Disney’s Silly Symphony “Woodland Cafe” (1937)
Everybody’s truckin’ with this week’s breakdown, one of my favorite Silly Symphonies! Ward Kimball animates the final montage sequence in the film – perpetuating exuberant energy.
Sam Singer and Hanna-Barbera’s “Sinbad Jr.” on Records
A voyage aboard the animated vinyl seas with Sinbad, Salty the parrot sidekick, a pirate or two and an H-B story and layout artist who also has an acting role.
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.
Forgotten Anime #38: “California Crisis: Gun Salvo” (1986)
California Crisis was immediately forgettable. It was produced by Studio Unicorn, a tiny anime studio that almost immediately went out of business.
The Sundown Drive-In: Exhibition and Jim Crow in the Twilight of the Cartoon Short
Movie theaters for African American audiences were of second-run status. This was mandatory–not an option.
Animation Anecdotes #283
From the square dancing magazine Sets in Order, director Chuck Jones wrote, “Cartoonists are strange men in many ways and they have a tendency to look at the world as through a cheap piece of window pane.”
Halloween Rarities Special Set – and “Old Manor House” (1948)
Since it’s the season, I’ve put together a ’Special’ (but really “unofficial”) Thunderbean set of Spooky Cartoons called “Halloween Rarities”. It’s a Blu-ray that includes Toby the Pup in Halloween.
Harman-Ising’s “The Old Pioneer” (1934)
Harman and Ising’s second cartoon for MGM is more gag-oriented than their later Happy Harmonies, where they emphasized charm and spectacle, seeking to emulate Disney’s Silly Symphonies.
Popeye Records with “Captain Allen Swift”
The long lost era of locally hosted children’s TV shows is preserved in vinyl on three records featuring the veteran stage, screen and voice actor—and even Mae Questel!
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]
