Fleischer Newsreel

Here's a couple frame grabs of some tantalizing footage from the VHS 'Cartoon Madness' which has always intrigued me: newsreel footage of Max Fleischer, victorious from his legal battle with Helen Kane, demonstrating the uniqueness of Betty Boop's voice with help from Mae Questel and four other Betty voices. They sing 'Don't Take My Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away'. I'm guessing this is a staged set. Or is it? Can anybody out there tell me anything more about this footage?

Holiday Greetings!

This year's card ... a little late maybe but there ya go. 

Thanks for checking out the inside of my brain in 2008! 

Wow!

Over at Cartoon Brew, Jerry Beck has stumbled on to something truly mouth watering! 

Go! Go now!

Dick Huemer Christmas Cards

If you haven't already visited  The Huemer Family Web Sight where Dick Huemer's family has generously made available a gorgeous selection of Christmas cards from the 30's as well as artwork from the master himself - shame on you! Go! Go now! Scrappy Holidays!

*addition Dec.20: Mike Barrier has another one from Dave Fleischer (but drawn by a mystery artist) over on his blog - check it out!*

*addition Dec.21: Bob Jaques has also just posted his fantastic card from Eddie Nolan!

Christmas: The Snow Man

A Special Holiday Wish from Frosty, the Homicidal Maniac

Christmas: Gifts From the Air

The 30's didn't produce too many memorable Christmas cartoons but this is one of the better ones: Gifts From the Air (Columbia Color Rhapsody, 1937). The animation is as choppy as you would expect from a Rhapsody, and the plot is full-on sentimental, but there's something appealing about it to me.  

Maybe it's the creepy Santa.