Monday, November 29, 2010

Wonder Bakers at the Fair



Title: Wonder Bakers at the World's Fair
Studio: Ted Eshbaugh
Date: (1939?)
Credits:
An Eshbaugh-Victor Production
Series: -
Running time (of viewed version): 3:36 (for footage on Cultoons)

Synopsis: Buy our mass produced baked goods.













Comments: I'm not certain this is a 1939 cartoon; it looks and sounds older. But jingle music retained this type of sound for awhile, so thats not dispositive. And Ted Eshbaugh's output as a solo and at Van Beuren didn't show so much evolution between known dated pieces (say, the Wizard of Oz in 1933 and Sunshine Makers in 1935) to really rule it out. In favor of 1939: the title is "The Wonder Bakers at the World's Fair"; as there were two World's Fairs in 1939-40, not mentioning the city would allow this to have been shown in San Francisco and New York. On the other hand, it also would have allowed it to be shown in 1933 and 1939, in Chicago and New York and San Francisco. If we can pin down creation of either the Wonder Baker bakers or the Hostess hostess mascots to after 1933, we can pin down the segments to the '39-40 fairs (I don't think anyone is arguing for 1963 or the Knoxville entry). Is there any evidence of when Eshbaugh was associated with someone named Victor (or the Voctor part of RCA Victor maybe)? As Eshbaugh's Wizard of Oz from 1933 was color (and he'd been working on color since 1932, based on the article at http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2006/08/04/how-the-first-color-cartoons-were-made/ , it was technically feasible.

Apparently, all sugar is ok and needs no testing for quality unlike flour, yeast and milk. Only bad ingredients are funny. The hostess is attractive. There really isn't much to comment on in this, content wise.

You can find this cartoon on Thunderbean's Cultoons Ads and Oddities
http://www.thunderbeananimation.com/dvdsales.html
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQ7JVG?ie=UTF8&seller=AKK5M0EM2CKQI&sn=thunderbean

Sunday, November 28, 2010

BoxOffice, November 25, 1939

BoxOffice, November 25, 1939

(first couple of pages) I am certain the 5 should be a $, but I am leaving it there to demonstrate the perils of OCR:
""Pinocchio," said to cost Walt Disney about 52,000.000, was originally planned as a Christmas release, but is not expected to be exhibited before the middle of February. "

"Another opening of importance is Max Fleischer's first animated Technicolor feature, "Gulliver's Travels," which goes into Paramount, December 20, under the Estimated cost on this present plans. animated production, is said to be well over $1,000,000. "


p17?
"theatres in the Warner Neighborhood group featured their special Saturday morning shows with 100 minutes of 'cartoons"

p20 compounded cartoon madness (It is obvious how the following should be divided, but only because I already know the names and positions of the individuals):
"Ending a three-week vacation in Honolulu. Roy Disney is back at his desk at Fred C. the Disney cartoon plant Quimby. Metro short subjects supervisor and head of the cartoon unit, is attending the company's sales meeting in Detroit"

p22? Various proper names precede this, none directly.
"leading 53-piece studio orbegins waxing score of "Gulliver's feature-length Technicolor cartoon"


p35? (reassembled)
""10 best roto tomorrow presents the for 1940" as picked by Paramount and the magazine section cover last Sunday was turned over to that traveling "Gulliver's Travels," man, Mr. Gulliver by the way, will hit the screens ahead of RKO's "Pinocchio." If we remember cor. . .
rectly, it'll be on view about Christmas time, while Disney's won't be re-leased until Easter."

p44?
"Much credit for the planting of the early ballyhoo for 'Gulliver's Travels" can he traced back to Bob Clark, local ad sales Local musimanager for Paramount cians' union will go to court to test the state liquor control board's ruling that dancing must stop at midnight on Satur. "


p25? p46?
"and East Dewas along Filmrow with Bruce HarJack sen, who is his general supervisor Moule of the Tuxedo, Highland Park, is putting on another cartoon party for youngsters"

p48?
"Cartoon Characters Herald Xmas in Shop Windows"
"Pittsburgh In addition to the calendar, another reminder that Christmas is really near was the Santa Claus parade

featuring the "Pinocchio," "Tarzan" and "Gulliver" floats, which took over the Triangle and the North Side last SaturPinocchio, hero of Walt Disney's day. new feature film, with Gepetto, Figaro the Cat, the Blue Fairy and the rest of the troupe are occupying the windows of Another one of the department stores. Paramount's "Gulliver's features store Travels" in the windows and the toy department of this store features "Andy Panda," new cartoon figure of Universal. Another store's window features "The Lone Ranger," and the toy department here has a "Lone Ranger" exhibit for which the admission price is 25 cents. Dozens of books, novelties and mechanical toys of these film characters are being featured at all stores. The old favorites, Mickey Mouse, Krazy Kat, Donald Duck, Pluto, Wizard of Oz, and Snow White characters are also offered, and new Gene Autry books, song books and novelties have made their appearance."

p51?
"Rufus Blair, associated with Hollywood Studios of Paramount, arrived to help out with "Gulliver's Travels" and "The Great Victor Herbert." He tied in with Jordan Marsh on the Christmas week showing of Travels," a Fleischer full"Gulliver's Meyer Marcus, M&P length cartoon exploiteer, is still trying to get an inside straight in a poker game."

p5
"any importance whatever, moving them, from the downtown Midwest and Criterion to the suburban Tower and Plaza at downtown prices. Plans are being made for long runs on "Gulliver's Travels," "The Real Glory," "Rulers of the Sea," "Ninotchka" and other hits due soon."

p67
" "Autograph Hound"

(Disney Cartoon)

8

Donald Duck goes Hollywood for a which should more than satisfy the children and also give adults a good time. Hit with the autograph bug, Donald wangles his way into a couple of studios for autographs of Mickey Rooney, Sonja Henie and a few of the others until word gets around he is the famous Disney duck. The stars drop everything and chase Donald for his autograph, even the lumpy gateman who has been chasing the duck off the lots. The color work is beautiful and, en toto, it is a short which will garnish any program with

line piece of entertainment

just the right thing

it

Never Sock a Baby

Paramount

(Popeye the Sailor)

6

Mins.

Popeye learns it does not pay to spank babies. After spanking Swea' Pea, Popeye has a wild dream in which all sorts of adventures befall Swea' Pea who has fled because of the licking. The cartoon is on the weak side."

Friday, November 26, 2010

146 The Millionaire Hobo



Title: The Millionaire Hobo
Studio: Columbia
Date: 11/24/39
Credits:
Story
Allen Rose
Music
Joe De Nat
Animation
Harry Love
Series: Scrappy
Running time (of viewed version): 6:36

Synopsis: Hobo inherits cats instead of money, a fact he misses, and then overspends.

















Comments: There's a complicated looking shot of the hobo walking towards the horizon; the ground is animated rolling towards him, tree background elements are moved up, a hill level is moved up at a slower rate, and the very background clouds and sky do not move at all. Mel Blanc is the hobo. Scrappy is barely in the cartoon, to deliver the mail. Old "walk this way" gag. Scrappy trying to point out the bit about the cats actually ruins the joke. It would be funnier to just have him and us not know, over buy, then have it revealed to all of us together at the end.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

145 Scrambled Eggs



Title: Scrambled Eggs
Studio: Lantz
Date: 11/20/39
Credits:
Directed by
Alex Lovy
Music
Frank Marsales
Animators
Frank Tipper
Hicks Lokey
Story by Elaine Pogany
Designed by
Willy Pogany
Series: A "Peterkin"
Running time (of viewed version): 8:47

Synopsis: Satyr hates birds, mixes their offspring, has to deal with that old devil consequence.































Comments: One of the '39 Lantz cartoons on an official DVD release. So is the next one (the final from the year), but only on the Columbia House set, whereas this one is viewed from volume 1 of the newer multi disc collections. The title has animation in it, but separate from the cartoon, and it's quite brief (one of the briefest showings of an original title card so far, I think). Very unusual backgrounds. Not exactly nice looking, either. The trees look like they're made out of rice crispies and feces. Redheaded woodpecker appearance. I'm not sure if the stork OB is a Fred Allen voice. Apparently the birds all do it at the same time, as their eggs all hatch at the same time. Peterkin is an evil little prick. Blackbird has a southern voice. Everyone breaks up because the guys assume the girls all mated with the other guys (they aren't mad at each other tho; also, the girls don't seem to be denying it); this makes for (at least) the third bird cuckoldry cartoon of the year, after Disney's The Ugly Duckling and Terry's The Orphan Duck. Here they abandon the chicks to die, which is normal for these cartoons. "Hey stupid, I want some jelly beans"; good line, almost in the Screwy Squirrel voice. The chicks picket Peterkin. Outgrowth of union organizing in the industry? There are 8 birds pictured in the initial maternity tree shot; there's also one empty nest. There are three other species in the stork shot; a parrot (or similar), a finch (labeled), and green bird with orange highlights (and the stork OB, but he doesn't count). And there's a pink/purple male with a top hat and a grey faced male (sparrow) with a hat in the pacing scene. I'm not sure if the canary is the yellow bird in the maternity tree; might be. There's a pigeon in a speaking shot. There's a crazy eyed orange bird; it may be intended to be the ruffled looking bird in the maternity tree, or maybe not. Peterkin's nipples are disturbing. Peterkin's face design doesn't animate well. The blackbird's socks look a bit like draggly... well, you know. There's a red brown warbler when Peterkin starts messing. Red with white throat and blue tail in there too. There may be some extra chick species too. I wonder if they had people pitch a bunch of random gags like for I'm Just A Jitterbug? It feels more cohesive than that. It certainly has lots of visuals tho.

(Update 1/22/11: see Peterkin in image 210 at http://www.animationarchive.org/?p=1906 )