Animation Anecdotes #355
Actor Vincent Price, at the age of 75, thought playing Rattigan in The Great Mouse Detective would be an interesting challenge so he agreed to audition for the job.
Van Beuren’s “Parrotville Old Folks” (1935)
Parrotville Old Folks is one of the few examples of truly genuine heart in the Rainbow Parade series, and is wonderfully sweet in its execution.
“Another Day, Another Doormat” (1959)
The CinemaScope “Another Day Another Doormat” is the last of the four Terrytoons “John Doormat” cartoons, and it’s arguably the best one of the bunch.
The Chipmunks Sing One More Time – But Not the Last
On their second album, David Seville and The Chipmunks deliver more hit singles, original tunes and folk songs and even try out a few more daring, “serious” styles.
Warner Club News (1950)
The square dance fad is at a fever pitch in the Warner Bros. cartoon studio in 1950… the same year Hillbilly Hare hits the screen.
It’s Different with the Classics
Fantasia posed a problem for the Music Department at the Walt Disney studio. How do you put lyrics to “Night On Bald Mountain”?? Answer: You don’t!
The Censored 11: “Tin Pan Alley Cats” (1943)
The eighth installment of my Censored Eleven series of columns looks at the 1943 Technicolor “Merrie Melodies” episode Tin Pan Alley Cats from Warner Brothers.
Animation Anecdotes #354
Glen Keane used one of Disney’s fabled Nine Old Men animators, Eric Larson, as a model for Dr. Dawson in Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective.
Van Bueren’s “Parrotville Fire Department” (1934)
This cartoon was the second released in the Rainbow Parade series, and, to my eyes, it looks a lot closer to Van Beuren’s earlier efforts than the slicker cartoons to come.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of CalArts in Valencia, UCLA in Westwood and Woodbury University in Burbank – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
