What day better than Saturday for a classic cartoon marathon? This past weekend, I got up while it was still dark out and, in an effort that would've made my 10-year-old self proud, extended a Saturday morning tradition well into the evening. I've been on a vacation from work this past week (it had been over a year since I'd taken more than four days off) and using the opportunity to catch up with many discs I've owned - in some cases for years - but never watched (as in never never - many were blind buys). Among these were four cartoon DVDs: Mickey Mouse in color & black-and-white, a Looney Tunes collection, and a cheapo anthology of 100 cartoons.
Since July I've been steadily making my way through these (see "100 Cartoons in 100 Images" from August) but I figured now was the time to finally plough through and finish 'em. So I did. There were some familiar favorites (including selections I hadn't seen since VHS tape in the late 80s - what an uncanny sensation to rewatch those!), several duds or weak efforts (I confirmed that I really tend to prefer 30s & 40s cartoons to those from the 50s & 60s), some fascinating oddities (including that cartoon with human lips Tarantino sampled in Pulp Fiction), and really revealing historical contexts.
In the latter category there was a slew of offensive racial imagery which I ended up not screen-capping even as an example (the Disney disc features Leonard Maltin nervously providing context before certain shorts - though the Warners and Fleischers cartoons I saw had more extensive stereotyping). Highlighting these is a worthy effort, but it didn't fit the tone of this lineup; perhaps in another post. On a more upbeat note, I also found these cartoons more culturally on-the-nose than many live-action features produced around the same time; somehow that vibrant, bouncy swingin' 30s & 40s energies is communicated more readily via animation.
Below are 90 screen-caps, including 3 from TV show (these appear smaller than the others and will not be included in the official #WatchlistScreenCaps directory). I've included a caption for each, usually a joke, alliterative description, or bad pun (though often, the opportunities for those were already taken by the toon's title) - although occasionally they express personal admiration especially for the dazzling accomplishments of Robert Clampett (the only linked title leads to a clip from my favorite film of his).
If you've seen any of these, or have any questions or comments, leave 'em below. Here we go...
all films viewed on October 5, 2013
A machine and a gentleman
Building a Building (1933), prod. Walt Disney
No dogs were harmed in the making of this picture - we can't vouch for the chicken though
The Mad Doctor (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Surely you joust?
Ye Olden Days (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Crashing into a makeshift propeller in the nick of time
The Mail Pilot (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Garbo's new leading man
Mickey's Gala Premiere (1933), prod. Walt Disney
"No, no, I said I was out with Chip and Dale, not a chippendale!"
Puppy Love (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Taking their cue from a new RKO release
The Pet Store (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Mickey's expression reminds me of Calvin & Hobbes
Giantland (1933), prod. Walt Disney
Pick on someone your own size
Camping Out (1934), prod. Walt Disney
(see previous caption)
Gulliver Mickey (1934), prod. Walt Disney
Donald gets the hook in his first appearance with Mickey
Orphan's Benefit (1934), prod. Walt Disney
Should've worn a seat belt
The Dognapper (1934), prod. Walt Disney
I Dream of Minnie
Two-Gun Mickey (1934), prod. Walt Disney
Service with a smile
Mickey's Service Station (1935), prod. Walt Disney
The Disney merchandise begins
Magician Mickey (1937), prod. Walt Disney
The angry entertainer gets his revenge on a hostile audience
Mickey's Amateurs (1937), prod. Walt Disney
Goodbye Goofy
Clock Cleaners (1937), prod. Walt Disney
Who you gonna call?
Lonesome Ghosts (1937), prod. Walt Disney
Dead chicken vs. Pluto in sumo showdown
Mickey's Parrot (1938), prod. Walt Disney
Not exactly seaworthy
Boat Builders (1938), prod. Walt Disney
Rehearsing for Monstro
The Whalers (1938), prod. Walt Disney
This trailer comes fully equipped
Mickey's Trailer (1938), prod. Walt Disney
They slipped a Mickey in his cigarette
Brave Little Tailor (1938), prod. Walt Disney
Death of a Salesduck
Duck Soup to Nuts (1944), dir. Friz Freleng
My favorite Looney Tune of all time - manic, hilarious, insane, so it's gotta be Clampett
Porky in Wackyland (1938), dir. Robert Clampett
Strange to see Sylvester as the underdog (or undercat)
Back Alley Oproar (1948), dir. Friz Freleng
Louisa May Alcott's book transformed into a portrait of bobbysoxers fainting for Frankie
Book Revue (1946), dir. Robert Clampett
Clampett's cartoons always have the most fantastic colors
A Corny Concerto (1943), dir. Robert Clampett
Get it?
Have You Got Any Castles? (1938), dir. Frank Tashlin, Friz Freleng
The odd couple
Hollywood Steps Out (1941), dir. Tex Avery
Simon Cowell's grandfather
I Love to Singa (1936), dir. Tex Avery
This side of the 30s & 40s comes through clearer in cartoons than live-action
Katnip Kollege (1938), dir. Cal Dalton, Cal Howard
Only those with nine lives can afford to be so cavalier
The Hep Cat (1942), dir. Robert Clampett
"The big bad wolf, he learned the rule - you gotta get hot to play real cool!'
The Three Little Bops (1957), dir. Friz Freleng
I find this to be one of the most frustrating cartoons ever
One Froggy Evening (1955), dir. Chuck Jones
They did this bit a whole year before Tom & Jerry
Rhapsody Rabbit (1946), dir. Friz Freleng
Of course Daffy and his detachable bill are at the epicenter
Show Biz Bugs (1957), dir. Friz Freleng
What's meta, Doc?
Stage Door Cartoon (1944), dir. Friz Freleng
I am not a girl. Surprise.
What's Opera, Doc? (1957), dir. Chuck Jones
Porky Pig bids Leon Schlesinger farewell to seek work in features
You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940), dir. Friz Freleng
Good thing he's more powerful than a locomotive
Billion Dollar Limited (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
One of Superman's more formidable foes
The Arctic Giant (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer, Willard Bowsky
Imagine if this flying object landed on your windshield...
The Bulleteers (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer, Orestes Calpini
Kids, don't try this at home
The Magnetic Telescope (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Whither Metropolis?
Electric Earthquake (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Clark Versus the Volcano
Volcano (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer, Willard Bowsky
Ace reporters relegated to the circus beat - but of course it won't be boring for long
Terror On the Midway (1942), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer, Orestes Calpini
Betty's Japanese fans demonstrate their affection
A Language All My Own (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
How to make your fan a flutist
Betty Boop and Grampy (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Apples always seem to bring bad news
Hunky and Spunky (1938), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Showdown to stick up for his avian pals
Always Kickin' (1939), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Two legs good, four legs bad!
The Barnyard Brat (1939), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Sometimes you kick ass, and sometimes the ass kicks you
Vitamin Hay (1941), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Only the bad ghost is a good ghost
A Haunting We Will Go (1949), dir. Seymour Kneitel
The Star Child meets the apes from the beginning of 2001
Spooking About Africa (1957), dir. Seymour Kneitel
Can a ghost commit suicide?
The Friendly Ghost (1945), dir. Izzy Sparber
Casper, ahead of Neil Armstrong by 15 years
Boo Moon (1954), dir. Seymour Kneitel, Izzy Sparber
Cattle call
Westward Whoa (1926 - color & soundtrack added later), dir. Charles R. Bowers, Bud Fisher
The shadow knows (evil laughter)
Slick Sleuths (1926 - color & soundtrack added later), dir. Charles R. Bowers, Bud Fisher
I didn't realize this "human-lips" technique was ever used for non-comic purposes
"Arctic Bird Giant" episode of "Clutch Cargo" (1959), crea. Clark Haas
Preparing for Halloween
Jack Frost (1934), dir. Ub Iwerks
I remember the jazzy syncopations & nursery tale stylings of this toon from childhood
Old Mother Hubbard (1935), dir. Ub Iwerks
Lonesome swan in the sunset
Time for Love (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
The goblins of bad driving haunt Fairy Tale Land
Once Upon a Time (1934), dir. F. Lyle Goldman
Worshipping the witch on the wall
Is My Palm Read? (1933), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Back to the inkwell
Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Drowning in a picture frame
Taking the Blame (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
This is how you make rain onstage
No! No! A Thousand Times No!! (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
The nice way to give someone the hook
Making Stars (1935), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Rich dog, poor dog
Little Nobody (1936), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
The cuckoo emerges prepared for a fight
We Did It (1936), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Pickled herring
A Song a Day! (1936), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Trying and failing to be a tough pup
You're Not Built That Way (1936), prod. Max Fleischer/dir. Dave Fleischer
Playing his greatest hits
Popeye's 20th Anniversary (1954), dir. Izzy Sparber
No spinach for you!
Taxi-Turvy (1954), dir. Seymour Kneitel
Long before the Tea Party, there was the...
Popeye for President (1956), dir. Seymour Kneitel
Spinach > Concrete
Out to Punch (1956), dir. Seymour Kneitel
Power of the pipe
Patriotic Popeye (1957), dir. Izzy Sparber
This is how the Class of 1940 was remembered 10 years later
Campus Capers (1949), dir. Bill Tytla, George Germanetti
Not quite the belly of the beast, but close
Scrappily Married (1945), dir. Seymour Kneitel, Orestes Calpini
Almost drowned his best pal
The Henpecked Rooster (1944), dir. Seymour Kneitel, Orestes Calpini
The characters have become sharper, more well-defined by this time
Sudden Fried Chicken (1946), dir. Bill Tytla, Orestes Calpini
Haunted by his previous incarnations
5 episodes of "Fraidy Cat" (1975), prob. wri. Michael O'Connor
Shelter from the toxic atmosphere
"Expedition to a New Moon" episode of "Space Angel" (1962), crea. Dick Darley
Better living through chemistry
Pest Pupil (1957), dir. Dave Tendlar
Baby Huey's origin story
Quack a Doodle Doo (1950), dir. Izzy Sparber
She may want to visit an optometrist if she survives
The Story of Little Red Riding Hood (1949), dir. Ray Harryhausen
Cue the guitar strum from "Clarissa Explains It All"
The Story of Rapunzel (1951), dir. Ray Harryhausen
Midas and Mephistophales decide to go gold
The Story of King Midas (1953), dir. Ray Harryhausen
The magic of the movies
Mother Goose Stories (1946), dir. Ray Harryhausen
No comments:
Post a Comment