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6/9/04 - DVD REVIEW: A guest review by Pietro A. Shakarian The past twenty years have seen a number of video and laser compilations featuring World War II-era cartoon shorts. Many of us remember MGM/UA's Bugs and Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons and Disney's An Officer And a Duck; Bosko Video's collection of Private Snafu shorts made waves as well (in both positive and negative ways). However, no past compilation has been as groundbreaking as the recent Walt Disney On the Front Lines set, part of Leonard Maltin's Walt Disney Treasures DVD series. This two-disc collection includes 32 rarely seen Disney WWII cartoons along with the full-length "Victory Through Air Power." Let's look at the discs one at a time.
The first disc starts off with 14 theatrical cartoons made for both propaganda and entertainment purposes. The restoration quality on all of these cartoons is truly stunning: the print of "Fall OutFall In" released on An Officer and a Duck pales in comparison to the pristine copy seen here. Another cartoon whose restoration caught my eye was "Der Fuehrer's Face." Check out the image comparison below, showing how the Treasures copies of "Fall Out" and "How to Be a Sailor" compare to early video releases, and how "Fuehrer" compares with a 1990s broadcast on British TV. As always, "Der Fuehrer's Face" is a fun cartoon to watch. One has to enjoy the wacky rendition of the theme song, as well as Donald's job at the factory where he must work "forty-eight hours a day for the Fuehrer." The best part of this short is probably the highly patriotic ending, mixing an emotional appeal to American ideals with the comedy of Donald's verbal delivery. Clyde Geronomi's "Education for Death" is less humorous, but still an incredibly powerful and historically important film, showing how a young German boy named Hans is molded into a Nazi. The animation style, backgrounds, and music play very well throughout the film, enhancing the raw emotion in each scene. Several sequences come off as shocking, such as a graphic book-burning and the transformation of a chuch into a place of Nazi imagery and idolatry. Another interesting cartoon is "Reason and Emotion." The cartoon does not focus on the war as much the others have, but it is still quite enjoyable. It's not surprising that the scenes involving Nazis and Hitler were revised for a 1960s TV re-release, with new animation of Ludwig Von Drake as narrator. Next up on Disc One are educational shorts, made to teach people on the home front how to help the armed forces. From paying taxes ("The New Spirit") to saving bacon grease ("Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Firing Line") these shorts cover a range of home front subjects. It's somewhat intriguing that many of these educational shorts were actually created for the Canadian government, rather than for the United States.
The second disc features the rare Disney feature film "Victory Through Air Power," which is helpfully divided into chapters on DVD, unlike "The Reluctant Dragon" on last year's Behind the Scenes at Disney Treasures set. "Victory" was meant to send a message to the audience of how America could win World War II using air power. Unfortunately, the film was rejected by RKO Radio Pictures, so Disney sold it to United Artists instead. Although the film wasn't exactly a box-office success, it encouraged Franklin D. Roosevelt to apply some of its suggested methods to the later battles of the war. "Air Power" begins by offering a history of flight, from its days of infancy to World War II (of course, a few more pages could be added to that history today). The rest of the film is a more direct adaptation of the book that inspired it, Alexander Seversky's Victory Through Air Power. Seversky appears in person to narrate several segments; to avoid making the film seem like a lecture, however, he moves around the room in an effort to make his audience feel more comfortable. Seversky's live action sequences are directed by his friend and fellow aviator H. C. Potter, while the feature's animated sequences were directed by animation pioneer and Disney veteran David Hand. Next up on Disc Two are training shorts made specially for the armed forces: two presented complete, then a montage of others. Introducing them, Leonard Maltin discusses how these shorts are the "least celebrated, but most significant" of the Disney wartime efforts. Another interesting aspect of these films is that according to Maltin, they have not seen the light of day in decades, and only recently have been declassified. The first short, "Four Methods of Flush Riveting," basically uses quick, inexpensive animation to teach the skill of flush riveting. It comes as no surprise to find this film dry; as Maltin points out, it was made to be instructive, not entertaining. The next film, "Stop That Tank," was made for Canada; it too becomes an ordinary instruction film, but only after bringing in a touch of humor. The wacky animated opening scene shows a rather goofy caricature of Adolf Hitler, who rants about being oppressed even when he's seated before the Devil himself. Following "Tank" is a training film montage narrated by Maltin, going over at least two hundred shorts Disney made for the army. Maltin touches on the range of animation techniques used in the films; one piece on aircraft is especially interesting, featuring a sexy pinup girl drawn in Fred Moorešs classic style. Finally, Disc Two includes several bonus features: a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at "Victory Through Air Power" and exclusive interviews with such longterm Disney employees as Joe Grant, John Hench, and Roy Disney. One can also find galleries featuring rare insignia drawings and production artwork, including some from "The Gremlins," a Disney feature film that was never completed. "Gremlins" would have been based on a rare Roald Dahl children's book, the same one that inspired Bob Clampett's "Russian Rhapsody." Disc Two's gallery presents this book in its complete form. All in all, I highly recommend Walt Disney On the Front Lines. We can only hope that someday we will see wartime DVD compilations dedicated to the creations of the Warner Bros., MGM, and Walter Lantz studios.
CARTOON BREW!
Please check CARTOON BREW regularly. We plan to have guest bloggers, and are percolating some exciting features in the months to come. Cartoon Research will continue on, mainly as an archive and data base which I will continue to update regularly. So remember: to find out what's new, go to the Brew!
4/6/04 - DVD REVIEW: Popeye: The 75th Anniversary Collection A guest review by Popeye fan club president Fred Grandinetti
While the better cartoons in this series of 220 episodes are also included (County Fair and Gem Jam among others), the quality of the cartoons is uneven at best. King Features Syndicate hired five different animation studios to crank out these color Popeyes to cash in on the popularity the Fleischer theatricals were having on television. The fact that King Features Syndicate made no money from the syndication of the theatrical Popeye series also played a hand in the creation of these TV cartoons. Judge each cartoon on this DVD for its on merits, then grumble that the classic Fleischer cartoons have yet to have a commercial DVD release? Blow Me Down!
3/6/04 - MOVIE REVIEW: HOME ON THE RANGE
Literally - I've now seen every traditional Disney hand drawn animated feature film. The collection is now complete. From SNOW WHITE in 1937 to HOME ON THE RANGE in 2004. The original studio built by Walt and maintained since his death by the Nine Old Men, Ron Miller, Jeffery Katzenberg and currently Michael Eisner closes the book with one last feature length cartoon. HOME ON THE RANGE is a fun little piece of fluff - it's sort of an animation equivilent to the kind of small live action comedies Disney made in the 1960s, like MOON PILOT or THE MONKEY'S UNCLE. And like those films, HOME is easy to watch, good for a few laughs, harmless... and unimportant. It's got some good things in it, to be sure. The bright primary colors and the Ham Luske/Mary Poppins-esque character designs are (for me) a pleasure to watch; the strong stylized layouts and full character animation still make me smile and hold my attention. The film's creators may have been trying to making a statement here, taking a stand against CG by designing the most intentionally flat two-dimensional Disney universe since THE SWORD IN THE STONE.
Other random pros & cons I thought about while watching the film: PRO: There's a nice bit where the farm horse fantasizes in CinemaScope spagetti Western style; CON: Too many burping gags; PRO: The voices are great - Roseanne, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr. Judi Dench, Steve Busemi, and Governor Ann Richards (!); CON: This film can have a jack rabbit with a peg leg - but Disney's PC police have to hide Peg Leg Pete's handicap in later Mickey Mouse adventures. The Disney studio has come a long way from it's Kansas City roots, Mickey Mouse beginings and SNOW WHITE heights. But the only thing this new film has in common with SNOW WHITE is a credit to Joe Grant (for Additional Story). HOME ON THE RANGE is a better note to end on than, say, THE BLACK CAULDRON or ATLANTIS. It feels like the animators, writers, designers and directors had a lot of fun putting this together. But that won't change Hollywood (or public) perception of traditonal animated features. This style of film now comes to an end (actually, it evolved - and moved to Pixar). Traditional animators will have to have fun reinventing the artform. I know they can do it. To paraphrase an old World War II song: They did it before, they'll do it again.
Just to prove that if you send us a DVD, we will plug it - here is The Complete Weird Cartoons, a collection of 19 animated cartoons from the earliest silent days throught the 1950s.
1/2/04 - DVD REVIEW: AVOID EYE CONTACT
It will continue to exist, evolve and reinvent itself. This new independent DVD release proves it - and viewing it has certainly refreshed my personal enthusiasm. "In September 2003, eleven animators met in a large chelsea loft. Eleven went in, Avoid Eye Contact came out", So says animator Signe Baumane, the ringleader behind this wonderful compilation of recent-vintage produced-in-New York animated short films, AVOID EYE CONTACT: The Best of NYC Independent Animation. Don't be afraid to check it out - it's highly entertaining, smart, funny and strictly adult. Each animator presents one or two shorts, made their own personalized navigational "menus", and included a few bonus materials (audio track commentaries, behind the scenes footage, pencil tests, stills, etc.).
Most of the shorts are hand-drawn traditional, but there is a smattering of pixelation and CG. There are also a handful of classics - Bill Plympton contributes two of his best: ONE OF THOSE DAYS and HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO A WOMAN, John Dilworth's DIRTY BIRDY, John Schnall's I WAS A THANKSGIVING TURKEY and George Griffin's NEW FANGLED. There is not enough room to tell you how much I enjoyed the new films by Signe Baumane, Fran Krause and Jesse Schmal... Don't avoid AVOID EYE CONTACT. This is more than a worthy effort - it's a whole lot of funny cartoons! Purchase it directly from Square Footage Films. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
 Pat Smith's DELIVERY
12/26/03 - DVD REVIEW: FRANK AND OLLIE
The film, entitled FRANK AND OLLIE co-produced & directed by Theodore Thomas (Thomas' son), is a wonderful tribute to these two old friends and artists. The film recounts their story, told in their own words, of how they met, became colleagues and experiences working at the Disney studio during its golden age. We see them shaving, taking out the garbage, drawing, dancing, being themselves. We hear stories of Walt himself, the other Disney animators, and how they did what they did - animate some of the greatest moments in movie history. Additional commentary by John Canemaker and John Culhane add to the appreciation of these two national treasures. The newly released DVD comes with a ton of bonus materials, which make this the ultimate Frank & Ollie collection (along with their book THE ILLUSION OF LIFE, of course). The bonus material includes musical footage of Frank with THE FIRE HOUSE FIVE PLUS TWO, clips from their first scenes (Ollie's in BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR and Frank's in MICKEY'S ELEPHANT), Ollie and his trains, story sketches, home movies and more from interview footage deleted from the final film. Good stuff indeed! To say this is a must-have is an understatement... with Roy gone, this kind of material will be harder to come by. Buy it today! And visit FrankanOllie.com! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
9/29/03 - VHS REVIEW: KO-KO'S SHOWTIME!
The new one, KO-KO'S SHOWTIME, is superb. Seven great Fleischer Inkwell shorts, linked with bridging narration on the influence of Vaudeville on Fleischer animation. Ray has carefully mixed classic Winston Sharples background music with new unobtrusive sound effects to enhance the wild Fleischer gags and live action/animation visuals. Cartoons included are FALSE ALARM (1923), TRIP TO MARS (1924), CARTOON FACTORY (1924), VAUDEVILLE (1924), MOTHER GOOSE LAND (1925), IT'S THE CATS (1926), KO-KO THE CONVICT (1926) and KO-KO NEEDLES THE BOSS (1927).
The prints are superb (or at least the best we'll ever get), and many are accurately tinted. The first three volumes are still available: # 1 The Bray Years 1919-1921, #2 The Inkwell Studio and #3 The Birth of Ko-Ko. Volume #1 is only 35 minutes with examples of Fleischers earliest films. Volumes #2 & 3 are 60 minute programs - and contain on camera commentary by Fleischer animator Berny Wolf and Dick Huemer's son Richard P. Huemer.
These are the pioneering mid twenties sound cartoons (preceeding STEAMBOAT WILLIE) and the video contains four complete titles (HAS ANYBODY HERE SEEN KELLY, COMIN' THRO' THE RYE, MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME and WHEN THE CHOO-CHOO LEAVES FOR ALABAM) and bouncing ball sequences from a few others. These collections are expertly packaged and professionally produced, and Ray tells me that they are now also available on DVD. RECOMMENDED
8/1/03 - BOOK REVIEW: THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR
That's the best description I can give of the new book by John Canemaker, an appreciation of Disney's top conceptual artist Mary Blair. As a fan of both artist Blair and writer Canemaker, I was looking forward to this book - and I'm delighted to say it does not disappoint.
Mary Blair was one of the greats. Walt Disney knew it, and she's been a inspiration and icon to a later generation of women (and men) who design today's best animation. Pick up The Art And Flair Of Mary Blair and see why. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
5/4/03 - BOOK REVIEW: THE CAT ON A HOT THIN GROOVE
It's out, and it's hot!
R. Crumb initiated this project and Gary Groth (editor) and Joe Preston (layout) do a great job with presentation. Deitch is due for rediscovery - his 1950s Terrytoons are amazing; his 1960s independent films for Rembrandt are outstanding - and THE CAT is now back in permanent form. Can "Terrible Thompson" be far behind? I hope not! Check out www.genedeitch.com for more info... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2/16/03 - BOOK REVIEW: MAD ART
What - me Worry?
Before now, the best books about MAD were the various 50s & 60s reprints - and Frank Jacob's first-hand account, THE MAD WORLD OF WILLIAM M. GAINES. Maria Reidelbach's COMPLETELY MAD was a colorful disappointment which left much to be desired. Evanier not only provides concise histories of 75 of the magazines most significant artisans, but squeezes in, written in Mad's (and Mark's) trademark humorous style, the history of the comic, the magazine, many of the writers, production personnel, and recounts other assorted Mad milestones. It's the artists that always attracted our eyes to MAD - from the beautifully painted covers by Kelly Freas and Norman Mingo to the Mort Drucker characatures and the Jack Davis, Sergio Aragones and Don Martin cartoon insanities - and here are all their bios: from Will Elder, Basil Wolverton and Wally Wood to Paul Coker Jr., Bill Wray and chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs (he did the cover to MAD #38). I was particularly impressed with his chapters on photographer Irving Schild (an oft-neglected MAD regular), how MAD articles and parodies are created, and another on how the magazine itself is assembled. The 304 page paperback is loaded with choice reprint MAD art - classic panels, pages and covers - and it's a joy to read. MAD ART is a teriffic tribute to the mad-men whose humor influenced the latter half of the 20th century - and continue to be an inspiration to many of today's top cartoonists and animators. Hoohah!
 A great panel by Jack Davis from "Alice In Wonderland" in MAD #18 (Dec. 1954)
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