It’s spring break this week up at the school. I’ve had grand plans to get a lot done this week— but have been sidetracked into helping scan some super 8 sound home movies. Working out the basic technical has me dizzy, and on the second day of trying to get this stuff done, I don’t have a single reel in the can yet. So, I’m taking a break from that madness and talk about cartoons! My big goal is to have this stuff figured out tomorrow, finally… wish me luck!
Apparently the GRANPOP cartoons were released theatrically “day-and-date” with the home movie releases. This poster has the Monogram Pictures logo affixed to it – note that the number of cartoons promised is now down to eight. Only these three were produced. (click to enlarge)
Like many of you, the strangest things are the things I’m often interested in finding. It isn’t that I don’t like the classic Warner and MGM and Disney shorts—but so many odd and forgotten films still need to at least be seen. It’s really Jerry Beck’s, Jeff Missinne’s, Collin Kelloogg’s, Mark Kausler’s and everyone else that wrote for the Fanzine Midrot that I’m still pursuing this stuff at 57 years old… but maybe, just maybe more of the rarest things will see the light of day, as so many things have so far.
Of the oddest things that have shown up, here are some of my favorites over these years. I’ve done a few lists like this before — but they are pretty fun to revisit. We’ll skip the Esbaugh ones for now since I’ve been mentioning them a lot lately:
Gran’ Pop Monkey cartoons:
These Cartoon Films, Limited films, from 1939 and 1940, have always interested me with their attempt to capture some of the charm of Lawson Wood’s beautiful illustrations. I don’t think any of them work terribly well, but they’re all interesting. They’re the last film UB Iwerks would be involved with at his studio, before joining the Disney organization, where he would stay the rest of his career. They have wonderful contraptions throughout, and one has to wonder what involvement Iwerks had in design on these shorts.
I’ve never seen one of these in 35mm, and have to wonder if they exist somewhere. Two of the films are around in color, but the third and last of the series, Baby Checkers, has only surfaced in black and white. Here’s ‘A Busy Day’ my favorite of the three:.
Bubble and Squeak cartoons:
Out of the five Bubble and Squeak shorts made sporatically from the 1946 to 1949, Old Manor House might be a strangest. There was a nice color print on Ebay a while back and it appears it was purchased and scanned by Ling Bing Productions. There is is from his YouTube:
Any Les Elton:
I think the main reason I’m scurrying to get so many things done right now is so I can manage to get some of the things we’ve done years ago scanned in the better prints that have shown up in the last 20 years. A 35mm on Money Doodle is one of those— and scanning The Hobo Hero in HD is also something I’m really looking forward to. Other little things by Elton have shown up over these years— and there just has to be a more….
Steve the Horse cartoons:
There really should be a real release of the Steve the Horse cartoons made in the 30s. Will that ever happen? Who knows?!? Here’s one from a 9.5mm print- sadly with no soundtrack:
Once Upon a Time (1936, not 34!)
One of the great odd films of all time. The National Film Preservation Foundation has posted a scan of this short from the Library of Congress print. They list the year as 1934, but I’ve only ever been able to find 1936 references to it. My guess is that it was in progress for some time, and looks earlier. It was released in full Technicolor, so it makes sense if was from the later date. It was never copyrighted. I hope to scan sometime soon from the best prints possible. At this point I know of four prints in 35mm nitrate.
Have a good week all!
Steve Stanchfield is an animator, educator and film archivist. He runs Thunderbean Animation, an animation studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has compiled over a dozen archival animation DVD collections devoted to such subjects at Private Snafu, The Little King and the infamous Cubby Bear. Steve is also a professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
Good grief–who’s attic were these in?
The December 5, 1935 Capitol Times of Madison Wisconsin has a still from “Once Upon a Time” on its front page, and a front page article referring to a showing at a local theater sponsored by the newspaper. However, the Bayonne Times of December 13, 1934 also refers to a showing of the film, as does the January 12, 1935 Bellingham Washington Herald, and a bunch of other January-February 1935 showings, which indicates it was produced some time in 1934. You might also want to track down the MPPA certificate number 360. “Buddy’s Adventures,” released in November, 1934, had MPAA certificate #366, which is further evidence the film was produced some time in 1934, probably in the second half. There is, by the way, undated sheet music (with the same cop design) from ca. 1934-1935.
Mark you, of course, this is ground covered by this website before: https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/audio-productions-once-upon-a-time-part-2-of-3/ provides evidence of a 1934 production.
To answer Steve’s question, this strange unaired animated interpation of the song “Bein Green” by Etienne Delessert comes to mind. Made for “Sesame Street” during the show’s fifth season (1973-74), this film uses Frank Sinatra’s cover from 1970 which, considering the possible prohibiting expensive royalty costs, might be the main reason it was not used on the show. While the segment didn’t air, Delessert did a book adaption that was published by Western Publishing (under their Golden label) during the same time which mentions the animated segment in the authors’ biography section.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7jiTO-UbOw
In spite of its faults, which are legion, I really like the Three Dogeteers in “Courtin’ an’ a Snortin'”, and I’d love to know how this one-of-a-kind cartoon came into being. No one else was making cartoons anything like that in 1960. I find myself watching it again and again, and laughing just as hard each time. Chico, Clancy, and Pet Charm are magnifico, and they cannot help it, I think!
I also love “Once Upon a Time”, which I first encountered on a public domain DVD compilation over twenty years ago. To this day I sometimes find myself singing the “Think about your safety” song while driving.
I think i’m the only one who knows about this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ikaVdllBko&list=LL&index=2
I’ve seen it! Did you post it here before? Truly one of a “kind”!
Paramount titles for “Swing you Sinners”!
I’ve seen one of the best recreations on YouTube but the original titles have disappeared. Both real and recreated…
The actual Paramount logo for “Betty Boop in Snow White” is the one on the Warner Bros. Popeye DVD.
I also want Polacolor cartoons of Screen Songs just to see how the color held (or faded) in theatrical prints.