First, some quick Thunderbean news:
We’re cranking on sending out special sets this week – 8 in total! We’re trying hard to catch up on all of these and have this be the most productive year at Thunderbean. I’m particularly happy with this group of the special sets, and thanks to everyone who has contributed to these since it’s made so many of the real sets move forward. We also have two new ones (and all Lantz and all Columbia set) at the Thunderbean Shop, and will be working to get Rainbow Parades volume 2 out the door soon as well as several other official sets. I’m really enjoying seeing many longer-term projects finally out the door, and I know many of you are super happy about that too!
Now- today’s film!
The loveliest thing about this period in time is that we have good quality versions of so many things that used to be only available in both less-than-great versions and standard def. It still makes you wish that *everything* was already available, but that’s of course asking for too much!
For the things that are still not available in HD, having access to a good 35mm scan often suits the bill.
Christopher Crumpet’s Playmate (1956) is a feast for the eyes in its simplicity and ‘modern’ aesthetic. Directed by brilliant animator Robert Cannon, it’s full of both the design sensibility and beautiful animation you would expect. T. Hee takes credit for story (along with Cannon) as well as design, with the great Jules Engel simply getting a credit for color. It’s nice to see a credit for voice actors Marvin Miller and Marian Richman, who provided voices for the first Christopher Crumpet film as well.
The film starts out with Christopher Crumpet’s father making Christopher return a very blue dog, suggesting Christopher play with an imaginary friend instead. From there, it’s a fun little story featuring incredibly supportive parents, something I think a lot of us would have loved. I was lucky in that my own parents really tried to help me with artistic pursuits the best they could. If you did have supportive parents and they’re still around, show them this little film!
Seeing this 35mm print projected recently was a feast for the eyes, and I’m glad to be able to share that print here. Seeing a high definition version on these really make a difference- you see the textures of the paint, the self ink lines on the cels, the detail of grids and phone cords in one scene- and the beautiful quality of motion.
While I don’t see this as a top cartoon from the studio, I find it pretty enjoyable as a little piece of entertainment- and I applaud UPA for making films like this one for families that could work like an animated storybook.
Have a good week all!
The first one below is the raw scan of the film, which was negative. That’s how most pencil tests were screened, in negative form. No need to create a print – the pencil test was going to be thrown away after viewing. I took the liberty if inverting the neg and created a video with the image positive – easier to see the pencil lines. Enjoy them both.
– Jerry Beck
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.
Yes, the “Christopher Crumpet” cartoons are among my all-time favorite UPA cartoons, and even from my favorite UPA director to boot. I consider these as among the funniest that UPA ever did. Plus, I can appreciate entertainment featuring small children these days, too.
Interesting contrast to “Unicorn in the Garden”, with its sunnier view of family life. Also, mother gets a great throwaway line: “Believing is seeing.” Always nice when a UPA story is on the same level as the UPA visuals.
As so often happens when watching a UPA cartoon, I found myself focused on the music. For “Christopher Crumpet’s Playmate”, Dennis Farnon assembled a quirky ensemble of just seven players: two flutes (both doubling piccolo), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), trumpet, tuba, piano and percussion. The tuba predominates, as befits a cartoon about an invisible elephant. Farnon’s score, like Cannon’s visuals, achieves maximum effect with an economy of means.
I have long been intrigued by the virtuoso tuba playing in the UPA cartoons of the 1950s and have often wondered about the musician responsible for it. Having looked into the matter, I think it’s likely that the tuba player in question was Red Callender (1916-1992). Primarily a double bassist, Callender was also the first to use the tuba as a solo instrument in jazz and was known for his ability to make it sing like a French horn. He was one of the first African-American session musicians to work regularly in Los Angeles, beginning in the early ’50s and for many years thereafter as a member of the famed Wrecking Crew. Certainly he would have had no trouble sightreading such a prominent and difficult solo tuba part, one that even a ringer from the LA Phil might have found daunting. Of course I would like to see solid, definitive proof identifying all of the musicians who contributed to the UPA cartoons. But Callender was in the right place at the right time, he was the go-to session musician on the West Coast for tuba solos, and he seems like the sort of creative personality with whom the UPA team would have liked to collaborate.
A wonderful post, and those pencil tests are the icing on the cake. If only LeRoy the Hyena had been given his own series. I can see him in a crossover with Magoo….
Dear Editor : Let’s say the ‘secret word’ is MAGOO‐any chance you’d jump in and repost the pencil test from Magoo’s Glorius Fourth AND a couple of others you were going to post ? This stuff is pure gold(en).
Also today’s post is great!
Now that this post reminded me I had this pencil test – and now that MeTV Toons is running the (beautifully restored) UPA cartoons – I’ll keep it in mind to post the others. Did I list these, or post them, years ago? For the record, I have pencil material on ROCKHOUND MAGOO, MAGOO’S GLORIOUS FOURTH, THE EXPLOSIVE MR. MAGOO, LOVE COMES TO MAGOO and a full MAGOO’S MASTERPIECE work print!
The Christopher Crumpett’s Playmate pencil test WAS on the Jolly Frolics DVD but I don’t think any of the other pencil tests have been made available online.
You should post them…they’re likely great!
I’d completely forgotten I loaned the pencil test to TCM and Sony for that DVD set. Thanks for the reminder. The others I have are all Magoo… I will post them at some point.
You actually only posted the Magoos Glorious 4th clip. How about a special post with the Magoo material you have—- I think a lot of us would love to see these works in progress jewels. DJA