Wednesday 27 November 2013

Bob Clampett's New York

Oliver Besner has posted a short video on the internet with a look at the streets of New York City in 1945. It features the headquarters for NBC and Mutual Broadcasting, some theatres, a neat little cartoon on a big screen at the end . . . and this guy.



Yes, that’s Warner Bros. cartoon director Bob Clampett. Oliver’s note says it was shot MOS on Clampett’s 16mm home movie camera. What was Clampett doing in New York? Beats me. A TV-cartoon venture fizzled in 1944; it was too early. He left Warners by May 1945 and worked out a deal with Republic about a year later.

Oliver didn’t indicate where the video came from, but you can view it below.

P.S.: Mention has been made in the comments about the Beany and Cecil website run by the Clampett family. You can visit it HERE.

6 comments:

  1. The video is from the Beany and Cecil Volume 2 DVD.

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  2. Otto Messmer worked on a lot of those Times Square animated billboards. That bit at the end resembles his Felix animation to me.

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  3. Yes, to be clear I can't really take credit for this (apart from the upload itself) as it was sourced from an extra on the excellent and *highly* recommended Beany and Cecil Vol. 2. I didn't want to put up any red flags potentially calling to rights infringements (or any of that messy stuff) so I didn't post any specific details, but now that it's been laid out in the open - go buy the dvd and support the producers and Clampett's family who have generously and lovingly put together a wonderful tribute to a great talent! This footage was just too cool not to post!

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    1. Oops. Sorry about that, Oliver.

      I concur, purchase the DVDs - both of 'em.

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  4. Just for fun, I looked up some of the films' release dates. Along Came Jones and Within These Walls were both released in July of 1945. Off the cuff, I'd say this was filmed August 1, 1945, plus or minus a few weeks. Love the 1920s-style animation in that billboard with the airplane (little wonder that caught Clampett's eye). Much to cheer the heart of a history-buff here, what with elevated railroads, Childs restaurant, the Automat, long-gone theatres, old cars, &c.

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  5. I really want to buy the vol. 1 for the termite terrace footage, Is it worth it?

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