CartoonsOnFilm

Do you still use a watch?

2012-01-17T16:24:00.000-08:00

Guest post by Allan Detloff

Back in my day, in the 1940s, watches were simply a must-have for any woman or gentleman. In any case, unless there was a traditional clock nearby, there would be no other way to tell the time. All it took was to look at your wrist or whip out a pocket watch to find out the hour of the day. Today's young folk are very far removed from that past reality. In fact, I see very few of the younger people wearing watches, or even looking at clocks around the house or in buildings...they can tell the time from their various electronic devices.

It can be said that there's a certain art to looking at a watch and especially being able to read analog time. Watches, quite simply put, are beautiful technical craftsman pieces and exude a charm not found in any digital clock of any sort. So, it bears meaning that any person, such as a reader of a blog like this dedicated to history of some fashion, would be interested in Seiko watches for example. Charm not only yourself; but onlookers as well...to wear a watch, nowadays, is to make an even more striking fashion statement than ever before. And you don't have to be a luddite to appreciate the complex craftsmanship that goes into producing a watch, either.

The Story of Les Elton

2011-12-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Dear friend; up and coming animation history researcher Charlie Judkins has just posted a great story of Les Elton's career on his blog. Click here.

Elton was involved in some Bray Studios tomfoolery in the 1910s and is best known in animation circles today for his highly bizarre cartoon, Monkey Doodle.

Thanks Charlie!

Sorry, Oswald: You're an Unlucky, Exploited Rabbit.

2011-11-28T19:13:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, Jerry Beck posted a Cartoon Brew article regarding the now-viral "lost" Oswald cartoon auction that has been hyped by a successful press release campaign.

The Situation

Staff at the Huntley Film Archives, a private British stock footage firm, located a 16mm print of Hungry Hobos (1928) in their collection several weeks back. Upon doing some preliminary research and realizing the film was not available publicly and had been touted as a "lost film," Huntley staff shared news of the find to industry folk through a listserve frequented by cinema historians and archivists. Reaction was small but definitely excited among the few of us who specialize in early animation...these finds are usually of less importance to others who specialize solely in live action films.

As one might expect, though, several of us in the animation history circles who learned of this discovery were of course excited about it. Until this week.

The Problem, In All Fairness...

We in the archival film community are reminded of the rare nitrate Charlie Chaplin film, "Zepped" (circa 1916), which was also offered by Bonhams in June of this year. This too was sourced from a British collector of antiques. It did not realize the ~$160,000 asking price, and this came as no surprise to us in the field. To assign values to old films, especially exorbitant amounts, has always been a difficult task as these items simply never have been successfully traded at high prices, even between those of us most interested in them. Perhaps it is because typically, we scholars are the only ones interested in old and obscure films; making their value ultimately historical, not financial. They simply do not turn a high profit for us, and so collectors and historians have traditionally traded, bought and sold at relatively low prices when compared to other historically significant pop culture artifacts.

Hungry Hobos is different from "Zepped" in that it is a 16mm safety print. Considering this was located in Great Britain, the print was probably made by Ensign LTD., a firm much like Kodascope Libraries that offered contemporary films for sale and rental in the 1920s and 1930s. Any person could consult Ensign to rent or buy a print of Oswald cartoons as well as many other subjects they carried. This means that unlike nitrate 35mm prints, which too were originally mass produced but then destroyed en masse, Ensign and most other 16mm prints are not entirely unique. While they are rare today, to call a 16mm subject of a mainstream film a "lost" subject is a bit of a misnomer. We too like to use this term in the field, but it better suits commercial endeavors such as the sale of the Oswald film. Unfortunately, though, prospective buyers and the general public would not understand that this print probably is not at all unique. Though, even unique silent animated films are often traded for a few hundred dollars if not less, and certainly not for several thousand dollars.

Silent Cartoon Economics and Oswald

Silent animation truly is an orphan genre. While there are many fans of silent films today, few have more than a passing interest in the animation of the period. Ironically, many silent cartoon series enjoyed widespread broadcasting on 1950s television as it was very satisfactory time-slot filler material. But since then, silent animation has never really enjoyed much of a wholly dedicated fan base. Even few individuals ever really focused on collecting just this one genre of film, either. I can count those individuals on one hand.

Seeing as my focus in collecting and preserving film has always specifically catered to silent animation, I feel more than qualified to comment on the economics and values of these films. It is clear to me that Bonhams did not consult any of the fine gentlemen in our community of animation historians to help formulate an asking price for the Oswald cartoon. That price is absurd to me on many levels, but most obviously because I have been able to amass my library of over six hundred rare silent cartoon subjects for a sum that rivals or is less than the asking price for that one Oswald cartoon. Thus, to me and to fellow industry insiders, the whole situation seems more tongue-in-cheek than anything; if not insulting to those of us who might otherwise be interested in obtaining the film. This is a classic case of poor field research and wide-eyed agents seeing dollar signs swarming around the room.

With regard to Oswald, the character itself has had a very colorful history, moving through several producers and owners. In recent years, Disney reacquired certain rights to the character and put out a very nicely prepared DVD collection of the shorts that could be found in time for its release. The contents of that DVD collection are consulted today when one locates a Disney Oswald cartoon and determines its rarity, as in the Huntley example. I should note that from what I understand, Disney did pay a premium to acquire certain cartoons for its DVD collection--sometimes a few thousand dollars each. Yet we must put this in perspective. A few thousand is still nothing compared to the Bonhams asking price--and a few thousand is still exorbitant to those of us with insider knowledge of more typical silent cartoon prices. A few hundred dollars per film is more the norm for selling and acquiring rarer or "lost" titles. Disney is the exception that proves the rule: the one studio that produced silent animation that survives to this day that still seems interested in archiving its past works. Given Disney's interest, it is somewhat more reasonable to expect that a "lost" Oswald cartoon--as opposed to other "lost" silent cartoons--could fetch a large sum. But still there are limits. My cartoon researcher peers and I have bought several pre-Lantz Oswalds for less than a hundred dollars, including a Disney subject on which only one other original element was known at the time.

In Conclusion

Silent cartoons deserve to be collected easily and seen by interested groups; not traded as fine art pieces, though they should still absolutely be the subject of books and ample academic research. If we come to a point when famous auction houses with powerful press releases bring in high bids on these kinds of items --from individuals who are not involved in this field, clearly--it could further limit the availability of new "lost" film finds for researchers, scholars, and curious individuals in the future. These films were created to be enjoyed and then usually discarded. The goal should be to keep them in a public spotlight for enjoyment, but not to be locked up in vaults with $30,000 price tags...it would be akin to discarding them from the public eye.

As someone who has been a lifelong participant in locating and preserving early animation, I feel right in voicing an opinion that the route this sale could take worries and disappoints me. Working in this field has already been difficult enough considering it is mostly a labor of love that rarely brings much of a rewarding financial return. It is based on that experience, too, that I find the auction route and the expected financial sum worrisome in that it could create a dangerous precedent that could make my work--as an individual and not a firm or archive--more and more difficult.

This one is still missing. Will it one day lead to empty wallets?

Eyeglasses For the Ages

2011-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Post Contributed by Ethan Krall

If you'll have a look around you, clearly many people wear eyeglasses. For most wearers, glasses serve a medical need to compensate for vision problems. For some, they are fashion statements...though this can also be said for those who wear eyeglasses for medical purposes as well. For these two reasons, unique manufacturers like Zenni Optical are producing eyeglasses which fit both medical needs and the necessity for fashionable, attractive specs.

We also know that eyeglasses can very much define a time period. Seen in film, photographs and other popular mediums of the past; it becomes obvious to us that certain styles are apparent in specific time periods such as decades of the 20th century. Today, however, it can be said that eyeglasses are available in the widest variety of styles ever, and for a variety of reasons. There are new methods of producing eyeglasses and new materials being used in their construction. Today, it's also very popular for some people to purchase and wear specific styles of eyeglasses that were popular in past times. These can either be genuine, vintage frames or newly produced frames designed in these older but now very popular styles.

Thankfully, no matter what style suits you best, cheap eyeglasses are available in abundance from several manufacturers. It just takes a little bit of research and trying pairs on to figure which eyeglasses are right for you.

RIP GAC Forums, hello Intellitoons

2011-10-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

As many of you rabid classic animation fans now know, the old GAC forum is now ka-put. Golden Age Cartoons Forums had a nice 7 year run for which we graciously thank Jon Cooke, founder and administrator. The GAC forum was born as the Termite Terrace Trading Post, a category forum on ToonZone, but thanks to hostility from others at TZ who had little to no appreciation for Golden Age animation, the writing was on the wall and soon GAC was born as its own independent venture.

While I myself retired from GAC several weeks back in response to poor moderating and censorship as I saw it, it's been an overall sad experience to see the site go out to pasture.

Thad Komorowski and I have moderated our own forum, Intellitoons, since 2009. It has been completely inactive since that year but we encourage GAC expatriates to join and start some new topics at our forum. Visit today.

Bill Plympton's rendition of The Flying House (Winsor McCay, 1921)

2011-10-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

Originally composed in the Summer of this year:

Contemporary treatment and recognition of silent animation is of great interest and importance to the savvy film historian. Understandably, there have not been many subjects in today's industry headlines relevant for comment on this blog. Silent film enthusiasts are mostly aware that very little attention has been given to the roots of the animated film, both in the animation "fandom" realm as well as actual archival preservation undertakings. Of course, rare major endeavors, such as the launching of the Bray Animation Project at the beginning of this month, are exceptions.

Another such exception is a project being spearheaded by independent animator Bill Plympton. Recently, Plympton announced that he has been spending considerable time and money to remake Winsor McCay's 1921 film The Flying House. Plympton is not remaking the film in his own personal style of animation; rather, he is executing a process in which each frame of the film is being digitally retouched and colored. In keeping with the fact that Plympton is indeed an independent producer with little or no initial underwriting from large studios or distributors, he has started a Kickstarter project to solicit production funding from the public. Before reading ahead, it is recommended that you read the Kickstarter project page and watch the video, which is also embedded here for your convenience.

Watching the video and learning a few basic facts about the project brings forth aesthetic and ethical questions on the topic of early film appreciation, or more appropriately in this case, reconstituting. True, adding color and sound to silent animated cartoons is by no means a new idea. In the early 1930s, Screen Attractions Corporation took silent, black and white Mutt and Jeff cartoons from 1925 and 1926 and added color to them by physically redrawing each frame of the films as well as orchestrating musical soundtracks for the films, sometimes with dialogue. A sample poster (right) demonstrates the amount of interest a firm would try to solicit based on the fact that their product was not silent nor monochromatic. In the early 1970s, Radio and Television Packagers did the exact same thing to a few dozen silent and early sound cartoons. Fred Ladd, known for his involvement in bringing Japanese animation to the states a decade prior, was a consultant on this and several similar projects. In short, Plympton is not exactly doing something new--of more importance is the manner, aesthetically and technologically, in which he is doing it.

Visually, there is an obvious disparity between McCay's original image and Plympton's composite. As you can see in the strip of comparative frames on the left, the metamorphosis between the two versions occurs by via digital reconstructing of a physical, analog frame. As you study the frames, it becomes quite clear that the new version of the film has been adapted for a widescreen aspect ratio which is not true to McCay's original production. The resulting aspect ratio alone leads one to ponder several ideas. Is a widescreen product the chosen output method in order to conform to now widespread digital playback methods? Or, is a widescreen product chosen as a filmmaking technique simply because most contemporary viewers, and one could arguably claim young animators, are accustomed to and expect this format? In reality, both reasons are probably viable explanations of why Plympton's version of the film is not being produced with the original aspect ratio in mind.

While digital manipulation of historical films is a now common practice in the archival and preservation fields, one important detail has not been addressed, at least in the Kickstarter project and its introductory video. Plympton is audibly concerned about the film's deterioration. It should be noted, however, that Plympton's team appears to be working from one or more 16mm prints. As was the industry standard at the time, McCay's film was shot in 35mm. Milestone's VHS (and later DVD) collection of McCay's films used at least a fragmentary 35mm print for their version of the film, and a 16mm print was included as an extra feature.

At this point in time, it is fair to consider, for example, a fragmentary 35mm print to be a master element--and it is unclear if Plympton has used sources closer to an original nitrate than a 16mm printdown dupe. It is not necessary to recount the story of the original 1940s 'rediscovery' of McCay's films at this time. However, in Plympton's defense, it is important to state that the few surviving master elements of McCay's films (or nitrate prints and 16mm prints closer to those elements than what circulates in collectors' circles) were retained, possibly in a controversial manner, by the Cinémathèque Québécoise following their screening of historical animation at EXPO '67. Gaining access to films in the Cinémathèque's archives is incredibly difficult, even for established historians, and this may explain why Plympton might not be working from a higher-quality element--if such an element exists in the archive.
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While the blogmaster has yet to see the results of this project, it is fascinating to see in retrospect that Mr. Plympton not only met the goal of his Kickstarter campaign but brought in nearly DOUBLE the $10,000 sum originally sought for the endeavor.

I'm still on the fence about what weight this project carries in terms of historical ethic and setting precedents for future 'restoration' concepts. What do you think?

Old Slot Machines

2011-08-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Willrus Wreand

It goes without saying that as a collector of old things, slot machines are of a real fascination to me. Ever since childhood, free bingo no deposit and slot machines have been so interesting. Not only for their beauty, at least in those days, but also the sights and sounds associated with them. Clearly, people garner pleasure from playing the slot machines and still do to this day. It's been a hobby of mine for over fifty years and still counting...even my wife has gotten into the games, and we consider it a joint pastime.

I've picked up a few over the years, but the old collectible ones, especially antique models, can be prohibitively expensive. As you probably guessed, I have even purchased some with the proceeds from playing slot machines and free no deposit bingo! I'm truly a slot enthusiast. Nowadays, I also play slots on the internet as there are many reliable slot sites and no deposit bingo sites out there. The winnings can also be exciting, and the websites are fun. It's also a great way to connect with other slot enthusiasts and have an all around good time. Slots and bingo no deposit is the way to go!

Messages for me

2011-07-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the post, Arthur Lawrence

When I think about all of the times that I’ve seen a message on my computer that says Click Here, it’s almost too many to count. Every time that I go to a website it seems to have something pop up that says to click somewhere. I have to tell you, I’ve actually followed the link to a lot of these sites, and most of the time it’s one of those claims that seems to be too good to be true and then it actually is. But, I’m a sucker for trying- jus t in case I miss something that I regret missing later! The above link is for Satellite, which I purchased and LOVE. I’ve also gotten a few free movies from Red Box out of the deal. So far, I haven’t gotten any sort of virus on my computer, but my dad keeps telling me I have to be careful not to ‘trust’ sites that I don’t know anything about. I’m not going to lie- I’ll probably keep clicking until something bad happens—I just love a good deal that much!

Bray Project: 28mm Transfers

2011-07-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

Here at the Bray Animation Project, we have in our possession approximately forty films in the 28mm format. 28mm is a now-obscure and obsolete film gauge developed in the early 1910s as an alternative to theatrical 35mm film. It was also designed as perhaps the first non-flammable safety film stock which could be shown safely in schools, homes, churches, and other establishments that did not have fireproof projection booths.

It appears J.R. Bray made an agreement with United Projector and Film Corporation (and possibly other companies) sometime in the late 1910s to the early 1920s to distribute his studios' films in the 28mm format. Thankfully, while sometimes fragile, many of these prints have survived today for the simple reason that they are safety prints and are not subject to the far-worse deterioration that most nitrate prints will experience over time. You can read more about the United prints on this page of the Bray Animation Project website.

Thankfully, a hoard of 28mm films were found and sold on the public market last year and this provided, so far, the full extent of our 28mm Bray films collection. The films were in varying condition with the worst problem being shrinkage in some of the prints, which is thankfully 'relaxed' and partially solved with camphor treatments. Other than that, the prints were in relatively good shape, simply needing extensive cleaning.

With the help of a few colleagues, two of the prints have been professionally transferred to video so far. It is a painstaking and very costly process, so it may be some time before more of these prints are converted. For your enjoyment, below are some framegrabs from the two prints that have been transferred.

The original canisters for both films:

Bobby Bumps Gets a Substitute (1916)

Bobby Bumps' Incubator (1918)

Unique Halloween Costumes

2011-07-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that yours truly is a big fan of the holidays, especially Halloween. I've always been fascinated by the decor, holiday traditions, and especially the costumes that folks come up with for this favorite holiday. Obviously, Halloween this year is still at least a couple months away but it's never foolish to start planning your Halloween Costumes early! Are YOU thinking of planning your costume early?

Maybe I can help with a few ideas. In the past, I've dressed up as Charlie Chaplin, Bozo the Clown, and simply an old man--a very easy costume to put together. There are so many different possibilites...Childrens Costumes are just as varied these days, and so are Plus size Costumes!

In my research, I've come across a great supplier of a most varied selection of costumes for the holiday. HalloweenAdventures.com has been in business since 1981 and boasts over 10,000 items in its online catalog. From costumes and accessories to decor...and even items for pets, it's truly your one stop shop for unique Halloween party supplies.

Announcing the Bray Animation Project!

2011-05-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After years of researching and collecting materials, as well as recent months of toil, I am extremely proud to formally announce the launch of a new website that will be of great interest to film historians.

The Bray Animation Project, as I'm calling it, is a major research tool devoted to the 1913-1927 output of animated films from the Bray Studios. Combining imagery, videos, essays, and the most complete filmography published to date, the Project pays overdue homage to an early New York City film studio whose product has been painfully understudied.

Noted film and comics historians David Gerstein, Charlie Judkins, Mark Newgarden, Ray Pointer, Tom Stathes (yours truly) and Jack Theakston have provided informative texts for the site. The animated cartoon filmography can be viewed either chronologically or by series. It establishes whether each film is lost or survives (to our present knowledge), as well as noting whether an element has yet been collected for the Bray Animation Project proper.

There is also a discussion board included in the site. Film scholars, historians, fans and surfers are encouraged to post messages and connect with others through the site.

Without further ado, please visit the Bray Animation Project and pass along the word to your colleagues in the industry.

Cordially,

Tom Stathes
http://cartoonsonfilm.com

Hello from the Blogmaster

2011-03-03T09:57:00.000-08:00

Some of you faithful readers may have noticed that after a long hiatus, there have been some new posts on this blog. Yes, while only slightly informational, they are mostly commercial in nature. The fact remains that few are able to or believe they should financially support archival film efforts so I have had to take steps in monetizing this blog which happens to have very good page ranking thanks to all of the links I've received. That said, I wanted to let everyone know that I have in no way abandoned my efforts: quite the opposite, in fact.

For the past couple months I've been working on a VERY special project that all you animation and film history enthusiasts will just love. It's a website devoted to my favorite early animation studio and it will be packed with lots of goodies, info and images you'll find nowhere else. The new site will even have a discussion board for all who want to talk about any aspect of the studio or early animation archiving in general. I will of course keep everyone posted.

Now- for those of you who have not seen this groundbreaking film, I would like to sign off this post with a lovely YouTube video I uploaded recently. Please excuse the poor video quality...my source on this film is not so good at all and a better copy is forthcoming.

New York Video Production

2011-03-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Those of us who know a thing or two about film history are aware that the industry flourished in the New York area. With its roots in the very late 19th century, most aspects of commercial production were born in or were perfected and monetized in New York and New Jersey. However, the Motion Picture Patents Company, of which Thomas A. Edison was part, drove then 'independent' film producers out of New York City. The MPPC's film camera patents only extended into the midwest, and the lush "free zone" of California proved to be the future hot bed for building a place where cinematic dreams could come true.

Clearly, most people think of Hollywood when discussing media production. California has historically been the center for film production but thankfully New York video production companies are still in full force and can be found with ease. After all, the medium was born here in New York and we in the film studies field are certain that will continue to be the case.

Annapolis Photography

2011-03-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Roman Grinev Photography want to tell you a bit about their work in the photography industry. Roman Photography is a leader in the Maryland area and are especially renowned Annapolis Wedding Photographers.

The esteemed Annapolis wedding photographer Roman Grinev has captured occasional humorous subjects, as can be seen in the sample at the bottom of this post. The 'macabre' wedding cake reminds me of some of the darkly cute stop-motion animated subjects that have come out in recent years, wouldn't you agree?

That said, if you are in the Baltimore, Maryland area-- particularly Annapolis and are contemplating marriage, do contact the studio for specialized Annapolis Wedding Photography.

(Photo courtesy Roman Grinev Photography)

Today's compact Audio/Video Interface

2011-03-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

In the years before I was a film collector, my main medium of operation was VHS tapes and their duplication. Thankfully, the VHS technology was simple and even kid-friendly, as I was dubbing tapes as an early grade school student. Film enthusiasts had great fun with VHS which relied primarily on the standard three-color RCA cables. Video dubbing in the home in the home is still relatively easy and accessible through a new and wide array of other electronics.

Today, we've moved on to other technologies. I can't say I've used all of them, but there are two new common types of video interfaces, both of which readers are probably familiar with. First there is the High Definition Multimedia Interface, which obviously makes use of HDMI cables. Second there is the Digital Visual Interface which utilizes DVI cables. It would be interesting to know who among us in the archival field use these technologies in their home setups.

FTC Disclaimer

2011-02-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

Full Disclosure: Certain product listings on this site will be provided by third party affiliate partners; we will only have limited control over them. By using this site you agree to shop at your own risk.

NYC 10/30/10 Cartoon Carnival 7: Halloweenie!

2010-10-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival 7: Halloweenie!

Picture this: you are a Runaway, cast into the belly of a dark forest, armed with little more than the clothes on your back. Sometimes, you have a friend with you - a trusty dog? - but company provides no consolation. Danger lurks around every turn; in the gnarled and spindly tree branches, the soft ground underfoot, even that seemingly inviting cabin at the edge of a clearing. Should you enter? After all, what’s the worst that could happen?

The whirl of the reel will drown your screams of terror when Tom Stathes, Master of the Millimeter, spins these spooky yarns of yore on 16mm!

Vaudeville Park and Cinebeasts bring you the first-ever two-part Cartoon Carnival! Bring the younger boys and “ghouls” to our matineé at 2pm, for flickering tricks and frightening treats! Stick around for the 7pm show when we unleash the truly macabre upon a captive, “boo”-ze infused audience! All films will be screened on vintage celluloid, hand-picked from Tom’s oceanic collection.

Program highlights include Willie Whopper in Hell’s Fire (Iwerks, 1934), Koko’s Haunted House (Fleischer, 1928), and the early Disney effort Alice’s Mysterious Mystery (Disney, 1926). Stick around for creepy cocktails, costume contests, and another famous raffle!

PROGRAM ONE:
DOORS AT 2PM
General Admission - $8
Kids 5 - 12 - $5
$1 off with any Halloween costume

PROGRAM TWO:
DOORS AT 7PM
General Admission - $8
$1 off with any Halloween costume

Location:
Vaudeville Park
26 Bushwick at Devoe (L train to Graham St / G to Lorimer)
Brooklyn, NY

Please check out our Facebook event page here and RSVP if you like:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?ei...4611980&ref=ts
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Spend Late October with Tom Stathes!

Saturday, October 23rd at 7pm
Silent Animation and Ragtime
Good friend, ragtime/stride pianist and animation historian/student friend Charlie Judkins is accompanying a selection of silent cartoons culled from my DVDs. This will take place at The Community Bookstore, 143 Seventh Ave, in Brooklyn.
Event info here: http://communitybookstore.net/events/?p=1028

Friday, October 29th at 7:30pm
The Loose Caboose Halloween Show!
Ms. Tina Cione' and Shane Webb bring you a night of bumpin' and grindin' with comedic timin' at their vaudeville themed variety show.Every last Friday of the month The Bowery Poetry Club hosts un spectacle with vintage cartoons from Tom Stathes' Cartoons on Film, burlesque, comedie, music, and sideshow acts.Hosted by Juliet Jeske as Fraulein Shtup.
Event info here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124880080900896&ref=ts

Sunday, October 31st at 2pm
MoMA: To Save and Project
Serge Bromberg Presents Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Grams and Ub Iwerks Cartoons
This is part of what I like to consider the Disney discovery of the century...close friend and colleague David Gerstein has discovered the last of the missing (and fabled 7th) Laugh o Gram cartoons done by Walt Disney; his first series of animated cartoons. I was very exhilarated to be present during much of the discovery process and an amply due acknowledgment goes to Cole Johnson for helping to start the whole process.
MoMA is screening two of these prints which were actually in their collections for decades but misidentified. They have now been preserved...come see them with us!!!
Event info here: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/films/1113

2010-10-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last year I was participating in a panel at the 2009 New York Comic Con about animation in New York. I put together a video montage of animation that was produced in NYC when it was still the film capitol and the stronghold before the west coast studios gained most of the industry's prominence.

I've now uploaded the video which can be viewed here:

NYC 8/27/2010: Cartoon Carnival 6! Please Come!

2010-08-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

**PLEASE RSVP ON FACEBOOK HERE**

Time
August 27 at 7:00pm - August 28 at 12:00am

Location
Attic Studios
11-05 44th road
Long Island City, NY

Cinebeasts, The Attic Studios and Cartoons On Film take great pride in announcing the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival #6: TRAVELAFFS!

Just what are Travelaffs? We’ll call them those primitive belly laughs we’ve seen world-round by naughty children, gossipy coworkers, nozy neighbors or an folly-seekers. This time, the folly is on film, as NYC celluloid’s dean of 16, Tom Stathes, unleashes an epic maelstrom of classic - and controversial - cinema. This August, escape your summer into a macabre paradise of bizarre cartoons – we’re talking Terrytoons, Van Bueren Studios, Mutt & Jeff, Warners gems and more. On a celluloid flying carpet, transport yourself to faraway lands with further-away mores: taking you to the jungle, the big city, on the farm or in the desert, Tom will be projecting a strong 80+ minute battery of hand-doodles to drool over, all on celluloid as they were meant to be seen. It’s strong stuff.

This will be Tom’s biggest screening ever, located in the spacious (and air-conditioned!) Attic Studios in Long Island City, Queens – just a few minutes from Manhattan. It also promises a long-lost Max Fleischer (Popeye Meets Sinbad The Sailor, Out Of The Inkwell) Talkartoon which hasn't been publicly screened in decades — come see the premiere of a newly found print. It's Bimbo the Dog, with lots of great Al Eugster animation and a crazy Southern-style soundtrack. Further-to-the-more, there will be a bouncing-ball singalong number, abundant popcorn and a heavy dose of 1920s and 30s style attire!

The Attic Studios are located at 11-05 44th Road in Long Island City, Queens. For quick subway access, take the 7 train to Court Square or the G/M/E to 21st/Ely. Subway map below.

7PM DOORS / $6 ADMISSION / FREE POPCORN / DRINKS

http://www.cinebeasts.com/

http://www.atticstudios.net/

Old MacDonald, by Popular Demand

2010-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn, NY: Cartoon Carnival #5 Rescheduled

2010-03-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Cinebeasts and Vaudeville Park are quaking with excitement to present The Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival for your viewing pleasure!

On Saturday, March 20th, the Cartoon Carnival will overrun Vaudeville Park for its fifth installment: a two-part program of hand-selected 16mm treasures abandoned by history and reactivated by whiz kid curator Stathes. Luddites, romantics, nostalgists, pop culture theorists, enemies of censorship, lovers, archivists, nerds, kids-at-heart, actual kids and armchair film historians are all welcome!

The lineup promises a mix of the bizarre, raunchy, and beloved: packed both with favorites and super-obscure characters and gags. The shorts range in vintage from the 1910s to the 60s, each one on the best possible print available. All cartoons fall within the public domain, but will be screened in stunning contrast to the pathetic discount DVDs and VHS tapes you see at garage sales and drugstores!

The evening also promises an OPEN BAR with custom cocktails, free popcorn, a bake sale to benefit Cinebeasts, and some classic 78rpms jazz records following the cartoons.

$6 at the door / OPEN BAR (with ID) / 7:30PM DOORS
RAFFLE! SNACKS!

Vaudeville Park (26 Bushwick Ave at Devoe, Williamsburg): L train to Graham / G to Lorimer

Please RSVP at our Facebook event page if you are registered on the site :-)

Cartoon Carnival 5- cancelled and postponed

2010-02-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately we've had to cancel-- for now. The update as emailed to guests of the event on FaceBook:

Dear Guests,

I'm sorry to report that for reasons outside of my control, this show will have to be cancelled. It seems as if it will be postponed until late March and you will all receive an invite to the new event. Again, with deepest regrets, we are

Tom Stathes and members of the Cartoon Carnival and Cinebeasts.

Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival 5: Feb. 27th, 2010

2010-02-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED- PLEASE SEE ABOVE POST.

You're invited to the 5th installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival presented by Cinebeasts~ Come and see some classic cartoon characters you know and some ancient ones you've never heard of! This screening of rare 1910s-1930s animation is presented in 16mm with a projector--no digital aspect whatsoever enabling you to enjoy film as it was originally intended to be seen.

Also hear Charlie Judkins playing ragtime piano during intermission!

$6 at the door-
**OPEN BAR**(with ID)
DOORS AT 7:30

@Vaudeville Park, 26 Bushwick Ave at Devoe in Williamsburg. "L train to Graham / G to Lorimer"
***
As usual, I'll be showing some old time favorites as well as hard-to-find silent animation.

You may RSVP on Facebook

And also join the Carnival's group on Facebook as well!

How NOT to write about film history...

2010-01-26T01:05:00.000-08:00

...that is, consulting NO reference materials or expertise for accurate information! Read on for a good laugh at

Aviva Directory

Tom Stathes Interviewed

2009-12-13T20:49:00.001-08:00

That's right, I've been interviewed. Check out the third issue of Stop Motion Magazine, a new and delightful online publication dedicated to all things Stop Motion Animation.

Stop Motion Matinee

2009-11-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to announce Cartoons On Film's STOP MOTION MATINEE, a new release produced in conjunction with Inkwell Images, Inc. This DVD collection is an exploration of early stop-motion animated films, and should serve as a great introduction to a most interesting aspect of animation history. It demonstrates the level of talent possessed by several filmmakers of the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s who were able to produce visually stunning films using three-dimensional objects without the aid of computers. It can be argued that these works, in turn, are true film feats compared to the commonplace animation of today.

First in the show is THE AUTOMATIC MOVING COMPANY (1912), a film by Romeo Bossetti. Wrongly attributed to Emile Cohl since the 1970s, this film was in fact produced by Bossetti for the Pathe company two months after Cohl left the studio. Bossetti worked at the Gaumont Studios during an earlier period in which Cohl produced a film with the same theme, Le Mobilier fidele (1910); now only viewable at the Cinematheque Gaumont-Actualites.
Animation historian and author Donald Crafton makes the important distinction between the two films in his book Emile Cohl, Caricature, and Film (Princeton Press, 1992) and suggests that Bossetti must have had the pleasure of watching Cohl at work during the Gaumont period and experimented with furniture in an earlier 1911 film as well.
THE AUTOMATIC MOVING COMPANY is a short yet charming film depicting actual furniture unloading from a moving truck and arranging itself in a second-floor apartment without the aid of a human moving crew.

In that same year, famed animator Ladislaw Starewicz produced our second film, THE REVENGE OF THE KINEMATOGRAPH CAMERAMAN (1912). This dramatic telling of a lecherous couple, the Beetles, has a humorous edge in that a grasshopper cameraman provides the climax by showing his secretly-captured, incriminating film at a cinema where the Beetles are in attendance. Husband and wife betray each other and yet they remain together at the end of the film with a bottle of wine to bind them!
Starewicz uses actual preserved insects as subjects in this film. And to think I throw them away after I swat them...

Our third feature is THE DINOSAUR AND THE MISSING LINK (1917), a Conquest Pictures production distributed by Thomas Edison. Willis O'Brien animates superb, lifelike figures in this film which is part of a prehistoric-themed series he produced in the mid-to-late 1910s. Miss Araminta Rockface, the protagonist, is called on by local cavemen The Duke and Stonejaw Steve. These two cavemen are rivals, and Steve throws The Duke into a pot of boiling water! Theophilus Ivoryhead, the "unassuming hero" as an intertitle introduces him, eventually wins the love of Araminta - but I'd better not spoil the rest of the plot for potential viewers! The film features an almost stunningly similar precursor to KING KONG, "Wild Willie," who serves as the antagonist and is also the 'Missing Link' of the film's title. O'Brien's work is revisited later in this program.

Jumping ahead to the eve of the Great Depression, we find ourselves in the fantastic world of Chip the Wooden Man. Kinex Studio's CHIP IN THE LAND OF WHIZ (1929) is one of various toyland-like adventures. Kinex's series such as Chip, Snap the Gingerbread Man and Doodlebugville all feature characters crafted out of wood and other materials in a much more "cartoon"-like style, whereas realistic bugs and human-like dolls were predominant characters in earlier stop-motion films. While not much is known of the Kinex Studios, historians believe their films were produced in approximately 1928 to 1930 as silent films for non-theatrical 8mm and 16mm distribution by Kodak's Cinegraph branch. Ex-Kinex staff went on to produce a small number of sound films such as Hector the Pup (1935).

As promised earlier, the work of Willis O'Brien is revisited. This time we're showcasing a rare reel that saw no general release until its discovery in recent decades. O'Brien designed sets and dinosaur figures which were built by Marcel Delgado for a short-lived project dubbed CREATION (1931). The plot was to have featured a submarine discovering a lost island where dinosaurs still roam. David O. Selznick scrapped this project when he became head of production at RKO in 1932; however, work already completed on it convinced Selznick's assistant Merian C. Cooper that this technique of filmmaking was feasible. This rare fragment represents what eventually bore fruit as the famous King Kong (1933).

Our program concludes by revisiting the work of Ladislaw Starewicz. By 1933, Starewicz fine-tuned his skills in the medium and moved on to using some cartoonish characters alongside anthropomorphized objects such as wine glasses. A true surrealist work with a Depression-era European edge, THE MASCOT concerns Duffy, a cute stuffed-animal dog, facing some strange adventures before returning to his human masters' home. This film is the only in our program to have been produced with a soundtrack.

This collection represents a turning point for me as an early animation collector and historian. I've been interested in early animation history since the mid-1990s, when I was a young child. Out of sheer frustration caused by the general unavailability of these films, I began collecting them around a decade ago and started my home-based operation of selling DVD collections under the Tom's Vintage Film moniker in the Summer of 2005.
This year, 2009, has been an important period as colleague David Gerstein helped with the formation of my new Cartoons on Film website. Also, fellow animation historian Ray Pointer of Inkwell Images, Inc. sought to help upgrade my product to something that has a better focus and a much more professional presentation. I'm grateful to both for their collaboration in producing STOP MOTION MATINEE, with Ray serving as fellow director and David as package designer, respectively.

Needless to say, we all look forward to working on future releases of historic animation. For the moment, though, let's enjoy STOP MOTION MATINEE! Visit cartoonsonfilm.com for ordering information.

Halloween DVD

2009-10-05T00:42:00.001-07:00

Making it's re-debut for a second holiday season is the Tom Stathes Halloween Cartoon Reel! I've kept the same films as last year but have added very nice packaging for this fun collection. If you didn't pick this up last year, now's a good time.
See Krazy Kat, Ko-Ko the Clown, Tom & Jerry (the humans) and more in some of their scarier adventures.
For you comedy fans, also included is the Jimmie Adams film GOOFY GHOSTS (1928).

Read more at http://cartoonsonfilm.com

On Kevin's Blog

2009-09-27T20:52:00.001-07:00

Folks, Kevin Gannon has been kind enough to write about me and my new website on his blog. Go check it out here!

New Website!

2009-09-26T01:25:00.000-07:00

Five years in the making and I'm very happy and proud to announce my first website...first .com to be exact! My DVD listings, show information and all things related to silent animation will now be featured here:

Visit CartoonsOnFilm.com
Bloggers and Site Owners: Contact me through the website for trading links and banner ads.

Cartoon Carnival 4...and Burlesque!

2009-08-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Get ready for the 4th screening of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival. This unique installment not only features an array of early, obscure, raunchy & risque cartoons; the show will be followed by excellent live performances at NYC's top Burlesque house: The Slipper Room! As always, the Cartoon Carnival presents cartoons from the 1910s to 1930s on genuine 16mm film, the way film was meant to be enjoyed. Bring a friend, watch some cartoons and enjoy the exotic dancers.

Thursday, August 13th
The Slipper Room
167 Orchard St., NY NY

Doors at 8pm
$5 entry for the whole evening.

Slipper Room

New "Wanted List" Website

2009-07-10T14:13:00.001-07:00

I've started a new simple and free web page called Silent Cartoons Wanted. It's basically my want list of 16mm silent-era cartoons that will be updated in real time as I acquire prints. From now on the "Buying 16mm Cartoons" at the top of this blog will be linked to said page.

Cartoon Carnival on July 8th, 2009

2009-07-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

You're invited to the next installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival presented by The Kings County Cinema Society! Come and see some classic cartoon characters you know and some ancient ones you've never heard of! The show is presented in 16mm with a projector--no digital aspect whatsoever enabling you to enjoy film as it was originally intended.

$5. Donation at the rear of Freddy's Bar

Date:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Time:
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
Freddy's Bar and Backroom
Street:
485 Dean St.
City/Town:
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY

By Subway take the 2, 3 trains to Bergen Street; Freddy's is right around the corner. Or take practically any train in the city to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street Stations; Walk East on Flatbush and take a left on Dean.

**Please join our group at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=205685270704

All the Aesop's Fables cartoons should be out there...

2009-06-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Aesop's Fables cartoons produced in 1921 to 1929 are an interesting topic of discussion among animation fans and historians. "Historians", if you will, tend to dismiss them for their lack of originality, inconsistent and occasional poor animation.
It can be said, though, that so-called historians are really just educated critics in their own right. Ask almost any baby boomer, especially from the Northeast of America, what cartoons they watched on television as a kid and many will cite Farmer Gray. Gray was the nickname given to Farmer Alfalfa by one of the New York kiddie TV show hosts while in competition with a rival host. The animated product was the same on both shows but apparently it's all in the naming of the character...and in both cases, these baby boomers speak of the Aesop's Fables cartoons lovingly, perhaps even if out of pure nostalgia for a time so recent yet so completely lost in today's American culture.
As I've probably mentioned on this blog before, at least three firms were responsible for bringing the 1920s Fables to television. Stuart Productions, also known as Guaranteed Pictures and later known as FilmVideo released 44; Saul Turrell of Sterling Television under the "Snappy Cartoons" moniker and most certainly Commonwealth Pictures which had the biggest stake of the cartoons. Those of you who have been watching public domain tapes for a long time probably recall seeing "Commonwealth" main titles on some of the color Van Beuren cartoons. Below we see a nice ad for Commonwealth's film package, found in a 1950's television trade paper. Mark Kausler tells me Commonwealth had at least 304 of the 430+ Fables. Considering the ad states 400 cartoons, it makes sense if they carried other Van Beuren product. David Gerstein agrees that it's nice to see Ub Iwerks' name proudly displayed on a 1950s advertisement.

What does this all mean? Television prints are not impossible to find, making the Aesop's Fables not only the largest silent cartoon series but also one that has the best odds of being completely archived and accessible. The TV prints don't account for all the original nitrates held in archives, either. For as long as I'm breathing it will be a quest to find more of these titles.
And now, a sound version Commonwealth fable cartoon for you.

Tom on the Fanboy blog, etc...

2009-06-18T13:04:00.001-07:00

Check it out folks, my first Cartoon Carnival was written up by Joe Strike and appears over at the Fanboy blog.

Remember folks, join the Carnival group over on Facebook for updates on new screenings- at this rate, there definitely will be several in the near future!

Cartoon Carnival 1 in retrospect

2009-06-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

After all these years I've finally put on my first public 16mm screening of these ancient cartoons. The turnout wasn't as big as I'm hoping for in the future, but large enough to make a very nice start to the series, and I think the audience really enjoyed the varied presentation.

Photos by Joe Strike
And how would this blog post be complete without a video? ENJOY!

Join the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival group on Facebook and get alerts for any upcoming shows!

Brooklyn, NY: Cartoon Carnival #1

2009-06-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 12th 8pm to 10pm
Come and enjoy the first installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival—a series of screenings featuring ancient and offbeat animation, all presented on 100% genuine 16mm film! See cartoons culled from a large private collection, produced from the 1910s to 1930s when true hand-drawn art filled movie palace screens... and political correctness didn't exist!

$4-$7 donation at the rear of Goodbye Blue Monday. Say THANK YOU to Goodbye Blue Monday for hosting this event by purchasing a drink at the bar!

J train to Kosciuzko St., walk 3 blocks down Broadway to 1087.

If you need help with more detailed or custom directions, email me at CartoonsOnFilm (at) gmail (dot) com

Happy Mothers Day!

2009-05-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

New Blog: David Gerstein

2009-04-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Attention, Folks! As Santa Barbarian youth from the late 80s might recall, "WE WANT DAVID GERSTEIN!" was a chant with the best intentions for making sure the limitless knowledge and humor of our fellow historian Dave Gerstein was accessible to all interested parties. This finally applies even moreso now that he has started a new and very promising blog; Prehistoric Pop Culture, or 'ramapithblog' for short.
David is sure to share much of his knowledge of all things Disney, other miscellany like early Warner Bros. as well as many interesting comic book facts and tidbits. Obviously the random exotic dinner recipe will be thrown in...anyone with esoteric or downright eccentric tastes will enjoy this blog and I highly recommend it.
http://ramapithblog.blogspot.com/

Ken Priebe, Stop Motion Detective

2009-04-11T22:42:00.001-07:00

Ken Priebe has posted a wonderful update on his blog The Boundaries of Fantasia in which his detective work and appreciation for all things stop motion animation are showcased. Ken's latest update, Explorations in Stop-Motion History moves from some interesting George Pal imagery (huge favorite of mine!) and then into the annals of something much more relevant to Stathesian animation studies, a [stop motion] animator of the silent era. Ken's musings and research on Howard Moss and his Mo-Toy and "Mugsy" character films is most interesting to me and I highly suggest readers here visit the blog post here.
As posted on Ken's blog and here several months back, a video shot of actual 16mm projection of a film done by Moss and re-released in the 1940s with a new title and narration.

Flip's Lunchroom

2009-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice Iwerks cartoon I didn't see readily available online...transferred from my 16mm collection. Note the awesome Films Inc. distributor introduction! Enjoy.

NEW DVD releases!

2009-04-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

NEW DVD releases for 2009! $20.00 each plus shipping.

TS-41 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 7 - Everyone's favorite Farmer Alfalfa from Paul Terry.
Alley Cat (1923) Farmer Al encounters the Cat KKK in his nightmares!
African Huntsman (1924)
Jealous Fisherman (1925)
Runaway Balloon (1925)
Up in the Air (1926)
Red Hot Sands (1927)
Flying Hoofs (1928)
Mechanical Cow (1937)

TS-42 Aesop's Fables Vol.2 - More early treasures from Paul Terry.
Rooster and the Eagle (1921)
Monkey Business (1924)
Adventures of Adenoid (1925)
Hitting the Rails (1926)
Wicked City (1926)
Pirates Bold (1926)
High Seas (1927)
Lad and His Lamp (1929)

TS-43 Alice Comedies - More silent classics from Walt Disney.
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- rare Sound version)
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- home movie version)
Alice Chops the Suey (1925)
Alice in the Jungle (1925)
Alice in the Wooly West (1926)
Alice's Little Parade (1926)
Alice the Whaler (1927- rare sound verion)

The following two collections feature Eastern European, mostly Russian cartoons which were edited, retitled, and repackaged with new English soundtracks for American telivision consumption in the 1960s. Here's a rare chance to see what was coming out of Europe during the Cold War. Packaged by Fima Noveck for Flamingo Telefilm, youth of the 1960s and 1970s remember these cartoons well. Unfortunately these color prints have turned red

TS-44 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 1
Hole in the Sky
Wooden Boy
War of Colors
Gone with the Goose
One Sunny Day
Beggar's Treasure
Woody in Toyland
Detective's Nightmare
Millie the Kid
Monkey and the Atom

TS-45 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 2
Wolf Trap
Bullies in a Toy Shop
The Rescue
The Party
Lion and the Gazelle
And So On
Animal School
Tiger Trouble
Barefoot King
Magic Mirror.

Shipping extra. Simply email me at cartoonsonfilm [at] gmail.com if interested. Thanks always, friends.

Tom's Vintage Film- The largest source of Early Animation offering some 350 cartoons!
http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

Intellitoons Forums

2009-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

To all the followers and surfers:
Please join Intellitoons Forums, hosted by Thad Komorowski and myself.
We welcome all intelligent discussion relating to classic cartoons as well as offering a generously liberal platform to speak your mind on virtually all topics- including off topic ones!
Remember folks, please register with your real name as the user name.

New Video

2009-03-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

This has been over two years forthcoming...finally I have put together a video about my personal tour of the local RKO Keith's theater here in Flushing New York. Definitely of interest to both film historians as well as theater and architecture historians and preservationists. Feel free to cover this on your blogs as well.

Off Topic: 1876 advice for 2009

2009-03-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

In looking through my collection of FLUSHING DAILY TIMES newspapers from 1876-1880, I came across the following passage which I found interesting and appropriate for our current times.

One result of the present dullness in trade of all kinds will be the driving out of the credit system, and the restablishment of the cash basis permanently. When we reach the point where retail merchants will only sell for cash, then the prosperity of the people will follow, for then will money be valued higher than it is at present, and its purchasing power be better understood than it has been in the latter years of our national history.
-Flushing Daily Times, March 9th, 1876.

Silent Disney Cartoon Reviews

2009-03-09T12:49:00.000-07:00

For the silent-era Disney connosieurs out there I would like to proudly recommend The Disney Film Project. On the blog, Ryan Kilpatrick follows a largely chronological method of reviewing the silent Disney cartoons complete with frame grabs. This is a crucial step (and one that is largely ignored elsewhere) in Ryan's goal to review all of the Disney films. Don't miss the latest review, Alice the Peacemaker, and keep a lookout for ones to come!

Youtube Anniversary: Rare Treat

2009-02-19T18:34:00.000-08:00

Today marks exactly two years that I have been posting videos to YouTube and nearly 3 years that I have been a member there. All of you following my videos will notice that the quality of them has varied but of late improving thanks to my purchase of a 16mm transfer machine a few months back. Like postings here on the blog, video uploads are sparse or sporadic but will be added to in the future.
Today's treat for you guys is a short clip from a Little Orphan Annie cartoon. I'm not exactly sure of its origin (yet) but it was distributed to the home movie market in the 1940s and probably dates to the 1930s. It may have been made with sound but this is a silent print. Also note, I received the film in an extremely "light" copy and did all the tweaking I could on iMovie to make it watchable even though it is still partially unintelligable. Gain from it what you may, but it's certainly a forgotten and orphaned film.

Although it's barely visible in the video, here is a decent composite frame from the opening shot that I was able to tweak...

Comic Con in Retrospect

2009-02-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Well, NY Comic Con '09 was my first comic convention and an enjoyable one at that. Lots of endless browsing dealer's tables, meeting people and gasping at all the strange costumes.
As mentioned earlier, yours truly was involved with a special panel on the history of New York animation hosted by J.J. Sedelmaier and Howard Beckerman. It was a very gratifying experience and I'm very thankfuly to J.J. for his kind words regarding my efforts and what I'm doing to preserve and share early animation. For your enjoyment, some pictures of this panel event follow...first, Howard Beckerman and myself followed by screenshots of my video presentation being screened.

Also, check out this nice brief review: http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=28411

NY Comic Con '09

2009-02-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

It is only appropriate that I mention the NY Comic Con '09 here. On Saturday Feb. 7th, 2009 there will be a special panel event hosted by J.J. Sedelmaier and Howard Beckerman, both veteran animators. The panel is very directly related to the "It All Started Here!" exhibit as discussed here on the blog in that it is a presentation on the roots of New York Animation. So, if you're in the area or maybe you're already going- please stop by 1A07 (Saturday 2/7/09 4PM) in the Javits Center (visit www.nycomiccon.com for info) for:
A presentation by J.J. Sedelmaier and his co-curating cohort Howard Beckerman, telling the story of the New York area's place in the animation industry's history. That's right folks, cartoons started in NY not on the West Coast! Sedelmaier and Beckerman have organized an exhibit in conjunction with the Westchester Arts Council, The Jacob Burns Film Center, and The Picture House in Pelham, chronicling this very subject, and they're at New York Comic Con to show highlights of the exhibit and shattering the misconception that cartoons call only California home.
I've compiled a collection of clips encompassing the silent and early sound eras of animation as they occured in NY, including footage from several rare cartoons. It would be great to have you there and see it in person although I will probably make the short video available online afterward. See you there!

Reminder: It All Started Here! (in NY) Jan 17th

2009-01-13T23:06:00.000-08:00

Just a friendly reminder to all you north-east American readers to try and make it to the White Plains "IT ALL STARTED HERE!" event which will take place on January 17th, this coming saturday. It is curated by animation veteran and historian Howard Beckerman as well as J.J. Sedelmaier of J.J. Sedelmaier Studios; not to be missed!
Here is some good information on the exhibit, and below some will be quoted if you cannot read the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/nyregion/westchester/11artswe.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1

"Visitors to the Arts Exchange will be greeted by four-foot standees of Mighty Mouse and Popeye. Inside, a 15-by-20-foot reproduction of McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur towers up to the mezzanine balcony, and polychromatic murals of familiar cartoon personalities adorn the walls. A Popeye lamp circa 1938 and a 1960s Mighty Mouse radio represent merchandising based on various characters. An oversized list displays the nearly 550 animation companies that have called New York home since 1906.

There is original artwork from each stage of the animation process, including character sketches, cels and storyboards from a selection of films. “We’ve got artwork of Betty Boop when she still had little dog ears, signed by the animator Grim Natwick, who helped create her,” said Mr. Sedelmaier. “We have a 60-year-old scene of Popeye from ‘Lumberjack and Jill’ that was never used, and a pose test, pencil test and final footage from a Baby Huey cartoon.”

DVDs playing on flat screens and conventional monitors throughout the exhibition focus on different periods of animation. One presents snippets of characters from old silent cartoons; a second shows more contemporary independent animation by New York-based filmmakers. Another plays a compilation of animated television commercials, including Marky Maypo shouting, “I want my Maypo!” and Bert and Harry Piel (voiced by the comic duo Bob and Ray) promoting Piels beer, both from the 1950s.

Equipment on view ranges from an antique Mutascope and a Moviola from the 1950s once owned by the animator Preston Blair to a desktop computer used in the making of Disney’s 1982 feature “Tron.” There are also manual sound effects makers, a Fleischer Studios animation disk from 1936, and a planning board (used to assist in the checking process before the animation artwork was filmed) designed by John Oxberry, of New Rochelle, for Jack Zander, the Pound Ridge resident who animated Jerry of “Tom and Jerry.”"

Please come to the opening on Saturday evening January 17th, 2009
5pm to 8:00pm
The Arts Exchange
31 Mamaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY 10601
914-428-4220 ext. 223

Here's the most updated info:

"IT ALL STARTED HERE !"
January 18 – February 28, 2009
Opening January 17, 2009
5pm to 8 PM
Curated by Howard Beckerman and J.J. Sedelmaier.
Presented by the Westchester Arts Council in partnership with
J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. and Blue Sky Studios

The Arts Exchange
Gallery hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5 PM
(914) 428-4220 x223

HELP SAVE ANIMATION HISTORY!

2009-01-10T11:54:00.000-08:00

Whether you're a friend or fellow blogger, or maybe you've found my blog by googling some early animation key words, you will know that information and film availability is close to nill out there. It's been my goal for the past decade to locate as many pre-sound cartoons as possible--something that I spend hours each day attempting to accomplish.
I cannot do this without the help of fellow historians and fans, however. Almost all my my acquisitions are funded through the purchases of DVDs listed on my Tom's Vintage Film website (banner link above). There you will find the most comprehensive source for silent-era cartoons...as such, I challenge you to locate more!
It is especially necessary that you, the historian or fan, help with my search by purchasing one or a few DVDs in order to enable me to fund further films that can be unearthed at any given time. Imagine a scenario where a random, previously unavailable film hits the market and yours truly has no funds for it because DVD sales have been slow. That increases the chances of the film falling into the hands of someone else who can pay more and will only store it on a shelf for no one else to see. We all lose in that scenario, except for the lucky purchaser. Unfortunately, I've faced that situation countless times!
Here is an example of one DVD I've compiled, and what the costs were to obtain original 16mm film prints...
TS40: Mutt & Jeff Vol. 2 (with beautiful cover art!)

Cramps (1916)
A Kick for Cinderella (1924)
Invisible Revenge (1925)
Mummy O' Mine (1926)
The Globe Trotters (1926) excerpt
Westward Whoa (1926) Original b&w footage!
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 b&w/sound)
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 color/silent)

My cost: Roughly $275
Your cost: $20

Here's another example:

TS-38 Cartoons at Home (Brand new 16mm transfers)
Here you will get a glimpse into how your ancestors enjoyed cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s at home by renting 16mm prints from various distributors before the days of television. You may have seen some of these in their original versions, but chances are you've not seen these alternate versions which have been out of use for sixty-plus years.

Fighting Flees (Kitty Kat Cartoons: Felix the Cat)
Alice's Tin Pony (Novelty Film Co.)
Racing Fever (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Tuning In (Unknown Dist.)
El Toreador (Unknown Dist.)
Midnight Frolics (Unknown Dist.)
War Daze (Unknown Dist.)
Magazine Rack (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Slight Fantastic (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Hey Fever (Hollywood Film Enterprises)

My cost: Roughly $325
Your cost: $20

So you see, locating and acquiring these early films is costly. Few are willing or even have the time to do it.

As always, the animation enthusiast's contributions and purchases are always highly appreciated and necessary for allowing additional material to find its way to you. Just follow the Tom's Vintage Film banner link above and take a look at the DVD page.

Thank you all!

It All Started Here!

2009-01-06T22:41:00.000-08:00

Well folks, here is a an event I think all of you tri-staters should attend..and one specifically about the history of cartoons in New York, where it all really began as an industry! I'm honored to have contributed some images and information for the event. If you live in the northeast, show you appreciate NY Animation History and try to make it, will ya!

Please come to the opening on Saturday evening January 17th, 2009
5pm to 8:00pm
The Arts Exchange
31 Mamaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY 10601
914-428-4220 ext. 223

Here's the most updated info:

"IT ALL STARTED HERE !"
January 18 – February 28, 2009
Opening January 17, 2009
5pm to 8 PM
Curated by Howard Beckerman and J.J. Sedelmaier.
Presented by the Westchester Arts Council in partnership with
J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, Inc. and Blue Sky Studios

The Arts Exchange
Gallery hours:
Tuesday – Saturday, 12-5 PM
(914) 428-4220 x223

Walter Lantz's TAIL OF THE MONKEY (1926)

2009-01-02T16:14:00.001-08:00

Many of you are probably familiar with Walter Lantz for having created Woody Woodpecker. Lantz's career dates back to the late 1910s as a teenager and budding professional in the animation industry. His first major and lengthy employment was at the Bray Studios, where he first worked on series like Jerry on the Job and later took over the revived Colonel Heeza Liar series, this time actually acting in live action segments of the films much like Max Fleischer in his Out of the Inkwell films.
By 1924, Col. Heeza Liar would again become defunct so at this point Lantz created his own character, Dinky Doodle who had a canine sidekick named Weakheart. Starting in 1925, he also created the Pete the Pup series, which is less known today and deemed by some as merely being "Dinky Doodle in a dog costume".
Although I have a Dinky Doodle cartoon uploaded on youtube (and probably linked here on the blog, too), The Unnatural History cartoons remain rarely seen and even harder to find if you go looking for them. I've got a handful and of course will eventually have plans to find more and make them available at some point.

So, fans and historians, I welcome you to discuss this forgotten Lantz film from his early and perhaps most autonomous period while at the Bray Studios.

2008 Comes to a Close

2008-12-22T22:45:00.001-08:00

Well folks, another year filled with a fair balance of good things and struggles is coming to a close. In terms of early animation history, 2008 saw the unearthing of some more unknown cartoons which will now be preserved at the Library of Congress.
One of the most important feats was my purchase of a 16mm film transfering unit so that I can put my 16mm films on DVD in-house. Folks, if you need 16mm film transferred, throw me an email!

There I am, looking on strangely as a I screen a cartoon on the unit.

Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday season and I hope to look forward to a new year filled with more discoveries, adventures, and most of all, hopefully more posts on my blog!!!
In an attempt to have you, the reader, be a little bit more participant... I am installing a Guest Book accessible on the right hand side. Feel free to post suggestions, things you'd like to know about 1910s-1920s cartoons and any other comments, gripes, and praises you may have.
Til next year!

RIP, Emru Townsend

2008-11-12T16:20:00.000-08:00

The animation community has lost a key contributor, Emru Townsend, to leukemia on 11 November 2008. My condolences go out to the Townsends and all else who were close with him.
For more information, visit CARTOON BREW
To learn more about donating bone marrow, please visit Heal Emru

NEW Dvd releases!

2008-11-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

NEW For Late 2008- Five Early Animation DVD Releases!

Tom Stathes's WINTER CARTOON RARITIES! Featuring brand new, 'cool' and 'crisp' transfers from Tom's own 16mm film print library. Includes...

Alice's Orphan (Disney, 1925)
When the Snow Flies (Terry, 1927) Farmer Alfalfa beats himself up in this lost classic!
Skating Hounds (Van Beuren, 1928) More Farmer Alfalfa goodness.
Frozen Frolics (Van Beuren, 1930)
Snow Time (Van Beuren, 1930)
Krazytoons: Alaska Daze (Krazy Kat, 1932)
The Snowman (Ted Eshbaugh, 1933) A truly obscure cult-classic.
South Pole or Bust (Terrytoons, 1934)
Frosty the Snowman (1954)
Little Snow Flake (Sterling T.V., 1958)
-PLUS BONUS LIVE ACTION SHORT-
The Toy Shop (Tiffany Color Symphony, 1928) An early Technicolor novelty short.

Retail: $20.00
Blog list price: $15.00

:::ALSO:::

TS-37 Krazytoons (Brand new 16mm transfers) $20.00
Attention Baby Boomers and obscurity fans! Krazytoons were a series of older cartoons repackaged for ca1960 television. Most of the films were retitled and you've probably seen some of these in their original versions. Half the fun is identifying them correctly!

Slow Poke (Krazy Kat)
Birds (Van Beuren)
An Ill Wind (Iwerks)
Hunting Season (Van Beuren)
Boyhood Daze (Scrappy)
Cave Man (Ising)
Butcher (Lantz)
Western Whoopie (Lantz)
Three Blind Mice (NFBC)
Pixie Tricks (Deteriorated, Van Beuren)

*

TS-38 Cartoons at Home (Brand new 16mm transfers) $20.00
Here you will get a glimpse into how your ancestors enjoyed cartoons from the 1920s and 1930s at home by renting 16mm prints from various distributors before the days of television. You may have seen some of these in their original versions, but chances are you've not seen these alternate versions which have been out of use for sixty-plus years.

Fighting Flees (Kitty Kat Cartoons: Felix the Cat)
Alice's Tin Pony (Novelty Film Co.)
Racing Fever (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Tuning In (Unknown Dist.)
El Toreador (Unknown Dist.)
Midnight Frolics (Unknown Dist.)
War Daze (Unknown Dist.)
Magazine Rack (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Slight Fantastic (Screen Attractions Corp.)
Hey Fever (Hollywood Film Enterprises)

*

TS-39 Felix the Cat Vol. 5 (Brand New 16mm transfers) $20.00
Everyone's favorite cat is back again in time for his 90th birthday!

Felix Revolts (1923)
Felix Gets Broadcasted (1923)
Felix in Fairyland (1923)
Felix Finds 'Em Fickle (1925) excerpt
Felix Brings Home the Bacon (1924) Excerpt
Felix Follows Swallows (1925) excerpt
Felix in the Land of Fancy (1926)
Felix Trumps the Ace (1926)
Felix Dines and Pines (1927)

*

TS-40 Mutt & Jeff Vol. 2 (Brand new 16mm transfers) $20.00
Featuring lovely brand new cover art!

Cramps (1916)
A Kick for Cinderella (1924)
Invisible Revenge (1925)
Mummy O' Mine (1926)
The Globe Trotters (1926) excerpt
Westward Whoa (1926) Original b&w footage!
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 b&w/sound)
Aroma of the South Seas (1926; 1931 color/silent)
****

Shipping extra. Simply email cartoonsonfilm@gmail.com if interested. Thanks always, friends.

Tom's Vintage Film- The largest source of Early Animation offering some 350 cartoons!
http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

Halloween Reel DVD Now on Sale!

2008-10-08T10:21:00.001-07:00

NOW AVAILABLE FOR HALLOWEEN 2008

A special, never-before-attempted DVD collection of some of Tom Stathes's Halloween film favorites, many of which are available nowhere else or difficult to obtain. Culled from his private 16mm film print collection are an array of silent and sound cartoons, with a bonus silent comedy, sure to make for enjoyable viewing and perhaps a social gathering event during your Halloween holiday.
Without further adieu, the DVD features:

Krazy Kat in The Awful Spook (Bray Studios, 1921)
Felix the Ghost Breaker (Messmer/Sullivan, 1923) Clip
Alice's Mysterious Mystery (Disney, 1926)
Felix in Sure Locked Homes (Messmer/Sullivan, 1928)
Koko's Haunted House (Fleischer, 1928)
The Haunted Ship (Van Beuren, 1930)
Wot a Night (Van Beuren, 1931)
The Vulcan Entertains (Iwerks, 1934)
Jasper's Haunted House (Pal, 1942)
The Friendly Ghost (Famous Studios, 1945)
Plus Bonus Comedy:
Goofy Ghosts (Christie, 1928) with Jimmie Adams.

These films have been carefully and professionally transferred from 16mm original prints and are not duplicated from any other source.

***Also featuring horrifically amateurish cover art drawn by Tom Stathes himself!***

Online price: $20.00
BLOG PRICE: JUST $15.00 PLUS SHIPPING!

Contact CartoonsOnFilm@gmail.com for questions and ordering.
Thanks friends!

Out of Print

2008-10-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

Recommended viewing for my fellow bloggers...how true is this?

Yes, they were all a little biased back then.

2008-09-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

It might not surprise you to know that a 1920 cartoon by the adored Max Fleischer entitled THE CHINAMAN incorporates some biased or racist gags in the storyline. In fact, we as seasoned animation enthusiasts for the most part have become somewhat expecting of these realities that were all too commonplace in the earlier decades of film.
The film in question had seen post-theatrical distribution namely on television as part of the Bray Studios TV library; in the same way other early cartoons were seen on kiddie TV shows in the 1950s. The only difference is that later version had been cut.
Thanks to the wonders of "home movie" film distribution slightly earlier in the 1930s and 1940s, here for your enjoyment is a brief though UNEDITED clip from the cartoon. For those of you who have seen the common version you will probably notice a couple differences. Enjoy, as always.

More 1920s Fable Goodness

2008-09-12T11:37:00.001-07:00

This here is a gift from a very gracious 16mm collector. Judging by the style and content, could it be A JEALOUS FISHERMAN (1924)? What do you guys think?

Summer Hiatus, Sort Of...

2008-07-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

Well folks, as you regular surfers already know, I'm good at random and unexpected disappearing acts. While I never intentionally leave my blog to fester or ever like doing so, things come up that either distract or prevent me from posting new stuff to the blog.
I know y'all understand :-)
Hopefully soon I'll be uploading some cool stuff for you to enjoy. I visited one of the former Bray Studios locations and we took some pictures which I'll post shortly. I've been meaning to visit more of the old NY studio locations, that is, those of which still exist in the form of the original building.
In any case, see you all in blog land hopefully soon!

Conveying Power of Film

2008-07-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I stumbled upon a nice website where you can post articles you've written and potentially generate revenue with adsense and other types of ads which are displayed on your article's page.
One of the first few I've written so far is titled Conveying Power of Film; basically a brief look at the power film has as a communicative, entertaining, and educational medium. I think some of my blog visitors might enjoy reading it...
Conveying Power of Film
If you enjoy writing, I'd recommend joining. Enjoy!

American Slapstick Vol. 2: BUY THIS!

2008-06-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

Produced by David Kalat of ALL DAY ENTERTAINMENT, American Slapstick Volume 2 is the second entry in a series which celebrates and preserves the history of slapstick comedy in early film. The series features well-known favorites such as Charlie Chaplin, but the brilliant thing is that much more obscure films are proudly featured; a practice which has been rarely seen in collections of silent film.
As you'll know from poking around my blog, I am animation fan as well as a silent film fan. Most appropriately, this DVD collection features two Otto Messmer/Pat Sullivan cartoons depicting Charlie Chaplin, produced in the late 1910s. These are a real treat for both the silent comedy and animation fan.
Yours truly loaned both cartoons for this DVD project and I was more than happy to do so, as David Kalat and ALL DAY produce wonderfully professional DVD collections. Kudos, David!
You will find more information and can purchase the collection HERE
I'm hoping some of my blog readers will pursue this and if you do, I'd love to hear back about how you enjoyed the DVD... especially the cartoons!
All Day Entertainment

Something you won't see on the Popeye DVDs...

2008-06-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

If the big studios had ongoing efforts to search for things they need among collectors, that might not be the case!
Another treat from my vast collection is a 1940s print of CUSTOMERS WANTED, a very well-known Popeye cartoon. The vintage nature of this print preserves its originality in that it predates any sort of butchering done for TV reissue... that is, original titles are intact. As you'll see, this print is far from mint condition but I know you enthusiasts out there will appreciate the Paramount credits being intact.

Remembering George Carlin

2008-06-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

He will be sorely missed. Below I am posting a text that has been possibly mistakenly attributed to Carlin, and even if not in line with his philosophy, I still feel it's appropriate.

The Paradox of Our Time
by George Carlin(?)

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all, mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

Archive Cleaning Blues... not!

2008-06-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I've been *slightly* shying away from my main interest of silent animation but just for a short while. Tonight, Tom brings you a genuine rarity of the sound era. Granted, the cartoon itself is not rare at all, but the version certainly is!
Lo and behold, a set of main titles UM&M and NTA did not want you to see! (Sorry folks, the ending is abrupt...but enjoy)

Felix the Inventor!

2008-06-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another gem from my 16mm collection is an Astra TV print of FELIX TURNS THE TIDE (1922), so appropriately (yet confusingly) titled The Inventor. If you've seen the Radio & Television Packagers redrawn cartoons of the 1970s, you may notice that the colorized version of this Felix cartoon is also titled The Inventor. As I've suggested elsewhere (and maybe here on the blog, though I forget), most of the sources for that batch of redrawns were the Astra TV prints. I'm currently trying to research the connection between the two.
Enjoy!

Paul Terry, Suicidal Thoughts, and Black-Market Television...

2008-06-02T21:43:00.001-07:00

...a winning combination! What's cuter in a 1930s cartoon than hearing an adorable but lamenting rabbit sing "I think I'll end it all"? Pudgy, later Oswald Rabbit and others wouldn't have anything on the "scared rabbit".
What more could make this cartoon great? Well ladies and gentleman, this happens to be a glorious BOOTLEG print straight from my 16mm library. Transferred on my new machine is the spectacular "Scared Rabbit" (originally a 1937 Terrytoon titled THE TIMID RABBIT) from my favorite distributor, Astra TV. Crank up the sound folks, this isn't Hollywood lab work...oh, and enjoy the original leader and tail from the film print (you'll noticed "Scared Rabbit" scratched into the negative as it strolls by on both ends) left intact for all you film purists.

Silent Comedy (for a quick change)

2008-05-25T21:40:00.001-07:00

Here are two clips recently found spliced together in a bunch of stuff I bought. As some of you may know, these things were cut up and retitled for home use. I transferred them on my brand new Tobin machine and uploaded them for the general good as well as so any keen historian out there can properly identify the origin of these clips...that is, the original theatrical titles.
Both star Henry [Harry] Murdock and the first costars George Burton. Enjoy.

SEMI-SPOILER:
*HILARIOUS* gag (in my opinion) involving an 'innocent bystander' of sorts being shot later in the first clip. Hah! Long live slapstick.

New Silent Cartoon DVDs

2008-05-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Well gang, I've put together 5 more DVDs for your perusal...

TS-32: Out of the Inkwell Vol. 4
Tantalizing Fly (1919)
Clown's Little Brother (1920)
Ouija Board (1920)
Koko Chops Suey (1927)
Koko's Hot Ink (1929)
Koko's Haunted House (1928)
Koko's Earth Control (1927)
Koko's Big Sale (1929)
Koko the Kop (1927)

TS-33 Mutt & Jeff
Ups and Downs (1926)
Accidents Won't Happen (1926)
Soda Jerks (1925)
Slick Sleuths (1925, original b/w)
Mixing in Mexico (1925)
Playing with Fire (1925)
Oceans of Trouble (1925)
Lots of Water (1925)
Slick Sleuths (1930 color)
Home Movie Clips Reel
(Special Thanks to Jerry Beck for some sources.)

TS-34 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 4
Cracked Ice (1927)
Hunstman (1928)
Medicine Man (1927)
Mouse's Bride (1928)
Monkey Shines (1920s)
Coast to Coast (1928)
Sunday on the Farm (1928)
Buck Fever (1926)

TS-35 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 5
Short Circuit (1928)
Wedding Bells (1920s)
Cat and the Magnet (1924)
One Hard Pull (1923)
On the Air (1920s)
Cat's Life (1920s)
Magic Boots (1920s)
Chemistry Lesson (1922)

TS-36 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 6
Day at the Park (1920s)
Wonders of the Deep (1920s)
Closer Than a Brother (1925)
Window Washers (1925)
Ugly Duckling (1925)
Canadian Capers (1931)
Owl & Pussycat (1934)
Old Dog Tray (1935, silent version)

For ordering details, click the Tom's Vintage Film banner above on this blog and visit the DVD page.
Enjoy!

Random Thoughts

2008-05-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well folks, as you can see, I've been away from the blog for some time. This is due to the school semester winding down to a close among various other things. Thankfully this summer I will have ample time to dedicate to animation history related pursuits.
What is new in the life of Tom? Well, I've reached a goal that I had set some years back- that was to one day own a 16mm film transferring machine! I'm happy to report that I'm a proud owner of a brand new Tobin TVT-16 unit which gives great transfers right in my own home. No more risking my rare films in transit...some have in fact been lost that way! :-(
This means that now I will be able to not only put plenty of scarce material onto the market, but do it in a much more professional way than I had been doing formerly. As you can imagine, some projects are now in the works that will blow the minds of all you early/silent/obscure animation fans.
Besides working on this particular venture, I will have more time to update the blog- I've been looking forward to keeping it more up to date and keeping you guys and gals stimulated.
And now, I will treat you to a 'classic' from my 16mm collection, ROUGH ON RATS from Van Beuren. This is a quick transfer to video made while Thad Komorowski was visiting recently (hence him uploading it to youtube). Enjoy and I'll be seein' ya.

Ollie Johnston (1912-2008)

2008-04-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

The animation community has lost a true legend. Ollie Johnston, the last living of Disney's "Nine Old Men" has passed away. Coverage can be found on Jerry Beck's Cartoon Brew.
Rest in peace, Ollie.

What are Krazytoons?

2008-04-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

Krazytoons: Another wacky bunch of black-market TV prints...as usual, featuring both well known and obscure cartoons from the 1920s-1940s.
Enjoy AN ILL WIND (actually, Iwerk's HUMPTY DUMPTY JR. from 1935)

Not for the comically prudish...

2008-03-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Simply put, strange stuff happens when in the company of fellow obscure animation fans. A couple weekends ago I had the pleasure of spending a Saturday with good friend Charlie Judkins (blog link at right.) As you can imagine we spent ample time watching both obscure and classic cartoons; early and more contemporary.
However, things became interesting when we decided to, as Charlie put it, "draw posters for silent cartoons that no longer survive."
Here's what I came up with for such a cartoon:

Kudos, Tom, you've successfully disturbed yourself.

It's February already?!

2008-02-17T00:00:00.001-08:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long I've let the blog languish without updates. I suppose you can chalk it up to being busy with college, animation wheeling and dealing, and so forth.
So, what's new? I had the honor of attending the early Japanese animation show at the Japan Society on Saturday, Feb. 15th. What an enjoyable array of early cartoons...some funny, some hilarious, and others leaving you puzzled. Just my kind of mix!
Also at this show were good friends Mark Newgarden and Charlie Judkins.
{Entry has been edited}
Here are some cool silent film intertitles. I do not own the prints these came from, but some quick background info.
These were present in several World War 1 newsreels that were sold to the home movie market by Kodak's "Kodak Cinegraph" branch. Apparently the artist was of some large scale popularity at one point. The cards remind me of Bowers' AWOL (1918) and some of the art is reminiscent of Colonel Heeza Liar or Mutt & Jeff.

More soon!

Welcome to 2008!

2008-01-03T23:53:00.000-08:00

Well friends, a new year is here. This year I hope to venture into some new animation history-related projects.

2007 has been my best year yet in terms of cartoon discoveries, meeting new people in the field, and all sorts of wonderful things.
While we've corresponded for a very long time, I was finally able to meet Jerry Beck and Mark Newgarden in person, two highly accomplished historians/collectors and individuals I highly respect. Cool new acquaintances include Mike Matei, Marc Deckter, Kevin Gannon, Charlie Judkins, and Jared Whitham. Heck, I was even quoted in a national publication! (See USA Weekend post somewhere below on this page).

Of course I will put out some new DVDs (maybe even tinker with some restoration work? who knows!). What I really need to get is an Elmo TRV-16 or a new Tobin TVT-16 transfer machine to do professional in-house transfers.

For the longest time I've had an itch to put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard...and perhaps start work on a book. Whatever it would be about, you can bet your bottom dollar I would shed light on some obscure aspect of silent animation. Many studio stories have been told in-depth by very well researched historians, but due to availability issues, not much has been written about the films themselves....I'd like to change that.

Anywhoo, I just hope all of you have a Happy and Healthy 2008. Keep stress levels low, reconnect with friends, and do the things you enjoy most. I'll sign off with a recent YouTube upload from yours truly...a 1920s stop-motion film reissued in the 1940s with corny narration by Sterling Films.

Happy New Year, and Farewell to a Beloved Film Collector

2007-12-31T20:17:00.000-08:00

First off, let me wish everyone peace and prosperity for 2008!

The film collecting and historian community's new year has been shadowed by the passing of Harold "Rusty" Casselton on December 30th, from complications from liver cancer.

I knew Rusty only through some vague email correspondence but I can tell you he was a generous man and invaluable resource to the film history community. A short bio on Rusty is given below, borrowed from http://fargofilmmaking.wikia.com/wiki/Rusty_Casselton

Rusty Casselton (1954-2007) film professor, historian, and collector. Harold "Rusty" Casselton was a student, teaching assistant, long-time friend and business partner of Ted Larson. Casselton taught for many years at Concordia College before becoming Director of Film Studies at Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2001. He was a nationally known and respected restorer of rare and silent films.

Here is a good article with all the details. You may need to sign up to see it: http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=187612§ion=news

Rest in peace Rusty, you will be missed.
-Tom

Christmas, CartoonsOnFilm Style

2007-12-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Howdy Bloggers and Surfers,
Just in case I won't be able to post sooner, I figured I'd treat you all to a Christmas-themed post. I pulled a couple prints from my collection of obscurities and am able to share them with you, again, via my MacBook's iSight camera and YouTube.
As always, please overlook the amateur, poorly framed/focused and low-res image.

First we have a Cinepix Inc. bootleg of a well known Van Beuren cartoon. Note, however, that Cinepix used a silent home movie print and added a somewhat creative music track. Excuse the water damage in the first few feet...

How do you like that "heavenly" odd music that continues after the end title?

Second, a Krazytoons print of a more obscure 1930s cartoon (but with a very famous character). A very nice print for being a bootleg!

Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday season, and will be back blogging soon.

Ken Southworth (1918-2007)

2007-12-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

As posted by Ray Pointer at http://forums.goldenagecartoons.com/showthread.php?t=10401
***
Ten minutes ago, I received a call from Ken's wife, Carol that he had passed away of a stroke this morning.
I had spoken with him two weeks ago, and he had had a bad fall and was getting around by a cane.
My association with Ken began on THE ADVENTURES FROM THE BOOK OF VIRTUES in 1996. The following year we joined forces to produce the popular three volume Home Instruction course, THE KEN SOUTHWORTH ANIMATION Program that consisted of instructional VHS tapes and workbooks.
The origin of this series was based on Ken's desire to pass on his 50 years of experience to the next generation. Since talent for the animation field can come from virtually anywhere in the world, there is the possibility that someone in an isolated area without the means to attend one of the major Animation Schools might benefit from a few basic lessons. As a result we fashion this series of courses designed to spark that raw talent.

THE KEN SOUTHWORTH ANIMATION series was featured in several Video Catalogs including Schlesinger's Educational Library Video, The Whole Toon Catalog, and our web site: inkwellimagesink.com as well. While Ken established the original web site, I continued to develop it to what it is today. As a result, we have linked to many people worldwide who have found us, and told us how much they have enjoyed our product.

Ken was employed at The Walt Disney Studios from 1943 to 1951. He was primarily an Assistant Animator
in the Jack Hannah and Jack Kinney units working on numerous DONALD DUCK, GOOFY, and PLUTO short subjects. During this period, Ken developed the "Splat" shock/impact effects that became cartoon conventions in the Disney shorts. Ken also worked on a number of the Disney animated features including THE THREE CABBALLEROS, SONG OF THE SOUTH, and THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW. He assisted Frank Thomas on CINDERELLA, primarily on the STEPMOTHER, and also assisted Milt Kahl on ALICE IN WONDERLAND. In one of our programs, Ken took great pride in stating that he had done considerable work on the Croquet Sequence in ALICE IN WONDERLAND, saying, "Chances are, if you see a drawing with ALICE holding a flamingo, I did it!"

Ken left Disney after ALICE in WONDERLAND to accept an offer as an Animator for Walter Lantz, working under Tex Avery. When the second version of the famous WOODY WOODPECKER opening title was done, it was animated by Ken and LaVerne Harding. Ken then went to MGM during its last two years, with an Animator's credit on several of the Cinemascope cartoons produced by Hanna and Barbera starring TOM AND JERRY and DROOPY. When Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera launched H-B Enterprises in 1957, later to become Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1959, Ken went along with them, as an animatior on HUCKLEBERRY HOUND, QUICK DRAW MCGRAW, THE FLINTSTONES, TOP CAT, JONNY QUEST, SPACE GHOST, DINO BOY, SCUBBY DOO, THE SMURFS, DON COYOTE, and SWAT CATS. Ken was with H-B for 21 years.

In the early 1960s, Ken was also a Stop-Motion Animator and Storyboard Artist on DAVY AND GOLIATH for Clokey Productions. He was also Director and Layout Artist on QT HUSH and YOUNG DANIEL BOONE.
In the 1970s, he was a Storyboard Artist and Animator on STAR TREK, LASSIE, HE-MAN, and BRAVESTAR for Filmation. Ken was also an Animator on Bugs and Tweety for GREMILINS 2 and EARTH DAY TV. His fianl assignment was as a Director on ADVENTURES FROM THE BOOK OF VIRTUES on PBS.

During his active years, Ken taught Animation at the Hanna-Barbera Evening School, The American Animation Institute (Cartoonists Local 839), and since his retirement ten years ago, continued to speak at colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada including VanArts.

Ken was a most unique, generous, and inspiring man. With all of his past experiences with business ventures, he stated that I was the best associate he had ever worked with. That was really a tremendous compliment in light of his rich history, which gives me a great deal to live up to. Always the optomist, Ken had this to say about the future of animation:

" I think the best is yet to come, remembering that the play's the thing...I'm very optimistic for both 2D and 3D animation."
***
Rest in Peace, Ken,

USA Weekend, Nov. 24th-25th

2007-11-24T15:28:00.001-08:00

If you happen to have it lying around the house, great!
If not, take a good look here:
***

Link to the online article.

***Please note, some of the details and specifics are skewed in this watered-down article, but it is exciting nonetheless!

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!

2007-11-22T10:26:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note wishing all of you stateside bloggers and surfers a very Happy Thanksgiving.
I hope to be posting again next week.
Best wishes,
Tom

Funtime Bootlegs

2007-11-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I got creative earlier today and said to myself "Hey! Maybe I can get some low-res video of some 16mms by using my MacBook"...and it worked!

First I took video from Soda Jerks, a mid-1920s Mutt & Jeff Cartoon. 1950s Astra TV print.

Second, a 30s Terrytoon bootlegged by Cinepix Inc. They used a silent Castle print as they did with all their Terrys I've seen, so they had to substitute with a Winston Sharples music track and notice the splices where the Castle intertitles would have been.
So there you have it, two vintage 1950s TV prints. Gotta love 'em!

P.S. Sorry for any cut-off portions of the picture and other inconsistencies...this is all very amateurish, but a fun way to sample some of my silents and for those of you out there who haven't had the joy; a taste of what it's like to screen 16mm prints.

Bonzo

2007-10-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Here's a cartoon I tinkered with way back in 2004. I must have been 15 at the time.
"Tanked" is a reissued and probably edited version of Bonzo in the Army (1925).
Hope you enjoy my SFX and stuff....I had lots of fun doing these "enhancements" back then. Shame I didn't save more of them.

Two cartoons on Youtube

2007-10-19T18:18:00.001-07:00

I've finally figured out how to rip cartoons from my DVDs and upload them to youtube. Here is HOUSE THAT DINKY BUILT (1925) from my new Dinky Doodle DVD, and a silent Farmer Alfalfa cartoon: The Picnic (retitled for TV) available on one of my Farmer Al DVDs.
Enjoy!

Special Requests

2007-10-17T10:41:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm still learning how to use iMovie. It doesn't seem to be the most versatile editing program, but it's uber convenient to have a camera built in to this macbook.
If any one has special requests for me to talk about on youtube, please post them and I'll see what I can do based on what the request is.
Don't forget to take advantage of the new DVD releases and sale, folks. :-)
Tom

I'm on YouTube!

2007-10-15T00:59:00.000-07:00

I figured I might as well give it a spin. I hope some of you out there might be inspired to do it!
Enjoy.

8 New Releases and Sale!

2007-10-14T05:29:00.001-07:00

Dear friends and fans,
I'm announcing the release of EIGHT new early animation DVD compilations!

Here goes:
Rare Silents Volume 2:
Keeping Up with the Joneses (Men's)
Keeping Up with the Joneses (Women's)
Never Again! The Story of a Speeder Cop
Mr. Nobody Holme Buys a Jitney
AWOL
Policy and Pie with The Katzenjammer Kids
Professor Bonehead is Shipwrecked
The Fresh Lobster (Novelty starring Billy Bletcher with some animation)
Phable of the Phat Woman

Rare Silents Volume 3:
Tommy Tucker's Tooth (Disney)
Cartoons in a Seminary (Animated Grouch Chasers)
Cartoons On Tour (Animated Grouch Chasers)
Taking A Ride with The Gumps (Fragment0
Celebrity Caricatures
Charley Out West (Chaplin cartoon, illegible intertitles.)
Auto Race (abbreviated Life Cartoon Comedy)
Hurry the End of the War (WWI short animation)
Twas but a Dream (International Film Service)

The Magic Lantern:
1960s documentary on early optical toys and a brief history of animation.
Also includes Cartoon Craft, a 1936 short showing the Disney studio
working on Snow White.

Bray Rarities Volume 2:
Thrilling Drill (Jerry on the Job)
Swinging His Vacation (")
Mad Locomotive (")
Without Coal (")
Dud the Circus Performer (Us Fellers)
Dud the Lion Tamer (")
Chip off the Old Block (")
Dud Leaves Home (")

Bray Rarities Volume 3:
Tail of a Kangaroo (Happy Hooligan)
Getting the Goods (Happy Hooligan, short fragment)
Turn to the Right Leg (Judge Rummy)
Fish Story (", fragment)
Joy Ride (")
His Country Cousin (")

Dinky Doodle and Friends:
Red Riding Hood
House that Dinky Built
For the Love O' Pete (Pete the Pup debut)
Lunch Hound (Pete the Pup)
Jungle Belles (Pete the Pup excerpt)
The Tail of the Monkey (Unnatural History)

Out of the Inkwell Volume 3:
The Show
Pay Day
Fies
Koko's Queen
Fade Away
Koko the Kid
Koko Hops Off
Koko Makes 'Em Laugh
Koko's Courtship

Winsor McCay Sampler:
Little Nemo
Gertie
Sinking of the Lusitania
The Flying House
Bug Vaudeville
The Pet
***
These new compilations are $20.00 each plus shupping.

ALSO
All of my previous DVDs are HALF OFF ($10.00 each) until 1 December 2007. The list is located at http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

This is a great opportunity to pursue some new material and to build up your library of early animation.

As always, thank you all for supporting my cause in the past, present, and future. If you are interested in any of these DVDs, please email me your order and information to cartoonsonfilm@gmail.com or fill out the "Order Form" on my sales website at http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

Yours,
Tom Stathes

P.S. It may take a couple weeks to ship these initial orders due to my busy schedule. Thank you for understanding.

An important message from Michael Perlman

2007-10-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you architecture fans out there, here is a preservation situation and petition needing your support.
Appropriately enough, we are rallying to save a historic Manhattan theater.
Below is the info as shared with me by good friend and fellow preservationist Michael Perlman.
"Please sign an online petition to save NYC’s oldest vaudeville & silent films theater, the Playpen on 8th Avenue between 43rd & 44th Streets, which was known as the Ideal Theatre in 1916. The clock is ticking, and the Committee To Save The Playpen Theater amongst other preservationists, need all the help we can get to spare this intact Beaux Art gem. Demolition permits are pending, and we’re trying to convince developer Daniel Tishman to donate the theater entirely or in part to a non-profit who has submitted a proposal. Please sign, post a brief comment, & forward the following petition to as many contacts as possible. Your assistance is invaluable!
Sign the Petition!.

For the latest updates, photos, history, & the provisions which challenge its scheduled demolition:
http://groundlinks.org/savetheplaypen.html.

Bray Studios on 1940s and 1950s Television

2007-08-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

As a hardcore fan of the Bray Studios cartoons, their lengthy (yet mildly obscure) exposure on 1940s and 1950s television is of great interest to me. Film collector and animation enthusiasts who may be "purists" usually are very dismissive of television versions of theatrically released films. As I will stress again and again, television-era prints of such films are in many cases the only circulating (or even extant) sources for these masterpieces.
J.R. Bray's cartoon studio had a powerful yet seemingly short life...approximately 15 years (1913-1928). Regardless, Bray was unlike his peers in that he had confidence that there would be some sort of perpetual interest in the films produced at his studio. As a result, he would make dozens and dozens of films available to schools, libraries, and other interested parties in the 1920s first by offering (now obsolete) 28mm prints. Later he offered them in 16mm which became something of an educational and amateur standard by the 1930s.

As television caught on in the late 1940s, Bray revitalized some of his cartoon stock and offered over 80 vintage titles in the form of newly titled 16mm prints, some with music and narration soundtracks. In the New York area particularly, baby boomers may recall seeing Farmer Alfalfa (Bray and or independent-Terry produced), Bobby Bumps, and possibly Out of the Inkwell on Fred Sayles' "Uncle Fred" kiddie TV show. According to one website, the station purchased and amassed a collection of 300 silent-era cartoon prints which would be used by Sayles to narrate in his show starting in 1948.
Although televised in limited amount when compared to Non-BRAY packages of Farmer Alfalfa (Gray), Out of the Inkwell, so on and so forth, it did mean that part of a new generation was given access to these cartoons.
You ask, what cartoons were these? Well, have a look! (Special thanks to Mark Kausler for sharing this with me a few years back.)

(Note: Both Dinky Doodle and Pete the Pup shorts were packaged as "Dinkey Doodle")

Amazing, eh? What is more interesting is that these cartoons were still available directly from Bray up until the early 70s. Unfortunately, by then some of the TV negatives had already decomposed and some titles were unavailable. Even so, with so many available rather recently, it is a shocker that most of those titles remain as good as lost...but if I have anything to do with it, let's hope that changes soon.
Here is an example of what the title art looked like:

(Special Thanks to Ray Pointer. To read about Ray's exposure to silent animation in his childhood, please read FINDING KO-KO.)
For anyone interested, so far I have four TV versions of these cartoons on my DVDs. BOBBY BUMPS' GOATMOBILE (1916) and BOBBY BUMPS' HYPNOTIC EYE (1919) are on my Bobby Bumps DVD while PERPETUAL MOTION (70s dupe) and CIRCUS (with original narration!) are on my Out of the Inkwell DVDs. Click the Tom's Vintage Film banner on top to find the DVD list.
-Tom

Back soon!

2007-08-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Dearest bloggers and surfers,
Let me formally excuse myself for being so silent lately...it has been a somewhat busy Summer o'er here. Not to mention, my freshman college classes are starting later this month.
I'll be back soon with more rare and forgotten animation stuff ;-)
Tom

Off Topic: Queens Crap

2007-08-03T00:22:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, I'm a native of Queens, New York. While technically located on Long Island, Queens is within the limits of the City of New York (rather than the State).
The past few years have been painful as I watch my neighborhood deteriorate into a developer's paradise. Founded in the mid-1600s, this area is known as the birthplace of absolute religious freedom in America. It should have been one of the first areas in the city designated as a historical district, but no such luck. At this point, is there much left to designate? I'm an optimist, so yes...though the Manhattaners hardly take much interest in Queens.
Anywhoo, there is a fantastic blog dedicated to exposing the crimes committed on historic Queens soil, and it is Queens Crap.
Though it is a mostly anonymous blog where anyone can contribute, HERE is a link to my first contribution. Oh, the pain.

Half-Price Sale! Don't Miss Out

2007-07-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Dearest Bloggers,
It's that time again! My Silent Cartoon DVDs are now half-off until August 1st.
If you have not already bought, this is a perfect time to obtain some fun and obscure cartoons like Farmer Alfalfa, Felix the Cat, Out of the Inkwell, and many many others.
Each DVD is just $10 each. At regular price, I offer a discount if you buy DVDs in sets organized by studio. This sale apples to individual DVDs only, and no sets can be ordered at half price.
Please Remember: The sales of DVDs is the ONLY way I can support and maintain my collection. The less sales made, the less material I can find and bring forth to the precious few animation enthusiasts. Be a pal and help out.
Sale valid only for orders placed on July 15th through July 31st.
To view the selection and to place an order, please click the "Tom's Vintage Film" banner above to go to my sales site.
Fellow Bloggers: If any of you would like to spread the word on your blogs, I will offer a 15% commission on referral sales. Contact me for the specifics.
Thanks folks!!

P.S. Here is a list of the DVDs:
A couple people asked me if I could do this, so here is a list of the DVDs for everyone's convenience.

TS01: Disney's Laugh-O-Grams
Walt Disney's Pioneering Series from 1922-1923
Includes:
1. Newman's Laugh-o-Gram
2. Four Musicians of Bremen
3. Cinderella
4. Little Red Riding Hood
5. Puss In Boots
6. Bonus: Clara Cleans Her Teeth!

TS02: Disney's Alice Comedies (Volume 1)
Rare cartoons from 1923-1924
Includes:
1. Alice's Wonderland (Pilot from 1923)
2. Alice's Day at Sea
3. Alice's Spooky Adventure
4. Alice's Wild West Show
5. Alice's Fishy Story
6. Alice and the Dog Catcher
7. Alice the Peacemaker
8. Alice Gets in Dutch
9. Alice the Piper
10. Alice and The Three Bears (no main title)

TS07: Disney's Alice Comedies (Volume 2)
More classic Alice Comedies from 1924-1925
Includes:
1. Alice In Africa
2. Alice Cans the Cannibals
3. Alice the Toreador
4. Alice Gets Stung
5. Alice Solves the Puzzle
6. Alice's Egg Plant
7. Alice Loses Out
8. Alice Gets Stage Struck
9. Alice Wins the Derby
10. Alice Picks the Champ

TS08: Disney's Alice Comedies (Volume 3)
Includes:
Alice's Tin Pony
Alice's Orphan
Alice Rattled by Rats
Alice's Balloon Race
Alice's Mysterious Mystery
Alice the Whaler
Alice's Circus Daze
Alice the Jail Bird
Alice on the Farm

TS03: Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Hard-To-Find classics from 1927-1928
Includes:
Trolley Troubles
Oh Teacher
Great Guns
Mechanical Cow
Ocean Hop
Rival Romeos
Bright Lights (decayed)
Oh What a Knight
Fox Chase
Yanky Clipper (Lantz)

PAUL TERRY
TS05: Farmer Alfalfa Volume 1
Everyone's favorite "Farmer Gray" in silent cartoons!
Includes:
Two of a Trade (1922)
Smart Salesman (1923)
In Dutch (1925)
Why Argue (1926)
Windjammers (1926)
Through Thick and Thin (1926)
Where Friendship Ceases (1926)
Static (1928)
Wooden Money (1929)
Snapping the Whip (1929)

TS06: Farmer Alfalfa Volume 2
Includes:
Wayward Pup (1917)
Donkey Tricks (1922)
Bad Bandit (1923) Spanish Titles
She's In Again (1924)
Picnic (1925)
Over the Plate (1925)
Watered Stock (1926)
Small Town Sheriff (1927)
Water Cure (1929)
In the Bag (1929)

TS20: Farmer Alfalfa Volume 3
Includes:
Farmer Alfalfa's Revenge (1916)
Custard Pies (1929)
Summer Time (1929)
Tuning In (1929)
Barnyard Melody (1929)
Ship Ahoy! (1930)
Iron Man (1930)
Noah's Outing (1932)
Holland Days (1934)
Why Mules Leave Home (1934)

TS19: Aesop's Fables Volume 1

Includes:

Amateur Night on the Ark (1923)
Wild West (1924)
Sharpshooter (1924)
China Doll (1926)
Knight Out (1926)
Sunny Italy (1926)
Short Vacation (1927)
Stars of the Circus (1927)

BRAY STUDIOS

TS09: Bray Rarities
A sampling of forgotten cartoons from the first studio to mass-produce
animated cartoons!
Includes:
The Artist's Dream (1913)
Col. Heeza Liar At The Bat (1916)
Police Dog On the Wire (1916)
Farmer Alfalfa's Revenge (1916)
Turn to the Right Leg (1920) mediocre print
Jungle Belles (1927) with Walter Lantz appearing

TS12: Bobby Bumps
Includes:
Bobby Bumps On His Goatmobile (1916)
Bobby Bumps Gets a Substitute (1916)
Bobby Bumps Starts a Lodge (1916)
Bobby Bumps Before And After (1918)
Bobby Bumps Puts a Beanery On The Bum (1918)
Bobby Bumps' Hypnotic Eye (1919)

TS14: Krazy Kat Volume 1
Includes:
Goes A-Wooing (1916)
Bugologist (1916)
At the Circus (1916)
Family Affair (1920)
Hinges on the Barroom Door (1920)
Great Cheese Robbery (1920)

MAX FLEISCHER

TS10: Out Of The Inkwell Volume 1
Includes:
Circus (1919)
Perpetual Motion (1919)
Modeling (1921)
Bubbles (1922)
Challenge (1922)
Reunion (1922)
Payday (1922)
Puzzle (1923)
Bedtime (1923)
Contest (1923)

TS11: Out Of The Inkwell Volume 2
Includes:
Fortune Teller (1923)
Shadows (1923)
Vaudeville (1924)
Vacation (1924)
Cure (1924)
Sparring Partner (1924)
Koko in 1999 (1924)
Cartoon Factory (1925)
Koko In Toyland (1925)
Storm (1925)

TS13: Koko Song Cartunes
Sound Cartoons Made Before Disney's "Steamboat Willie"!
Includes:
In the Good Old Summertime (1924)
My Old Kentucky Home (1926)
Margie (1926)
Tramp Tramp Tramp (1926)
Tramp Tramp Tramp (1926-Alternate Version)
Sweet Adeline (1926)

FELIX THE CAT
TS15: Felix the Cat Volume 1
Includes:
Feline Follies

Felix in the Swim

Felix in the Bone Age

Felix Out of Luck

Felix Finds Out

Pedigreedy

One Good Turn

April Maze

Tee Time

TS16: Felix the Cat Volume 2

Includes:

Felix Strikes it Rich

Felix Turns the Tide

Felix Hyps the Hippo

Felix Goes West

Felix Gets the Can

Felix in Eats Are West

Astronomeows

Woos Whoopee

Sculls and Skulls

TS17: Felix the Cat Volume 3

Includes:

Felix Tries for Treasure

Felix in Hollywood

Felix Doubles for Darwin

Felix All Puzzled

Felix Monkeys With Magic

Felix Dopes it Out

Felix in Two-Lip Time

Romeeow

Hootchy Kootchy

TS18: Felix the Cat Volume 4

Includes:

Felix Busts a Bubble (1926)

Flim Flam Films (1927)

Felix Hits the Deck (1927)

Outdoor Indore (1928)

Comicalamities (1928)

Arabiantics (1928)

Pollytics (1928)

Oceantics (1930)

MISCELLANEOUS
TS04: Rare Silent Cartoons Volume 1
Classics availabe nowhere else!
Includes:
Indoor Sports (1920)
Kat in Chinatown (1920?)
Local Talent (1927)
Red Hot Rails (1927)
Tale of a Kangaroo (1917)
Man in the Moon (1910?)
Left Behind (1925)
Goldilocks and The Three Bears (1929)
The Witch's Cat (1929)
In the Land of Whiz (1929)

TS21: Bonzo Cartoons
Nearly forgotten rare cartoons by Studdy. (No music)
Bonzo (1924)
Tally-Ho! Bonzo (1925)
Aladdin Bonzo (1925) Exclusively from the Tom Stathes Collection.
Sandy McBonzo (1925) Exclusively from the Tom Stathes Collection.
Bonzo the Traveller (1925)
Polar Bonzo (1925- Together with Traveller)
Bonzo In the Army (1925) a.k.a. "Tanked"
Dog Gone (1925?)
Zoo-Ology (1925?) Edited version of Dog Gone.

TS22: Stop Motion Madness Vol. 1
Includes:
Enchanted Drawing (1900)
Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906)
Morpheus Mike (O'Brien, 1915)
Dinosaur and the Missing Link (O'Brien, 1915)
Swat the Fly (Hopkins, 1916)
R.F.D. 10,000 B.C. (O'Brien, 1916)
Adam Raises Cain (Sarg, 1920)
First Circus (Sarg, 1921)

*Sound Cartoons*

Van Beuren
TS23: Aesop's Sound Fables Vol. 1
Wildly and wacky surreal cartoons from the Van Beuren Studios.
Presto Chango
Skating Hounds
Jail Breakers
Night Club
Dixie Days
Western Whoopee
Snow Time
Old Hockum Bucket
Fisherman's Luck
Play Ball
Wild Goose Chase
Bring 'Em Back Half-Shot
Venice Vamp
Bugs & Books
Runaway Blackie.

Updates, etc....

2007-07-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

It seems we may have identified the cartoon in the below post. GeneS from the Animation Show Forums tells me that this may very well be Ivanov-Vano's 1955 film "V nektorom carstve" based on the Russian tale of The Magic Pike. Thanks, GeneS!

In other news, last night I discovered that a cartoon I've been wanting to see exists in an archive. I'm going to try my best to obtain a copy; after all, the film (like so many of the silent cartoons I still do not have) is Grandfather-Claused (copyrighted and/or publicized before 1923) and is no longer protected by copyright. More details on this later--hopefully I can dig up some information.

I'm hoping to complete the new .COM I posted about awhile back. The new DVD site will be very aesthetically attractive and visually honoring of our favorite silent-era cartoon characters. I'm also hoping to coincide the design of new and improved DVD cover sleeves to appear once the new site is finished.

Without a transfer machine, there is not much more material I can make available on DVD. Hopefully this will change soon.

Well, that's enough for today's random ranting & raving, so stay tuned for more informative posts on rare and obscure early animation.

Help me identify...

2007-07-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's something that came with a recent purchase. An ASTRA TV 16mm print retitled THE MAGIC FISH. Naturally, I thought this would be the 1934 TerryToon but it is not.
I really think this is a European cartoon. In some scenes it appears the characters are speaking, but Astra replaced the soundtrack with generic music (probably to mask a foreign-language track).
Maybe one of you faithful bloggers can help me identify this cartoon.

Here is an introduction title, probably added for this version or a previous US reissue...(sorry for the bad scan)

It reads: "In a certain Kingdom, a poor peasant named Emylia caught a pike. The kind Emylia let the pike go free and the fish promised if he would but say "By the pike's will, by my desire"--- Emylia's every wish would be granted."
The Fish:

Our Hero:

Basically, this fisher boy catches a pike and certain things around the boy (his water buckets, his axe) become magical and perform tasks on their own. I forget if the King is jealous or angry for other reasons, but the King and his guards chase the boy into his cabin. Of course there is a happy ending.

Blackhawk...EARLY Precursor!

2007-07-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

In my searches I have turned up pretty random things...and many times, these things were unexpected. For instance, last year I bought a "Kitty Kat" home movie print entitled THE FIGHTING FLEES. I was mildly familiar with this title as I once lost out on winning a print previously to a collector-peer of mine (confounded eBay!).

For those of you who are curious, this particular excerpt was taken from FELIX FULL O' FIGHT (1925).

What I did not expect was for the film to come in an "Eastin Feature Films" box. As it turns out, this box may very well be from the earliest days of the well-known Blackhawk film corporation when it first started operating in 1927.

I was almost certain that this specific line of Kitty Kat clips originated from Novelty Film Co., but maybe Eastin did have a hand in the Kat fiasco. Who knows? We need to turn up some catalog proof.

The reel itself was contained in a generic orange box which was within the Eastin box, so I cannot confirm its origin. The interior box is stamped DEC 24 1934 (in may not be visible in the scan) so this may very well have been a Christmas gift for some lucky kid that year.

Andy Gump: More Than a Comic Strip

2007-06-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Digging into the depths of obscurity, we find nearly intangible traces of Andy Gump. A well-renowned strip character for years, the series was also an animated cartoon from 1920-1921. Released by Celebrated Players, the series was produced and animated by Wallace Carlson, already a seasoned veteran of The Bray Studios at that point. The cartoons were also animated by David Hand, later known for his Animaland cartoons.
Wait, you've never seen a Gumps cartoon? A home movie clip from a joy ride-related cartoon was included on the video companion to Donald Crafton's Before Mickey, and it seems that one clip has been the only circulating example since the series was last shown in theaters. Out of 55 cartoons produced, that is an atrocious yet common rap sheet for some silent cartoon series.
In the tradition of yours truly, I shall now treat you to some very rare frames from two other Gumps cartoons.

from Andy's Mother-in-Law Pays Him a Visit (1920)

from Andy's Cow (1921)

Grotesque-eries of a Terry Fan

2007-06-13T22:57:00.001-07:00

Every now and again, I feel like drawing a little something. Inspired by a Paul Terry Aesop's Fable cartoon in my collection which I recently screened, I decided to draw what you see below.

Remember, it's inspired by the cartoon...I'm afraid the original is not as surreal (darn!) but in a way it is equally violent. I would call this a hybrid of a movie theater poster and glass slide, both or either of which would be generic or specific to a film and would have a blank area for the date of exhibition to be written.

Musings of the So-Called Animation Experts

2007-06-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

There comes a time when great minds collide and tackle some of the world's biggest mysteries. Or attempt to, at least. You will now have a rare opportunity to have an insider view of one of these conversations, between myself and noted animation scholar Mike Matei. The topic at hand? (immediate pun to the right not intended) Gloves on cartoon characters.
Intellectual pondering it may be...or perhaps eccentric balderdash, that is for the discerning reader to decide.
Warning: Whilst dealing with the discussed topics at hand, we have decided to honor the beloved Will Hayes in censoring this communication for language and content.
MM (11:24:05 PM): well?
TS (2:24:29 PM): d'oh?
MM (11:25:02 PM): why does mickey mouse wear gloves? !
TS (2:25:58 PM): hmm
MM (11:26:04 PM): answer me mother superior
TS (2:26:25 PM): well, I have a complex theory if you want to hear
MM (11:26:32 PM): YES
TS (2:26:36 PM): okay
TS (2:27:54 PM): Well, mice are not humans, so they do impulsive things without thinking about it. So therefore, he must relieve himself and/or minnie a lot, so being born in his generation that's not cool. Wearing gloves, well, probably made him a little less dirty of a mouse.
TS (2:28:37 PM): impulsivity is also the reason he ATE minnie's head in my video cover.
TS (2:28:41 PM): see, it all makes sense
MM (11:28:59 PM): dude
MM (11:29:10 PM): this is why i love talking to you
MM (11:29:29 PM): because you come up with better answers then the real answer
TS (2:29:41 PM): you can bet on that
MM (11:30:57 PM): do you know the real answer?
TS (2:31:48 PM): I think that's a fact best kept secret from the public
MM (11:31:57 PM): ha
MM (11:32:04 PM): I do know the answer
MM (11:32:13 PM): and you will like it
TS (2:32:16 PM): do tell
MM (11:32:21 PM): and its not a joke
MM (11:32:25 PM): this is fact
TS (2:32:31 PM): spit it out
MM (11:32:42 PM): you know felix the cat?
TS (2:32:48 PM): heard of him
MM (11:32:59 PM): what color is he
TS (2:33:11 PM): er, african american
MM (11:33:18 PM): right
TS (2:33:20 PM): ok
MM (11:33:23 PM): he's black
TS (2:33:34 PM): go on
MM (11:33:56 PM): what happens when felix puts his hands in front of his body
MM (11:33:59 PM): answer
MM (11:34:04 PM): they become lost
MM (11:34:15 PM): because his hands are black
MM (11:34:22 PM): and his body is black
TS (2:34:31 PM): Makes sense...and looks better than drawing white outlines
MM (11:34:42 PM): and there tom
MM (11:34:47 PM): is your answer
MM (11:35:00 PM): that is your lesson for tonight!
TS (2:35:13 PM): the societally correct answer, that is. Old theories die hard (-:<
MM (11:35:30 PM): what does that mean
MM (11:35:41 PM): i want you to explain that statement
TS (2:35:46 PM): it's sophisticated balderdash
MM (11:35:53 PM): NO
MM (11:35:58 PM): you said it
MM (11:36:05 PM): now you explain it
MM (11:36:21 PM): before i end up annoying you about it
TS (2:36:25 PM): Well, think of it this way
TS (2:36:55 PM): All the big animation brass sit in a conference room together, cigarette smoke like a nuclear mushroom cloud...1924.
MM (11:37:06 PM): right
MM (11:37:09 PM): ....
MM (11:37:15 PM): and
TS (2:37:33 PM): Now, perhaps they foresee something like the Hayes code coming into effect, who knows when
TS (2:38:00 PM): the moral faction censoring films, that is
MM (11:38:19 PM): okay..
MM (11:38:25 PM): semi following you
TS (2:40:05 PM): What's to say these experts don't agree on something that might appease these heaven-goers...knowing the Catholic church for instance prohibits self-gratification, something animals do quite frequently, it may make sense to voluntarily censor the hands of animals. Just a theory they might not teach you in film school.
TS (2:41:08 PM): or it could pure balderdash. That is for the discerning enthusiast to decide.
MM (11:41:31 PM): did you come up with this idea?
TS (2:41:53 PM): Walt Disney: "Hey! We'll tell the animators we're putting gloves on the characters because it makes sense in animation terms...blah blah blah"
TS (2:42:00 PM): (I may have )
MM (11:42:38 PM): here is my question
MM (11:44:26 PM): how does putting gloves on the hands of animals censor anything? The character is justs walking down the street for example. Why does he need gloves?
TS (2:44:58 PM): It's like how people used to think a woman with uncovered legs was "dirty".
MM (11:45:10 PM): ahahaa
MM (11:45:24 PM): jesus savior christ
MM (11:45:41 PM): could you do me a HUGE favor
TS (2:46:08 PM): what might that be
MM (11:47:03 PM): PLEASE make a blog on everything we said here. it's just too funny.
***
And the rest, fellow bloggers, is animation history. Or is it?

TAD's Cat playing INDOOR SPORTS (1920)

2007-06-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Thomas A. Dorgan, a.k.a. TAD, was a San Francisco native who would be described by Jack Dempsey as "the greatest authority on boxing" in the early 20th century. What does a boxing authority have to do with cartoons? Well, TAD took up drawing for therapy after losing some fingers in a factory machine accident. This led to an eclectic cartooning career as the top sports artist for The New York Journal. In-between all this athletic hoopla, Dorgan was well-known for his Indoor Sports series and more importantly a feline character of his appropriately named TAD's Cat.

Like many cartoonists of the time, Dorgan had a run-in with the big screen. According to Denis Gifford's American Animated Films: The Silent Era, 1897-1924, Dorgan's work was featured in 4 animated films for the International Film Service from 1918-1920. The earlier 1918 films were directed by Bill Nolan and Walter Lantz(presumably 18 years old at the time).
This post features INDOOR SPORTS by TAD, animated by Paul D. Robinson and released February 21st, 1920 in International News, a weekly newsreel.
This cartoon is a satire on the typical married man, his wife's nagging and his loathsomeness for the mother-in-law.

Our man of interest has lost his collar button, seemingly something he does quite often.

Wait, I thought women were seen as foolish with money!

Uh-oh...MUST he go to the mother-in-law's?

A final gag...the eruptive nature of marriage.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

Now, you may be scratching your head in enjoyment (or was it disbelief) and asking yourself, "Where can I find this forgotten masterpiece?" At my sales site, of course!
Nota bena: It shall move to a visually appealing .com soon...promise!
Just look for Rare Silent Cartoons Vol. 1 on the DVD page.

GAC's Mega-Fun UGLY PD Cover Contest...The Results Are In!

2007-06-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

This year marked the 5th anniversary of GAC's UGLY PD COVER CONTEST, a fun event in which participants create their own ugly covers for mock Public Domain video and DVD collections.
Don't just sit there, go look at all the lovable entries!
Clicketh HERE

What a hoot. And what's best is I really enjoyed being one of this year's judges for the contest. Who better than me to judge PD shlock? :-D

Now for some fabulous omissions from the contest...namely, some covers created this year by yours truly.

Contest images courtesy GAC's Jon Cooke

All Fabled-Out

2007-05-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Loved by some, loathed by others...that is, the seemingly endless menagerie of cartoons from the studios of Paul Terry. The "Woolworths" of the business as he himself claimed, these cartoons spanning from 1920s onward are typically dubbed cheap, unappealing, and tasteless by 'historians'. What is my opinion? All along, it may be obvious...though I ask my fellow bloggers to form their own neutral, unbiased opinion - based not only on artistry but also by other key elements: entertainment value, content, longevity, profitability, among other things. After all, here was a man who was told his product was worthless in 1915. Despite this, the man successfully animated, directed, and produced cartoons well over 50 years after the fact. This in itself becomes an important factor when judging the Terry cartoons.

A brief history, if you may. Paul Terry completes his very first cartoon, "LITTLE HERMAN", in 1915. A distributor tells him that he would have paid more for the raw film stock before Paul drew his cartoon images on it. In 1916, Terry is discovered by the Bray Studios and completes 12 Farmer Al Falfa cartoons; the beginning of a legacy. 1917 sees further Farmer Al Falfa releases with Conquest Pictures, an Edison Company. After the first World War, Terry partners with Amadee Van Beuren to form Aesop's Film Fables in 1921. Over the course of 9 years, Terry would produce some 420 Aesop's Fables cartoons, some starring the Farmer and all starring millions of countless animals. Though brain fog persists, I want to say that Terry churned out these cartoons every week...an amazing feat for a single series. This accomplishment and its follow-up in decades to come is what we will focus on in this post.

Coinciding with what this blog usually focuses on, up for discussion is the reissuing of these Fable cartoons. Concurrently, it seemed, various Fables were available in America and overseas on 9.5mm offered by Pathe (the films' distributor) for home use. Almost immediately during the 1920s, Kodascope Libraries offered a dozen or so Fables cartoon as part of their 16mm rental libraries. As some of you may or may not know, Kodascope was the Blockbuster Video of the 1920s; a major library where individuals could rent (and possibly buy?) films for home exhibition. As the film cans stated, "Rental Charged for Each Day Held Whether Used Or Not". Kodascope Libraries lasted into the 1940s and so did this small handful of Fables. In-between that period, Pathe also offered many Fables in abbreviated and complete 16mm prints as part of their Pathegrams Home Movie line. Here and there, some Fables were also butchered by the low-end home movie companies like Irwin Safety Film.

The big "Hurrah" for Fables in the 1940s would be their surfacing under two new series titles. Snappy Cartoons, a Sterling Films release, were Fables with new main titles and intertitles with added music offered on 16mm, as well as standard 8mm. Some speculate that the Fabletoons series was a theatrical reissue although it has been unconfirmed. Both types of prints would wind up on television in subsequent years.

The unavoidable new medium, television, would emerge soon thereafter. Since old silent and early sound film was viewed as saleable product for filling in time slots in early broadcasting, the Fables would also see much exposure on television in the early 1950s. Due to the sheer number of pre-existing Fables, as you can imagine, the distribution rights would be split among a handful of different TV distributors. Sterling Television used the Snappy Cartoons prints as previously mentioned. There was also Commonwealth (who also handled many Van Beuren cartoons at this point) as well as Guaranteed Productions and Stuart Productions (these two, probably one and the same, also carried Out of the Inkwell shorts.) Last but not least, there would be the occasional bootleg print of a Fable turning up.

In the 1960s, color television was becoming the standard and old black and white content was deemed useless. In this period we see a heightened availability of 8mm Carnival Films prints of Fables. Although these have cheerful and collectible packaging, they are fearlessly low-quality dupes of older Snappy Cartoons 8mm prints and often suffer great quality loss. That, my friends, is the end of the Fables until casual VHS and DVD collections came along (cough, cough). Hope you enjoyed the visuals as well.