False Vases Backgrounds

Poor Felix. Goes to all the trouble of replacing his wife’s vase (which breaks after it falls while dancing to his piano playing) only to have a mouse break it and Mrs. Cat taking it out on him. That’s the plot of “False Vases” (1929).

Since it’s a Chinese vase, Felix goes to a Chinese store which doesn’t have a vase in his price range. So he convinces a dog to dig through the world clean through to China and steals a vase.

Silent film backgrounds aren’t known for their elaboration, but the simple drawings in this cartoon (which are shaded so they don’t completely look like line drawings) work well and set an appropriate mood. I especially like the elaborate tree.










It seems odd to have piano playing in the plot of a silent cartoon, but there would have been musical accompaniment in the theatre. As pictures on the bill with Felix were advertised as “all-talking musical drama” or “talking comedy,” the soon-to-be-obsolete organ or piano player was probably happy to have something to do.