I'd like to drift away from all the big animation studios for a minute to talk about a wonderful, under-rated and rarely seen series of cartoons: the Fox and Crow cartoons from Columbia pictures. These are real gems from the golden Age and rarely ever talked about, even by today's big shots of the business.
I like that the whole series, like Tom and Jerry or the Coyote and Roadrunner, revolves around the chemistry between two different characters except that they aren't out to kill each other. The characters go well together, and never needed a third supporting character to make it work. I don't think they ever did.
Anyway, the example I'm showing you is the second one of this two-dozen titled series and my personal favorite out of all of them. I can't really say anything bad about this one. The backgrounds are amazing and the animation is the best of the series. I heard Emery Hawkins animated at least two scenes in this, but I bet he did more judging by some of the drawings and the way the Fox looks and moves. Also, the voices really fit the characters better than the first cartoon, The Fox and the Grapes to me. Here, they're voiced by Frank Graham and Paul Frees (God love them both!) respectively versus the first one where both were performed by Mel Blanc. (the greatest voice actor ever!) No offence to Blanc lovers, but Graham and Frees portray the pair better.
I also like the music and how the beginning of almost each one is introduced by a Johann Strauss waltz and makes up the bulk of the score. In this one, it's Künstlerleben (An Artist's Life), Op. 316.
Any who, take a look for yourself and see what I'm talking about. Feel free to comment if you like it. :)
Monday, March 2, 2009
Jumpin' Jupiter
My favorite Porky and Sylvester cartoon. I love the way Chuck draws Sylvester in his cartoons. It's the best one to me next to Clampett's version. Jumpin' Jupiter has amazing backgrounds, funny jokes, and a good story with some good animation. Also, one of the instant martians from Hare-Way to the Stars makes an appearance.
Nelly's Folly
A rather Disney-esque version of One Froggy Evening, but still worth a watch or two. That giraffe's vocals are golden! Was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
All the Cats Join In
Eye and ear candy is the best way to describe this short from Make Mine Music. This Disney short is the jazziest cartoon I've ever seen. I'm not sure who directed it, but I do know that Fred Moore is the primary animator. He has a very appealing style of drawing girls here. (Not that I'm perverted or anything...)The music is really what sets the cartoon in stone for me. Benny Goodman is one of my favorite jazz musicians and he was definitely a good pick for this short.
Below are some of the drawings by Fred Moore.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Pluto's Christmas Tree
This cartoon is pretty cute. It has good animation as usual, cute story, ect.The thing about Pluto's Christmas Tree is that it has very beautiful backgrounds, especially during the scene where Chip and Dale look around their newly decorated home.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or whatever holiday it is you celebrate! And may your every New Year dream come true!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tiger Trouble
The best of the Goofy cartoons. Period.Like a lot of Jack Kinney's cartoons, this one has a Warner Bros feel to it. The music's very jazzy, the animation is close if not a little better, and the gags are hilarious!
Speaking of animation, Milt Kahl did this short, too! He did most of the animation on the tiger here. His animation of the big cat wrestling with Goofy is priceless! It's very fluid, solid, and very funny. Just the things that animation is all about!
Here's some sketches by Bill Beet, too.
Lake Titicaca
This short Donald Duck cartoon is actually form the 1943 film Saludos Amigos
I posted this one due to my recent interest of Milt Kahl's great contributions to Disney. He really was a great animator with amazing drawings. Kahl was a very good draftsmen as well as one of my heroes. He really sets high standards for his work and achieves it better than just "okay". Here, he animates the scene with Donald and the llama on the suspension bridge as well as the scene before with the llama.
Other than Kahl's work, the backgrounds are terrific and the gags are cute as well. Enjoy this one 'cause there's more where that came from! :)
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hippety Hopper
I just got into watching Robert McKimson cartoons more, and I must say that his early directing attempts were certainly better than what would come later. I find McKimson an adequate director, but that's only because he really was just an animator at heart.His early cartoons he directed had very fun and fluid animation, and the cartoons with the very silent character, Hippety Hopper, are good examples of what I'm talking about. Hippety may not be as cute as he was later, but then again McKimson wasn't about cute.
I thought it was great watching Sylvester's reactions to the baby kangaroo and the dog trying to help him out. The ending was a real knee-slapper, too! I'll also post more McKimson cartoons later, so enjoy this one for now.
Here's another great Hippety cartoon, Pop in Pop!
Nothing But the Tooth
Another Davis short put up by request. There's not much to say about this one except the wonderful animation again by Bill Melendez, Emery Hawkins, Basil Davidovitch, and more.The Indian here is an okay character, but it's funny how he's portrayed as well.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Mexican Joyride
Thanks to my friend Kevin Langley, I just adore Art Davis cartoons. I speak for most of us when I say that Davis was an extremely underrated director. Where jokes fail in his cartoons, animation quality makes it up. "Mexican Joyride" is definitely his best short. It's just too funny for me to pass up! The animation is also just superb with talents like Bill Melendez and the great Emery Hawkins under his wing.I'll probably post more Davis shorts later, but for now, enjoy his masterpiece work.
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