Jack Teagarden and his Walter Lantz Cartunes
When trombonist Jack Teagarden became available to do two cartoon soundtracks, Darrell Calker and Walter Lantz leapt at the chance to get him.
Category Archives: NEEDLE DROP NOTES
Paul Whiteman Take-Offs
Paul Whiteman was such a well-known personality that cartoons – topical creatures that they were – would waste no opportunity to have a little fun with him.
The King of Jazz gets Animated
Paul Whiteman conducted the biggest dance-band throughout the 1920’s, and into the 1930’s. He also appeared two cartoons with Oswald Rabbit and Walter Lantz.
“Organ Grinder’s Swing” (1937)
One wonders if Fleischer’s Organ Grinders Swing could be interpreted as a protest against Mayor La Guardia’s then-recent decree that organ grinders be outlawed in the City of New York.
Two Voices-No Credit: Billy Murray and Walter Scanlan At Fleischer
There were two singers who show up repeatedly in the “Screen Songs” cartoons. They never got any screen credit. But any record collector would recognize them immediately.
More Fleischer Needle Drop – and Terrytoon Notes
I am a little bit familiar with the career of Roy Halee. He was a rich-voiced tenor, and just the right voice for the singing of Mighty Mouse.
“Betty Boop’s Penthouse” (1933) – and “Frat”
Here’s a cartoon perfect for Halloween Eve – and, it turns out, there’s another “needle-drop” here taking up a good part of the cartoon’s soundtrack.
The Final Needle Drop: “The Okeh Laughing Record”
Tex Avery knew the 1920s “Okeh Laughing Record” and wondered how it would work on a modern movie audience. With his last cartoon for Lantz, he got to try out his theory.
Needle Drop Soundtracks In Iwerks Cartoons
Ub Iwerks seems to have had a regular working relationship with RCA Victor. As we will see, Victor records seem to permeate Iwerks’ scoring – – at least for a while.
Max Fleischer and Novelty Records
One type of record that companies hoped would sell were called “novelty records”, for lack of a better term. Max Fleischer used three such “novelties” in some of his 1930’s cartoons.
