Are there five?<\/p>\n
Yeah – After much thought, I decided there are indeed five Columbia Screen Gems films produced during the 1940s, after the passing of Charles Mintz; during the tumultuous wartime era, that are decent shorts that somewhat stand the test of time. <\/p>\n
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Because as they were generally unavailable for view, or review – or any critical study – for many decades, the Columbia Screen Gems shorts had a better reputation than the more easily accessible Terrytoons and Famous Studios product which were – in comparison to Disney, Warner Bros and MGM – judged to be inferior entertainments.<\/p>\n
But that reputation – bolstered by the fact such names as Frank Tashlin, John Hubley, Dave Fleischer, and even Bob Clampett, who walked in and out the studio doors – was over blown. Now that more of the films are available to see (thank you MeTV), its true colors have emerged. <\/p>\n
Personally, I feel there is a lot to like in the Columbia cartoon library. The animation is solid. Character designs are a lot of fun. The stories occasionally take big risks. But there is something missing. I think its a point of view – a P.O.V. – that even when a strong creator like Tashlin or Hubley took the reins there, maybe it was the budgets, maybe it was the crew, but something did not click. <\/p>\n
Charles Mintz passed away in December 1939, by which time his studio was owned lock, stock and paint-barrel by Columbia Pictures. After that, no one at the parent company had any idea what to do – they just knew they needed to continue supplying cartoon shorts to theaters. Mintz left them without any “star” characters as Scrappy and Krazy Kat were now past their “sale date”. <\/p>\n
Hiring Frank Tashlin was<\/em> a wise move… and he gave them something they sorely needed: two headliners, The Fox and Crow. So let’s start there. Here is my list in chronologic order. These are cartoons you can show non-cartoon buffs and not be embarrassed. Please feel free to defend your own choices in the comments below.<\/p>\n THE FOX AND THE GRAPES (1941)<\/strong> Directed By Frank Tashlin<\/p>\n This is as close as any other studio ever got trying to do a “Warner Bros. Cartoon”. Of course this has Tashlin at the helm and he knocks it out of the park – with a film that reinvents the spot-gag cartoon (Jones has said this film inspired the format of the Road Runner Coyote shorts). In addition to Tashlin, we have Mel Blanc creating two new vocal characterizations – giving this film a little more enthusiasm than his previous roles at Screen Gems. <\/p>\n