Doc?” (also Jones), right before Bugs came up to say “What did you expect in a opera, a happy ending?”. I’m probably remember some two weeks from now, when I’m having a discussion in Western Civ.
The Velveteen Rabbit. Read by Merle Streep. Every time.
I don’t know if this counts, but Monsters, Inc. had me crying like a baby.
If you don’t bawl when Dumbo’s mother sticks her trunk out of her cell, and cradles little Dumbo, to the tune of "Baby Mine, you aren’t human.
I remember a Flintstones episode with Pebbles and Bamm Bamm playing instruments and singing, “Just Let the Sunshine In…” [tearing up]
KneadtoKnow,
Good point, Monsters, Inc. had a great final scene that got me all misty eyed.
Astorian, likewise, Dumbo had my heart on a string as soon as the poor bloke was born, sneezed and unrolled his ears. Easy to love.
Jet Black
When I first saw The Lion King I cried. I cried at the part where King Mufasa is killed. “Brother! Help!” How could Scar be so cruel? 
And then he goes and warps Simba’s mind.
Two Maggie episodes of The Simpsons had me misty eyed. And Maggie Makes Three, and Lisa’s First Word. The first one where Homer keeps all of Maggie’s pictures at work (“Don’t Forget Her”) and the second where Maggie says “Daddy” when Homer just walked out of the room.
People, people, I think we are all forgetting the sadest moment in animation history
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
When Optimus Prime dies. My God, do you know how traumatic that is for an eight year old? Seeing his most beloved idle, DIE right in front of his eyes?
C’mon, nobody’s mentioned Iron Giant yet?
Suuuupermannnn!!!
Powerful stuff, indeed.
Fantastic Planet is indeed the name. I’ve seen it a couple of times. It’s about humans living on an alien world where almost all the local life forms are bigger than they are. They live as savages in the wild and the planet’s natives- highly advanced gigantic humanoids- don’t realize the humans are sentient and regard them as a verminous pest problem. The story revolves around a boy who was raised as a pet by one of the giant children, absorbing some education in the process, which he teaches to the wild humans allowing them to relearn the use of technology.