Two images from the Flip the Frog Coloring Book published by Saffield in 1933.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Sickest Man Alive? Thad K!
Over on Thad's sight he's put together a cool video version of 'Hell's
Fire' from the two versions I've been using for grabs! This is as complete as you're gonna see it so go here! Go here now!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Speaking of Cartoons and Music...
I just happened upon this sight which features multiple MP3 audio from 78 RPM recordings of 'Nobody's Sweetheart' as well as some interesting information on the song's history. As you all know this is the song made famous in the Betty Boop cartoon 'Betty Boop M.D.'
Bix and Fleischer
I've been a fan of 20's jazz cornet player Bix Beiderbecke for years. Oddly enough I got into Bix and Fleischer cartoons separately. After a little reading I discovered that Bix's first band The Wolverines had a well known engagement in 1924 at a night club in Times Square called The Cinderella Ballroom. Then I noticed the address: 1600 Broadway! As it happens a great jazz musician was performing only a few floors beneath a great animation studio!
The Wolverines in 1924
I believe (but am not certain) that the Cinderella Ballroom might be pictured in this photo of the Fleischer strike in 1937. By that time I believe the name had changed. According to Richardson Turner who is interviewed in Philip and Linda Evans book 'Bix': "When the Wolverines opened, about ten of us went down to N.Y. the next day and flew right over to the Cinderella, which was a large ballroom a la Roseland, one flight up.". Tragically this building was demolished for condos a few years back.
There were a couple other cartoon connections in Bix's career too. Here pictured is an ad for 'Felix the Cat': a song on which Bix recorded. Also the label for perhaps the best band Bix played with (Frankie Trumbauer) performing 'Krazy Kat'.
According to this famous cartoon the Fleischer Studios moved in after November 1923. The Wolverine engagement ran from Sept 12 - October 11, 1924. According to Cabarga's book 'Vaudeville', 'Vacation', 'League of Nations', and 'The Cure' (all Koko cartoons?) were released in November/December 1924. Assuming the quick turn-around of silent cartoons I suppose these might have been in production. I wonder ....
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Vulcan Entertains Pt.7
continuing with 'Vulcan Entertains' (I keep typing 'Entertained' for some reason)
in bootleg-o-vision ...
Drunken Prohibition is startled.
pan left
to cool DT ghosts! Man, I'd love to see color or at least clearer here. I didn't notice the flying serpent (at the top edge of the frame) until I did this post!
and a cow foo-mobile! I have conflicting dates about when Bill Hollman started 'Smokey Stover'. One book gives 1934 and the other gives 1935 as the beginning of the strip. Is this Bill Hollman's influence or an influence on Bill Hollman or merely a coincidence? 
pan back (right) to Prohibition
a snake emerges from the bottle and bites him on the nose.
he's freakin' out, man!
Willie, Devil and Co. laugh as a smaller looking Hellhound exits left.
cut to Hellhound sniffing at the ground
Friday, March 28, 2008
Vulcan Entertains Pt.6
Continuing the filling in of 'Hell's Fire', an Ub Iwerks cartoon from 1934, from two of the surviving 16mm prints. At this point 'Vulcan Entertains' (the black and white grabs) and 'Masqeurade Holiday' (in color) follow pretty well the same path with a few edits which I'll point out.
Isn't Hell fun?
Willie meets the Hellhound (actually a three headed cat):
one of the Iwerks Studios coolest characters!
Willie has a bone in his pants (write your own joke)
The bit where the Hellhound belches after swallowing the bone (I said write you own joke already) is cut from 'Vulcan Entertains'. There will be no rudeness in the presence of Vulcan.
Did Willie's dog have a name? Or was Yippy two timing Scrappy?
He bites at a flea.
Follow the flea!
... into the fur of the Hellhound.
The flea exits the Hellhound.
It continues on it's mystical journey ...
... over to Napoleon.
He takes out a fly swatter.
The flea's journey of discovery has reached it's end. In this print of 'Masquerade Holiday' (the color print) it cuts directly to the Hellhound sniffing the ground.
back to 'Vulcan Entertains'
He puts the swatter in his shirt. So that's why Napoleon keeps his hand in his shirt. Who says cartoons aren't educational?
he goes back to his bounce cycle (to 'Hell's Bells' - remember?)
cross-dissolve
... to Old Man Prohibition who's getting completely lit ...
Man, I've been there!
Is there a theme to this cartoon?
More Soon!