Saturday, March 21, 2009

'Bluebirds in the Moonlight'


Well, tired of lookin' at Bimbo yet? Man, that chimp-dog can scuttle! Anyway, here is what is in my opinion the second strongest sequence in 'Gulliver's Travels (Fleischer Studios, 1939): "Bluebirds in the Moonlight". Of course, as always, the essential problem is Gulliver himself. This observation is irrelevant  because, if you're here, you probably love this film just like I do. This copy hails from a Reader's Digest VHS believe it ot not. Sure, it's a little too fruity for Fleischer and has it's flaws but there's no denying the sheer spectacle and showmanship of this part of the film. 


6 comments:

p spector said...

I like! Was Gulliver's hand in the dance sequence near the end of the clip Rotoscoped or true animation?

BTW, what's your first favorite piece of animation in the film?

J.V. (AKA "White Pongo") said...

Actually, I think the hand was animated for real. The strongest bit of the film, for me, is the opening between the point where Gulliver washes ashore (after the rotoscoped waves) and the point Gabby runs into the castle.

Belle Dee said...

That's a fancy little butt snap the King does at the end there.

p spector said...

Thanks John! Does anyone know who animated the sequence? (I'm not suggesting, just curious.) Any Gulliver footage assignment sheets laying around your place?

J.V. (AKA "White Pongo") said...

I talked to Bob Jaques the other day about this clip and he was able to identify the animation of the spies as likely the work of Frank Endres.

p spector said...

Thanks John -- and Bob by extension.