It’s an understatement to say the highlight of the second half of 1937 in the cartoon world was the release of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” The occasion was a milestone in animation history and is arguably the apex of Disney’s animation career. Other features may have been better, but they weren’t the first. “Snow White” became the film against which other animated features were compared. And the characters of the movie are still very much interwoven into the Disney persona and corporate cash register. So much has been written about “Snow White” that we’ll avoid comment and settle with letting the pages of The Film Daily regale you with its raves.
Conversely, on the other side of the U.S., things around the Fleischer studio were less than a blissful fairy tale. A bitter strike was finally settled but, even then, the studio didn’t live happily-ever-after, with a move to Miami and a corporate takeover happening within a few years. The other big story in the latter half of ’37 was the start-up of the M-G-M cartoon department, the first one set up by a major studio. Metro’s Fred Quimby was the equivalent of a baseball team owner that signs big-name free agents thinking a pennant will naturally follow, but ends up buying professional jealousies instead. M-G-M not only bought that, and the inevitable revolving door that ultimately followed, but a cartoon series that wasn’t appealing to theatre-goers.
Things were comparatively quiet at other studios. They were dead quiet at Harman-Ising, which not only lost its M-G-M release, but key staffers turned their backs on their old bosses and followed the trail of Quimby bucks to Metro. Pat Powers was still making money off Ub Iwerks’ old cartoons thanks to an overseas deal, but Iwerks’ studio was finished with Powers and received a lifeline in the form of his own contract outside the U.S.
Let’s flip through the pages of The Film Daily for news and reviews. You’ll notice some of the reviews identify the names of animators and others, not just producers.
July 1, 1937
Collins Is Intermediary in Fleischer-Union Row
William Collins of the A F of L has been appointed intermediary in the strike situation involving the Max Fleischer studios and the Commercial Artists and Designers Union. Designation occurred following a conference between Attorney Louis Nizer, attorney for the producer, and Mayor La Guardia. Next conference between representatives of the union and Fleischer takes place tomorrow at the Nizer office.
July 6, 1937
Probe Bomb Vandalism
Police Saturday were investigating the throwing of a stench bomb into the Brooklyn home of David Fleischer of the Fleischer Studios, Inc.
July 7, 1937
Resume Fleischer Talks
Conferences looking towards a settlement of striking employees of Max Fleischer, cartoon producer, will be resumed today or tomorrow. Participating will be Attorney Louis Nizer, as counsel for Fleischer; Dr. William Sirovich, representing labor, and William Collins, intermediary.
July 8, 1937
Fleischer Parley Due Today
Resumption of conferences on the Max Fleischer cartoon studio strike situation failed to materialize yesterday but meetings are planned for either today or tomorrow.
July 9, 1937
Artists Union Weighing Fleischer Peace Proposal
Commercial Artists and Designers Union, which has been conducting a long strike against the Fleischer Studios, is considering a proposal for settlement of the strike submitted by the cartoon producing company, it was said yesterday by Louis Nizer, counsel for Fleischer Studios. Nizer declined to state the terms of the proposal.
July 10, 1937
Union Rejects Peace Offer
League of Women Shoppers has sent out notice to hundreds of theaters throughout the country that its members will boycott showings of Fleischer cartoons until settlement of the strike with the Commercial Artists and Designers Union. The union has turned down the settlement proposal made by the management.
Ralph Wilk column, Hollywood
Signing of men is progressing rapidly for the new M-G-M cartoon unit. Fred C. Quimby, is currently interviewing and selecting artists and technical talent, prior to the opening on Aug. 16 of the new $200,000 cartoon lab unit. Meanwhile other Culver City facilities have been turned over to the unit. First series to be made will be the newspaper serial, "The Captain and the Kids."
July 13, 1937
Court Dismisses Moser's Complaint Following Trial
Complaint in the action brought by Frank Moser against Paul Terry and others, including Terrytoons, Inc., producers of the screen cartoons, Terry-Toons, Earle W. Hammons, and William Weiss, was dismissed on the merits after trial by Justice Aldrich in the Supreme Court at White Plains.Moser's suit asked for cancellation of the contract by which he sold to Terry all his interest in Moser & Terry, Inc., and in his longstanding partnership with Terry. Against Hammons, president of Educational Films Corporation of America, and Weiss, treasurer of Terrytoons, Inc., Moser charged fraud.
Late in February, 1936, Moser and Terry were told by Hammons that their contract for distribution of Terry-Toons would not be renewed on its expiration in the summer of 1936. After several discussions during the next few days, Moser sold all his stock and all his interest in Terry-Toons to Terry, who then returned to Hammons and agreed to make increased investments in personnel, etc., if Hammons would change his decision about the contract.
In view of these promises by Terry, Hammons did thereafter renew the contract. On learning of the contract renewal, Moser brought the action to void his sale, accusing Terry and Hammons of being in conspiracy to defraud him when he was told that the contract was not to be renewed. Weiss was accused of being a party to the alleged conspiracy and of furnishing to the plaintiff a false and fraudulent statement as to the condition of the Moser-Terry corporation.
July 15, 1937
Phil M. Daly column, New York
• • • FIVE STARS are wanted by M-G-M studio to play leading roles in 13 pictures in which they will not personally appear .... they will get a year's contract at good dough .... they are wanted for the cartoons to be made around "The Captain and the Kids" .... the players are required as Voices for the Captain and the Kids characters in Dirks' famous funny paper family
NLRB Orders Bargaining Election at Fleischer Studios
By GEORGE W. MEHRTENS
FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent
Washington—The National Labor Relations Board has directed the holding of an election to determine the collective bargaining representatives of the production employees of Fleischer Studios, Inc., producers of animated films, it was announced here yesterday. According to the announcement the election will be held within 15 days of the date of issuance of the order under the direction of the regional director for the second region. Eligible voters will include all of the production employees of the studios, on its payroll as of April 30, 1937, including animators and assistant animators, but excluding employees with supervisory duties and story, music, camera, clerical, and maintenance employees, to determine whether they desire to be represented by Commercial Artists and Designers Union, Local No. 20329.
August 6, 1937
To Make Pix in Trichronome
Paris — Pierre Bourgeon has founded Dessins Animes Francais with financial backing. Cartoons will be made in colors by the new French process, Trichronome Chimique.
A Ducky Party
Donald Duck, who is now appearing in "Moose Hunters," the Walt Disney cartoon at the Music Hall, has selected Friday, Aug. 13, as his official birthday for the year 1937. Donald's birthday varies from year to year because he insists that he was born on a certain Friday the 13th and he isn't fussy about the month of the year.
August 7, 1937
Hershfield Joins M-G-M
Harry Hershfield, cartoonist, columnist and writer, has been signed by M-G-M as an addition to its writing staff under a six months' deal, with options. Attorney Louis Nizer closed the contract for Hershfield, who has left New York for the Coast.
August 17, 1937
Ralph Wilk column, Hollywood
With the music recorded on "I Wanna Be A Sailor," Leon Schlesinger has completed his first "Merrie Melodie" Technicolor cartoon for his 1937-38 program one month ahead of schedule. Producer's schedule for new season calls for 36 subjects to be released by Warner Bros.
Fleischer Artists Authorize Union to Act for Them
At an election held yesterday under the auspices of the National Labor Relations Board to determine whether or not the Commercial Artists & Designers' Union should represent artist employees of the Fleischer Studios as collective bargaining agent, the union received all of the 74 votes cast and claimed the right to represent the workers because it had received more than a majority of all votes.
Nearly all of the votes were cast by members of the Commercial Artists & Designers' Union who have been on strike at the Fleischer Studios for three months. A total of 128 artists, of which 72 have been on strike, were eligible to vote it was stated. Fifteen of the ballots cast for the union are being held aside until it is determined whether the voters were illegally discharged for union activities, as claimed by the union.
The voting was held over the protest of Max Fleischer. According to the union, Fleischer posted a notice in his studios asking his employees not to vote in the election. Apparently many of them obeyed.
Twenty-six out of 30 animators refused to take part in the election, according to Arthur Krim of Phillips & Nizer, counsel for Fleischer.
August 18, 1937
Artists' Election Contrary to Wagner Act, Krim Claims
Charge that the election held by the Commercial Artists & Designers Union, resulting in a decision to authorize the union to represent employees of the Max Fleischer studios in negotiations with the cartoon producer, "was entirely unwarranted and was held contrary to the provisions of the Wagner Act," was made yesterday by Arthur B. Krim of Phillips & Nizer, counsel for Fleischer.
Krim stated that 26 of the 30 artists employed as animators boycotted the election after sending a petition to the studios asking to be protected in their right to organize and vote as a separate unit in any collective bargaining election held among employees of the company.
In part, Krim said: "Fleischer has at all times offered to recognize the Commercial Artists & Designers Union. He has been in complete sympathy with the policies of the Wagner Act. Negotiations with the Union have been carried on for the past few months, but agreement has been impossible, because of unreasonable demands.
"The present election of all employees in one unit was intended to force the animators and other employees to accept the Board's ruling, even though the Wagner Act provides that there must be a review of this decision of the Board by a Court of Law before the employees or the company are to consider themselves bound.
"When and if a proper election becomes necessary, the company will participate and extend its fullest cooperation to protect the rights of every employee."
August 20, 1937
United Artists Releasing 33 Shorts in the Far East
. . .From Celebrity Productions, Inc., 23 Comicolor Cartoons.
Sue Westchester Exhib
United Artists Corp. and Walt Disney Productions Ltd., yesterday filed suit in Federal Court against Weinberg Enterprises, Inc., and Joseph Weinberg for changing unauthorized exhibition of "Who Killed Cock Robin," and "On Ice," at its Cameo, Westchester. Damages of $250 for each infringement is asked. Universal Pictures and Big U Exchange also filed an action against the same defendants, charging that 18 episodes of Frank Merriwell, Flash Gordon and the "Phantom Rider" were used without authorization.
August 31 1937
Disney's Color Departure
West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—New treatment of color on the screen is promised in Walt Disney's first full-length production, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Colors in "Snow White" will be subdued and subtle by contrast to the bright pure tones of the short subjects. In "Snow White," too, Disney will not only use color to explain his characters, but to explain points of the story as well.
September 3, 1937
VITAPHONE TO MAKE 68 SINGLES, 24 TWOS
Vitaphone studio in Brooklyn, headed by Sam Sax, has a program of 68 single reel subjects and 24 two-reelers scheduled for the season of 1937-38.
In addition the company will distribute 36 cartoons, 20 "Merrie Melodies" and 16 "Loonytoons."
Gordon, Kelley with M-G-M
Daniel Gordon and Ray Kelley, cartoon directors, animators and general-all-around men, have been signed for the new cartoon unit that M-G-M is setting up.
Harry McCoy Dead
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Harry McCoy, 43, actor and director, and composer of "Pagan Love Song," is dead here of heart disease. In the early days of films he was cast as a Keystone Comedy cop and as "Hallroom Boy." At the time of his death he was employed by the Walt Disney Studios.
Ralph Wilk column, Hollywood
Spencer Tracy, Walt Disney and J. Walter Ruben have been elected members of the Riviera County Club Polo.
September 10, 1937
Technicolor Stockholders OK Stock Increase Plan at Special Meeting
Under its new stock option plan, Technicolor has made contracts with five producers providing for the production of 28 features and involving options to acquire a total of 160,000 shares, it was disclosed at a special stockholders' meeting yesterday when the shareholders authorized an increase in its stock from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 shares....
Walt Disney, under his contract calling for 39 Silly Symphonies and Mickey Mouse cartoons, has an option on 16,000 shares at $28 per share, it was stated. Agreement runs for two years and starts March 1, 1938.
September 14, 1937
Fleischer to Challenge NLRB Finding in Courts
Following ruling by the National Labor Relations Board in Washington giving the Commercial Artists and Designers Union, an A F of L affiliate, the right to act as exclusive bargaining agent for the Fleischer Studios production employees, the studios issued a statement denying the validity of the certification made by the board.
The Fleischer statement said that the Board ruling that animators were included among the production employees was illegal and that the "interest of all employes will be best preserved by judicial determination of the issue."
September 16, 1937
DISNEY PLANS FEATURE 18 SHORTS EACH YEAR
Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. after the 1937-38 season, plans to adhere to a policy of making one feature and 18 shorts annually, it was said here yesterday by Roy Disney, business manager for the company.Disney, here for conferences with RKO home office execs, with whom he will formulate sales policies, announced that the company's pioneer cartoon feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", will be ready for release in time for Christmas exhibition and possibly for earlier December showings. Disney stated that the policy of making full length features was dictated by the curtailed revenue which resulted from making shorts exclusively.
"Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs," Disney declared, will, on completion, reach a negative cost of between $1,100,000 and $1,200,000, with 80 per cent representing salaries paid during the three years the feature has been in the making. During this period, as many as 500 animators and other technicians have worked simultaneously on the production, which will have a running time of approximately 90 minutes.
There will, he said, be numerous instances of third dimensional effects in the finished footage which is entirely in Technicolor, and that these solid geometric effects have been produced by special sets, several planes deep, photographed via the Multiplane Camera Process.
Features, as well as shorts, will be made in about a dozen different foreign language versions, he said, and the studio is at present better equipped than ever before to accomplish this and its production plans in general as the personnel now numbers approximately 650.
September 17, 1937
Jam Handy Expanding
Detroit — Jam Handy Picture Service, Inc., has leased the building formerly occupied by the Metropolitan Motion Picture Co. at 1745 East Grand Boulevard, to provide additional quarters, according to Jamison Handy, president. The building will house the personnel comprising the Jam Handv Animated Cartoon, Comedy and Technical Animation Theatrical Distribution, Screen Advertising, Field Development, Sales Convention and Music Departments.
F. B. Quimby's Father Dies
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Fred B. Quimby of Metro is in Tacoma, called by the death of his father Tuesday.
September 18, 1937
FLEISCHER AND UNION IN STRIKE AGREEMENT
Agreement was reached yesterday between Fleischer Studios and the Commercial Artists and Designers Union on conditions for termination of the strike in progress at the Studio for several months with final acceptance of the proposed contract to be determined Monday night at a meeting of the union membership at 155 E. 34th St.
According to James Post, organizer for the union, the agreement provides for substantial wage increases, union recognition, time and a half for overtime and one week vacation with pay.
Present at the conference where the agreement was worked out were Dave Fleischer, Sam Buchwald Fleischer general manager; Lou Diamond, Paramount shorts subjects head; James Hulley, union president, Post and others.
September 21, 1937
Union Bargaining Demand Issue in Fleischer Pact
Demand of the Commercial Artists and Designers Union for recognition as sole collective bargaining agent for Fleischer studio employes and refusal of the company to accept this condition is holding up settlement of the strike at the studio in progress for several months, it was learned yesterday. The union was certified by the National Labor Relations Board in Washington as the sole bargaining agency on the basis of an election among Fleischer employes. Fleischer is maintaining that the election was contrary to the provisions of the Wagner act.
September 23, 1937
The Walt Disney studios have delivered six Technicolor shorts to RKO Radio for immediate distribution, with "Hawaiian Holiday," a Mickey Mouse, as the initial release this week.
These are the first of the product to go out under the RKO Radio banner.
The shorts include one Silly Symphony, "The Old Mill" and five Mickey Mouse productions, "Hawaiian Holiday," "Pluto's Quinpuplets," "The Clock Cleaners," "Donald's Ostrich," and "Lonesome Ghosts." "The Old Mill" will display the new multiplane camera process, perfected within the Disney studios, for the first time. The process, which gives the illusion of third dimension, will be seen in the studio's first animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
September 27, 1937
Fleischer Settlement This Week is Forecast
Settlement of the lengthy strike of the Commercial Artists & Designers Union against the Fleischer Studios can be looked for this week, it was said Saturday by Louis Nizer, counsel for Fleischer. Only point or difference remaining between the union and Fleischer is over the union demand for complete recognition.
September 28, 1937
Fleischer Compromise Proposal Before Union
Fleischer Studios has agreed to recognize the Commercial Artists and Designers Union as exclusive bargaining agent for the production departments excepting animators. It will recognize the union as bargaining agent for those animators who are union members and any other animators who may in the future become members. The union is yet to accept the proposed compromise.
October 1, 1937
Vitaphone to Release 11 Shorts in October
Vitaphone will release 11 short subjects during October, announces Norman H. Moray, Vitaphone executive in charge of shorts and trailers. [Cartoons listed are] "Rover's Rival," a "Looney Tune" cartoon (Oct. 9); "The Lyin' Mouse," a "Merrie Melody" cartoon in Technicolor (Oct. 16); "The Case of the Stuttering Pig," a "Looney Tune" cartoon (Oct. 30).
October 2, 1937
Robert Allen to Direct New Metro Cartoon Series
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Robert Allen, director of animated cartoons, has been signed by Metro. He will act in the same capacity for the cartoon series "The Captain and the Kids." Allen, previously to signing with Metro, had been associated with Harman-Ising for three and a half years, and a director for the past year.
George Gordon has been signed as lay-out man and animator for "The Captain and the Kids." Gordon was previously connected with Terry Toons for seven years. The first of these cartoons will be released in December.
October 4, 1937
Metro "Kids" in Sepia
West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—John M. Nickolaus, laboratory head of M-G-M, and Fred Quimby, general manager of the short subject department, announce that the series of 13 animated cartoons featuring the "Captain and the Kids" will be finished in the new sepia platinum tone and not in color.
October 6, 1937
New Pact for McKimson
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood — Robert McKimson, who joined the Leon Schlesinger cartoon studio in 1930, has signed a new straight 6-year contract with the producer as head animator. McKimson, who works exclusively on "Merrie Melodies," had another year to go on his previous contract when Schlesinger signed the new deal.
October 11, 1937
Phil M. Daly column, New York.
• • • Arthur Kay, radio mimic and character voice of varied Max Fleischer and Terrytoon cartoons, has been engaged for the new Ed Wynn show, "Hooray for What," now in rehearsal.
October 11, 1937
Fleischer Cartoonists' Strike Ended Last Night
The 22-week strike of the cartoonists at the Fleischer studios ended last night, following the signing of an agreement between the studios and the Commercial Artists and Designers Union, an A F of L affiliate.
Under the contract, Fleischer studios recognized the union and granted wage increases, a 40-hour week, vacations and sick leaves with pay and extra pay for overtime. The union made various guarantees of production.
It was agreed that Fleischer studios had the right to deal and bargain with their non-union animators directly and not through the union.
The new contract provides for arbitration of all future disputes. Strikes and lock-outs are prohibited. Under the agreement all employees return to work immediately.
David Fleischer, vice-president of the studios, and James Hully, president of the union, expressed their gratifications upon the settlements.
Fleischer was represented in the negotiations by the law firm of Phillips & Nizer.
October 14, 1937
2nd Disney Short Released
"Clock Cleaners," second Walt Disney animated cartoon short offered this season by RKO Radio Pictures, will be released tomorrow.
October 15, 1937
M-G-M CARTOON STAFF COMPRISES VETERANS
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood — With its new two story cartoon building, one that will house 200 workers, now completed Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer announced complete assembling of the staff recruited for this new division of the studio.
In addition to Harry Hirshfield, humorist and creator of the comic strip, "Abie Kabibble," who will work on the creation of cartoon ideas, the staff at Culver City includes 29 key men.
Cartoon directors comprise three men, Robert Allen, William Hanna and Isadore Freleng. All of them were formerly with Harman-Ising while
C. G. Maxwell, formerly with Disney and with Harman-Ising, have been named production supervisor. Edmund Schultz, who has been with Mintz and Universal, will act as head of the in-between department and L. S. Goble ["Art" Goble] is head of painting and inking.
Story gag men include "Pinko" [sic] Colvig, who has been active in the animated cartoon field since 1916; his latest work being done on "Snow White"; Ray Kelly, formerly with Van Beuren; Kin Platt, last with Disney; Henry Allen, a Harman-Ising alumnus; Joseph Barbera, who has been with Terrytoons; and Allen Freleng, most recently with Leon Schlesinger.
Bert Lewis, who for six years scored cartoons at the Disney lot will be in charge of music. E. J. Moore will head the camera department, and Charles Thorsen will be in charge of designing original characters and settings. Seven men placed under contract as animators are Ben Clopton, Sam Stimson, Cary Meyer [sic], Bill Nolan, A. J. Zander, Richard Bickenbach and Cecil Surry.
Jack J. Stevens has been engaged as cameraman, and F. McAlpin as sound technician. Willie Hopkins and Karl Karpe will handle finish layouts. Other layout men include Ernest Nordli, Dan Gordon, and George Gordon.
The first M-G-M cartoon series under the new expansion program will be the syndicated feature, "The Captain and the Kids."
Second Para. Color Cartoon
Paramount has ordered Max Fleischer to produce a second three-color Technicolor two-reel cartoon comedy, "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves," Lou Diamond, Para, short subject production manager, announced yesterday. Move results from response to "Sinbad the Sailor." New short is designed for holiday release.
4th Venice "First" to Disney
"Hawaiian Holiday," a Walt Disney Mickey Mouse, released by RKO Radio Pictures, has won the prize for the best short subject offered bv the International Film Exhibition in Venice, Italy. This is the fourth consecutive time that a Disney subject has won this award.
"OLD MILL" UTILIZES NEW DISNEY PROCESS
The answer is in the new camera treatment. In "The Old Mill," Walt Disney has developed an illusion of depth for the first time.
This short subject was the testing ground for the new multiplane camera process, developed within the Disney studios, and which will be seen further in their first feature-length production, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
The camera, which was perfected after months of testing, and at a cost exceeding $50,000, enables the characters painted upon transparent celluloid sheets, to be photographed against a background at different levels.
The history of the camera at the Disney studios is one which actually calls forth the overworked adjective, "amazing." Several years ago, the department consisted of one cameraman who also used to cut the films. Now, there is a test camera crew of 13 men working in three eight-hour shifts. There is a color camera crew of eight men, and a cutting department of 11. In addition, there are always camera experts working overtime to perfect new and ingenious methods of shooting animated pictures.
October 21, 1937
Disney Closes Deal With Pepsodent For Air Show
Proposal whereby Walt Disney's cartoon characters will be featured on the new Pepsodent air show was revealed yesterday in New York. First broadcast is scheduled for Sunday, January 2 from 3:30 to 4 p.m. and will be heard on succeeding Sundays at the same time. Roy Disney, who flew in from the Coast Monday to clinch the deal, returns to Hollywood today by train.
October 22, 1937
Ralph Wilk column, Hollywood
Three new animators have been added to the M-G-M cartoon department. They are Roy Abrams [sic], formerly with Mintz, Leonard Sebring, formerly with Walt Disney for the past four and a half years, and Emery Hawkins, formerly with Disney and Mintz. Jack Chertok is producing the cartoons.
October 23, 1937
Disney Reported Already at Work on 2nd Feature
Walt Disney has started on his second feature-length cartoon, Gregory Dixon, Disney's studio publicity director, said yesterday in New York. Title is "Bambi." based on the story of a deer by Felix Salten. Dixon said that Disney's first feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", has been completed in black and white and more than 3,500 feet has been completed in color.
October 25, 1937
Terry-Toon Tests Sepia
The first sepia-toned Terry-Toon [“The Dog and the Bone”] will be released in New York Nov. 12, it was announced by Paul Terry Saturday. Terry stated that audience reaction to this one will determine whether or not the rest of the 38 Terry-Toons on the 1937-38 schedule will get the same treatment.
November 2, 1937
Smarter Gags, Color, Music Give Cartoons Shorts Lead
ANIMATED cartoons haven't taken the lead in the shorts field by accident. Clever, wholesome stories, smarter gags, excellent music and beautiful color are responsible. Exhibitors are now wide-awake to the fact that cartoons are drawing money into the box-office on their own merit, and the belief has now practically become a rule that a program is not complete without one. Perhaps nothing better illustrates the strides that the animated cartoons have made in popular appeal during the past few seasons than does the tremendous increase in personnel to be found at the studios where these subjects are produced. In our own case, this year's product, consisting of 36 subjects, will entail the efforts of 170 animators as compared to 46 such artists previously employed on a comparable production program. This increase in manpower was found necessary to carry out our efforts to make our cartoon characters really live as humans in the minds of theatergoers. We feel that our new color and sound processes are pretty close to perfection in this field. —Leon Schlesinger.
November 10, 1937
Soviet Studios Making Headway With Cartoons
Russia is making rapid strides in the production of animated cartoons, Lucille Cramer said yesterday upon her arrival on the Aquitania. Miss Cramer, who was formerly with Max Fleischer in New York, told The Film Daily that the company with which she has been associated for four years in Russia will make from 12 to 15 cartoons this year. The company, which is known as the "All-Union," has seven directors and more than 200 persons working at its studios.
Russian cartoons, Miss Cramer said, are now showing a trend away from propaganda subjects and are concentrating on Russian Folk lore and even such stories as "Little Red Riding Hood."
Miss Cramer plans to work in the United States.
November 11, 1937
Store in Show Biz
Detroit—Crowley-Milner & Co., large Detroit department store, is going into show biz. Store has set a walk-through show, embracing Mickey Mouse cartoons and a mechanical man production of "Snow White," for a minimum four-week run, starting Nov. 18. It's the idea of Clay Pollan, ad manager. Acts have been booked through United Booking Association here.
November 12, 1937
"Snow White" Premiere In L. A. Before Christmas
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" will have its world premiere at the Carthay Circle in Los Angeles shortly before Christmas.
November 18, 1937
20 Disney Shorts in Work
With the completion at the Walt Disney studios of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated feature in the history of motion pictures, the staff of 700 artist animators and technicians are concentrating on the production of 20 short subjects.
November 19, 1937
Schlesinger Completes Fields' Cartoon Sequence
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Leon Schlesinger has completed production on a cartoon sequence to be used in Para.'s "The Big Broadcast of 1938". Material will be worked in the Shep Fields "This Little Ripple Had Rhythm" number.
Schlesinger also created the animated footage in the David Loew-Joe E. Brown production "When's Your Birthday" released a short time ago.
November 24, 1937
By RALPH WILK, HOLLYWOOD
Songs in Disney Pix
WALT DISNEY is putting eight musical numbers into his first feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." All of the numbers were written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey of the Disney music department, and will be published by Irving Berlin, Inc. They will be translated into French, Spanish, German, Italian and the Scandinavian languages.
Titles of the numbers are: "The Wishing Well Song," "One Song," "With a Smile and a Song," "Whistle While You Work," "Hi-Ho," "The Washing Song," "Some Day My Prince Will Come," and "Isn't This a Silly Song."
November 30, 1937
"Snow White's" Premiere
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Walt Disney's first full-length feature to be released by RKO Radio, is to have its premiere at the Carthay Square Theater, Hollywood, Dec. 21. Following its showing it will be released nationally. First night tickets are to sell [missing words] with a $1.50 top thereafter for the duration of run.
December 1, 1937
Distribs Awarded $6,750 For Shorts' Extra Time
Actions brought in Federal Court by M-G-M Corp., M-G-M Distributing Corp., and 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., together with three of the latter's subsidiaries, against Benjamin M. Rossassy, president of C & F Amusement Corp., operators of the Adelphi Theater, Brooklyn, terminated, it was announced yesterday, with return of a verdict awarding $6,750 to the plaintiffs who had charged the defendant with showing short subjects during extra time for which they had not been contracted in violation of the copyright law.
20th-Fox received $4,500 and M-G-M $2,250 respectively from two juries before whom the cases were presented, with Federal Judge Grover M. Moscowitz presiding at both trials. Rossassy, according to the plaintiffs, exhibited Terry-Toons on 18 occasions without having contracted for them, and Happy Harmonies on six occasions.
Arthur B. Krim, film attorney of 1501 Broadway, represented the plaintiffs. The defendant, it is said, could have rented the films for some $9 for the extra time showings.
December 4, 1937
That Intriguing Mickey Mouse!
Belgrade (By Cable)—Walt Disney's famous cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, has precipitated a political "crisis" here, because the comic strip in which the renowned rodent has been appearing as a daily feature of the newspaper "Politika" showed Mickey involved in a conspiracy to overthrow a young king. Government censors promptly overthrew Mickey. It happens that Yugoslavia's king is 14-year-old Peter II. Nation is under a regency.
Walt Disney Celebrates
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood — Walt Disney's celebrating. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" finishes today and tomorrow's Disney's 36th birthday.
December 17, 1937
Phil M. Daly column, New York
• • • WHAT IS probably the most extensive campaign of national tie-ups ever placed in back of one production . . . has been lined up to focus public attention on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" . . . the Walt Disney cartoon-in-color feature that may prove the precursor of an entirely new technical field in the animated division.• • • IT IS an amazing fact that over 40 big manufacturers' tie-ups are in back of this one production . . . the biggest merchandising establishments in the United States are spending individually thousands of dollars . . . the toy shops and departments of the big stores everywhere are all set to blazon forth the message of Snow White and her woodland pals for the Holiday season . . . over two years of concentrated effort of the Walt Disney studio in producing the feature has been supplemented for months with the work of Kay Kamen's merchandising organization . . . the entire facilities of Barret McCormick's highly organized ad and pub dept's have been smoothly oiled for weeks on this gigantic ballyhoo . . . and the Disney special publicity staff on the Coast and in New York have been geared for months . . . not weeks . . . getting this special feature groomed for the public reception
Limit "Snow White" Tickets
WITH all the seats of Hollywood's Carthay Circle Theater practically sold out five days in advance of the gala Hollywood premiere next Tuesday of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Walt Disney's first full-length feature production in multiplane Technicolor, RKO Radio has decided, as an emergency measure, to limit each purchaser to four $5.50 tickets.
December 18, 1937
Screen Cartoonists Guild Asks 8-Hour Day, 5-Day Week
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood — Screen Cartoonists Guild asks an eight-hour day, a five-day week and approximately 10 per cent pay increase. Its membership includes animators, story men, lay-out men, inkers and painters.
Producers have approved the basic pact submitted by the Society of M. P. Interior Decorators. Seventy workmen are affected and they have been granted a minimum weekly wage of $100 and Guild shop.
December 20, 1937
Television in Color Shown In London Demonstration
London (by cable)—Television in color has been demonstrated here by John Logie Baird, inventor of television. A color cartoon of "Popeye" was transmitted over the air from his laboratory at the Crystal Palace to the Dominion Theater in Tottenham Court Road—a distance of about eight miles.
Baird has been working on the experiment for nine years. A public demonstration will be held shortly.
December 21, 1937
Artists and Cartoonists to Affiliate With CIO
Commercial Artists and Designers Union, the Artists Union of New York and the Cartoonists Guild of America are to make joint application for membership in the CIO, it was announced yesterday. Jurisdictional body will be United Office and Professional Workers of America. New CIO union of artists is to unite all fine, applied and commercial artists in private industry and Federal Projects in a national organization.
"Snow White" to Debut
West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood — "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Walt Disney's first full-length feature in multiplane Technicolor to be released by RKO, opens before a distinguished premiere audience tonight at the Carthay Circle Theater.
December 22, 1937
"Snow White" Premiere
West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Walt Disney's picturization of the fairy story, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which had its premiere here last night at the Carthay Circle, should have a strong appeal to adults as well as to children as it is full of comedy and human touches. Interest never lags throughout the 85 minutes of the picture which was made by multiplane in Technicolor. The Dwarfs, the woman-hating Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Doc and Bashful will appeal to children of all ages. Given voices, the different characters are almost human-like. The music is an important factor and the songs include "Some Day My Prince Will Come," "The Wishing Well Song" and "One Song." The picture is full of clever touches while the beauty and artistry of the background touch the eye. Film stars and executives were out in force, with a crowd of onlookers estimated at more than 10,000 watching their arrival. Events of the colorful first-night were broadcast over a Coast-to-Coast NBC hookup. —WILK
"Snow White" Air Plugs
Four shots on the air have exploited "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Walt Disney's first feature-length film to be released by RKO. They included: appearances of title characters on the Sunday Chase & Sanborn hour; Walt Disney interviewed by Cecil B. DeMille on the Monday Lux program; Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on the Packard program last night; the opening at the Carthay Circle last night.
December 23, 1937
"Snow White" Acclaimed
With Coast critics unanimous hailing it as a triumph of the year and a steady b.o. line before the Carthay Circle Theater so long that an additional cashier has been put on duty, Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has started its extended two-a-day run with a ticket demand that predicates a smash hit.
December 28, 1937
Starts "Gran'pop" Series
Ub Iwerks has gone into production with his new "Gran'pop" series of 24 color cartoons depicting Lawson Wood's Collier's cover ape in droll "situation" stories which depart from the time-worn fairy story and fantasy formula. British capital represented by Lawson Harris, president of Cartoon Films, Ltd., is backing the new setup, and contracts for release in Great Britain have already been signed with the newly formed British Independent Exhibitors Association.
December 29, 1937
Cartoon Copyright Cases to be Heard Jan. 5 and 10
Paramount Pictures, Inc., and Exclusive Movie Studios, Inc., are co-plaintiffs in two actions charging copyright violations to be heard early in January, it was learned yesterday. First action against George Dobbs, Samuel Levy and Levy’s Sport Shop, Inc., of Jersey City charges that defendants manufactured and distributed 16 mm. and 8 mm. films of Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons in violation of the copyright law. Exclusive Movie Studios, Inc., it was stated, has acquired exclusive rights to this distribution. Case is slated to be heard in U. S. District Court, District of New Jersey, before Federal Judge Clark on Jan. 5.
Second action on similar grounds is against Benjamin and Nathan Leder and the Leader Motion Picture Co. Case is to be heard in U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, on Jan. 10.
Mickey Mouse on Air
"Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air" is to present all Disney characters on a regular weekly broadcast beginning Sunday from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. EST on the NBC Red Network. Pepsodent is sponsor.
December 30, 1937
"Snow White" Said Tops West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY
Hollywood—Roy Dusyrn, manager of the Carthay Circle Theater, reports Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has broken all 1937 house records.
REVIEWS
July 6, 1937
"The Wily Weasel" (An Oswald Cartoon)
Universal 7 mins. Amusing and Well-made
Most of the footage is devoted to the film's funny fauna,—a small, black dachshund of exaggerated length; Elmer, the loose-jointed hound and Mrs. Cluck, a most conscientious hen. The latter is keeping enough eggs warm to supply many an omelet. But along comes a slinking young weasel and pilfers the lot. Oswald sets traps in the barn, in addition to posting the dogs to catch the slippery thief. That night the weasel returns and leads the canine guardians a merry chase through the barn. Traps fail to nab him, too. However, just when it appears that Mr. Weasel is going to escape, a rollicking rap from a rolling pin fells him. It is Mrs. Cluck, the hen, who got revenge. Short ranks right up with the better Oswald cartoons.
"Sweet Sioux" (Merrie Melody Cartoon)
Vitaphone 8 Mins. Standout, Gag-studded Subject
Producer Leon Schlesinger deserves no small modicum of praise for this one, for it is not only excellently made but is certainly one of the most amusing of current cartoons. Technicolor is used throughout, and so are swell side-splitting gags. That patrons will eat it up is no idle prophecy for it has originality galore, is spiced with satire and pokes so much fun generally that exhibitors who get their hands on it will be doing a good deed for their audiences. The basic idea back of its sequences is to demonstrate what would happen in an Indian village of yore if the redskins followed modern customs and practices. Simply stated, it is grand.
July 8, 1937
"Porky's Super Service" (Looney Tune Cartoon)
Vitaphone 7 Mins. Fun for Cartoon Fans
Porky, the personable little pig, is minding his own business (he operates an ultra-modern gas station), when up drives an imperious woman to have a flat tire repaired. In addition to minding his own business, the woman requests Porky to mind her baby. The latter is a spoiled, exasperating young critter who perpetrates all manner of indignities on his temporary guardian. The destructive kid causes poor Porky plenty of pain by closing the hood, doors and windows on him, and finally brings about the complete wrecking of the gas station. Kids and grown ups will like the reel.
July 19, 1937
"Wayward Pups" (Harman-Ising Cartoon)
Two pups and a cat start to frolic and almost tear the living room apart, and the pups run away scared as the mistress of the house scolds them. They run into a nerve-shattering adventure with the dogcatcher, then steal a big bone from a vicious bulldog, which chases them through the city traffic. It all finishes with a wild scramble as dozens of dogs escape from the city pound as the pup-chase passes through their residence. The cat meanwhile, noting the grief of the mistress for her two pups, volunteers to go out and find them, and gets mixed up in the wild excitement, but manages to retrieve the pups and bring them safely home.
July 22, 1937
"Country Store" (Meany, Miny, Moe)
Universal 7 mins. Lively Diversion
Meany, Miny, and Moe are proprietors of a country store and are roused from their slumbers by an order from Mrs. Hen. In the course of their fresh and diverting antics in filling the order, Meany steals a baby lamb. The lamb's mother gives hot pursuit. In the chase she all but wrecks the store and the three monks. Lots of action and novelty.
"The Playful Pups" (Oswald Cartoon)
Universal 7 mins. Swell Family NumberLots of novelty and action make this subject featuring Oswald and his two pups, one a dachshund, good entertainment. There's plenty of laughs in the antics of the hund, tangling with a pair of boots. Kiddies and grownups will like it equally well.
July 27, 1937
"I Want to Be an Actress" (Scrappy Cartoon)
Columbia 8 mins. Burlesquing the Studios
Scrappy embarks as a picture producer, with his back yard as the studio. His girl Margie wants to be the star, but Scrappy doesn't want to play favorites. Finally Margie sneaks into the studio in back of Scrappy's auto as he is driven in to work. On the lot, she keeps pestering everybody till finally Scrappy is forced to give her a screen test She goes over big, but when she goes into her song and dance, she makes such a racket that the neighbors bust up the studio in the back yard with a shower of missiles. Produced by Charles Mintz.
July 28, 1937
"The Paper Hangers" (Terry-Toon Cartoon)
Educational 6 1/2 mins. Cleverly Made Reel
Picture-goers who are partial to cartoon entertainment will discover a good deal to tickle their senses of humor in this cleverly-made tab film, which deals with the adventures of its hero, the Pig, when called upon to take his crew to a nearby farm house, paint me exterior and paper the interior. The "crew" of workmen consist of an elongated daschund plus a raucous-voiced hen. At their destination the Pig and his fellow workers meet up with a couple of kittens owned by the mistress of the farm house. These diminutive felines turn the place into a nightmare of confusion. At the fade-out, Pig the painter, the daschund and the hen are victims of the outraged woman's rain of rolling pins by dint of the havoc wrought.
July 29, 1937
"Ding Dong Doggie" (Betty Boop Cartoon)
Pudgy, Betty Boop's diminutive pup, furnishes the fireworks in this one. Perched on a windowsill, he looks enviously across the street at a fire house, before which is proudly pacing a Dalmatian hound—pet of a hook-and-ladder outfit. Pudgy's canine soul is flaming with a desire to have an alarm ring and join up with his spotted, prospective friend. Sure enough, the alarm sounds and Pudgy goes to the burning building after playing hookey to accompany the hook-and-ladder apparatus. But on the scene, the rampaging flames give the over-enthusiastic Pudgy a literal licking. Finally he is glad to return to Betty—whose punishment of him is a mild climax after his wild experience. Cartoon fans young and old will enjoy it.
"You Came To My Rescue" (Screen Song)
Paramount 8 Mins. Good Musical Subject
Breezy, pop type entertainment, combining comedy cartoon material with the playing of the lilting melody, "You Came To My Rescue," by Shep Fields and his Orchestra. The subject starts out burlesquing stage contests. A big medal is to be awarded for the outstanding rescue effected. Max Fleischer delineates several scenes, all of them laughable and grotesque. They reveal a boy saved from drowning, a fireman saving his gal from a burning building, an aviator saved from cracking-up by a goofy invention known as the parachute bed, and a couple saved from destruction when a train threatens to pulverize their automobile on a crossing. In between, Fields plays his orchestral selection, the chorus of which is nicely sung by one of his specialty singers. The second chorus lyrics are superimposed on the screen for the audience to sing, aided by that familiar and clever "bouncing ball."
August 10, 1937
"Speaking of the Weather" (Merrie Melody)
Novelty, humor and interest are well-sustained in this Leon Schlesinger production which takes place in a magazine store after hours. The characters on various well-known magazines come to life and put on a show. Finally the villian on the gangster "mag" decides to rob the bank on the Wall Street magazine, is discovered by Charlie Chan on the Detective Magazine, and a chase ensues in which all the characters take part. The villian winds up in jail.
"Porky's Railroad" (Looney Tune)
Vitaphone 7 mins. Fair Cartoon
This subject does not have the action and novelty that others of the series have possessed. But is [it] is pleasant and diverting in its story of how "Porky" manages to retain his engineer's job on the railroad though it seemed for a time as though he would go the way of the old-fashioned train when the streamliner came in.
August 11, 1937
"I Never Change My Altitude" (Popeye Cartoon)
Paramount 7 mins. Good Gags
August 13, 1937
"Spring Festival" (Color Rhapsody Cartoon) Columbia 8 Mins. Neat Fantasy A cartoon fantasy with the ground hog as the hero. When he comes from his winter home and fails to see his shadow, he runs to Mother Nature and informs her that Spring must be here. So Ma Nature stages a festival on the spot, with the help of all the woodland animals and a dance of the flowers.
August 20, 1937
"Hawaiian Holiday" (A Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Production)
RKO Radio 8 Mins. Bright and Amusing
"The Clock Cleaners" (A Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Production)
RKO Radio 8 Mins. First Rate
September 7, 1937
"Speaking of the Weather" (Merrie Melody Cartoon)
Vitaphone 7 Mins. Very Clever Animated
A very clever cartoon with a real idea behind it. The story occurs in a magazine store after business hours. The characters on the covers of the various popular magazines come to life, and enact a story. It concerns the villian on the cover of a gangster magazine who robs a bank on the cover of the Wall Street magazine, and is foiled by Charlie Chan of the Detective magazine. Finishes in a grand chase with the army, navy, boy scouts, and all the other organizations that have magazines to represent them joining in. Produced by Leon Schlesinger.
September 15, 1937
"The Candid Candidate" (Betty Boop)
Built around the topical electioneering now in season, Betty Boop goes out and works hard to elect Grampy as Mayor. When elected, Grampy starts to do something for the citizens. He installs all sorts of trick gadgets to improve the [missing word] and make the life of the voters happy. The inventions are pretty far fetched and done without any real cleverness. These Fleischer cartoons used to be good, but you can't prove it by this one.
September 17, 1937
“Peeping Penguins” (Color Classics)
Paramount 7 mins. Rates Poor
This can be chalked up as one of the weaker numbers in the Max Fleischer cartoon series. The color is poor, and so is the animated technique. The fun consists in a flock of penguins in the polar region stumbling upon a deserted cabin of a polar expedition, and getting into all sorts of difficulties with the equipment and kitchen utensils lying around.
September 23, 1937
"Kiko's Cleaning Day" (Terry-Toons)
Educational 7 mins. Lively Cartoon Gags
Kiko the kangaroo has his troubles cleaning house when the little pal Ozzie the ostrich gets in the way. But Kiko manages to keep his good nature till Ozzie gets mixed up with the electric vacuum cleaner. When Ozzie sets this in motion it threatens to suck in all the furniture, also Kiko and Ozzie. They escape from the house with the deadly machine pursuing them.
September 27, 1937
"Swing, Monkey, Swing" (Color Rhapsody)
Columbia 7 Mins. Very Poor
A noisy cartoon in color that is too heavy. The monkeys are engaged in a wild jamboree with blaring band instruments, hot dancing, and a lot of wild antics. All of it adds up to so much footage without any cleverness or cartoon technique worth talking about. The idea is based on the swing motif, and finishes in a mad dance. Produced by Charles Mintz.
September 29, 1937
"Whispers In the Dark" (Screen Songs)
Paramount 7 mins. Only Fair
This series pursues its peculiar policy of mixing two entirely unrelated themes: first half consisting of the "Believe It Or Not" burlesque in cartoon technique of so-called oddities which are made into absurdities, such as a pair of Siamese twin-goldfish swimming in a twin bowl; the second half has Gus Arnheim and his band, with June Robbins singing the chorus of the song. The little white ball bobs over the words flashed on the screen for the audience to join in the singing.
"I Likes Babies and Infinks" (Popeye Cartoon)
Paramount 7 mins. Swell Laughs Here
September 30, 1937
"Ostrich Feathers" (A Meany, Miny, Moe Cartoon)
Universal 7 1/2 mins. Packs Good Humor
Children and those of large growth will like this chapter in the monkey-shine existence of Meany, Miny and Moe. The trio go expeditioning in Australia to collect ostrich feathers. The principal antics are cut up by bespectacled Moe who innocently sits atop an ostrich egg and hatches out a gangling, long-necked bird. Ma Ostrich returns to find Moe climbing out of the inner sanctum of the shell, and despite his appearance's departure from that of the young one she expected, she loves him nevertheless. But Pa Ostrich arrives on the scene and is far from tacit re the new arrival. Just at an inopportune moment, the infant bird puts in an appearance, and things are decidedly uncomfortable for poor, posing Moe.
October 15, 1937
"Air Express" (Meany, Miny, Moe Cartoon)
Universal 6 1-3 mins. Fairly Diverting
Moe, the junior member of this triumvirate of amusing monkeys, is in business with Meany and Miny. They are operating an air transport company in the jungles of Australia or thereabouts. Moe is the pilot, and to him is assigned the responsibility and task of carrying a cargo consisting of a box of diamonds and a young, obstreperous ostrich to a given destination. The bird is confined to a crate, but its neck being a long-stretching proposition results in no end of discomfort to Moe who finds himself pecked at, and finally beset by the aggravating ostrich. The flight is apparently doomed to both failure and disaster, since the feathered pest tries to swallow the diamonds. But Moe rescues them, rights his madly plunging plane and lands successfully. Fairly diverting describes this cartoon.
"The Old Mill" (Disney Cartoons)
The story depicts a night in the life of an old windmill. The sun goes down and the old mill comes to life. Frogs appear in the mill pond and scores of bats wing silently forth from the mill. Suddenly a gust of wind comes, and a storm follows after with the various occupants of the mill disturbed by the storm. A bird on a nest has a narrow escape when the old wheel starts to turn and the rest of the inhabitants are soaked by the rain coming through the torn roof. Morning comes and the occupants of the mill are none the worse for the storm and peace is restored to the mill and its inhabitants, but the mill has a slight list to one side. Another top Disney short.
"Pluto's Quinpuplets" (Disney Cartoons)
RKO Radio 9 mins. Pluto at His Funniest
Pluto and Fifi, a Pekingese, as the parents of five pups in a riot of fun. Pluto chases a butcher with a basket of sausages, but Fifi makes him take care of the pups. They all get away from Pluto in a series of funny gags and fall into a cellar where they turn an air hose loose. Pluto tracks them down and also falls into the cellar and gets knocked around by the hose. The pups and Pluto upset a paint shelf and when the air hose gets through with them they are as varied in color as the rainbow. Pluto gets knocked out and a jug of cider above his head runs into his mouth with the resultant effects that cider in quantity produces. They finally escape from the cellar but Pluto has to spend the night in an old barrel with his pups as Fifi refuses to let them back into their kennel. Funny for everybody, with laughs and gags galore throughout the picture.
October 18, 1937
"The Football Toucher-Downer" (Popeye Cartoon)
Paramount 7 mins. Funny and Timely Football
October 26, 1937
"The Dancing Bear" (TerryToons)
Educational 6 1/2 mins. Amusing Fable
A hungry bear whose feet can't stay still when there is any music playing, and a series of funny situations, make this short amusing. When his master falls asleep the bear slips his collar and tracks the smell of honey to the farmer's yard. The farmer, in a collision with the bear, gets covered with honey and the bear chases him through the rest of the picture. Finally, the owner of the bear tracks him down and the farmer who has accidentally been covered with a bearskin is promptly leashed when he gets out of the house. This one should be amusing for everybody. Paul Terry did the picture with Philip A. Scheib scoring it.
Scrappy in “Canine Capers”
Columbia 7 mins. Lively Animated
An adventure with Scrappy and his dog Yippy as they are delivering newspapers telling about a stray dog roundup. Yippy swallows the horn on Scrappy's bike, and starts honking when he tries to bark. The dogcatcher grabs the pup, and throws him in the pound. Scrappy finally gets his dog free, and all the other mutts, which make a rash for the unhappy dogcatcher. A Charles Mintz cartoon.
November 1, 1937
"Educated Fish" (Max Fleischer Color)
Paramount 7 mins. Lively Adventure
The color is very poor, and hard on the eyes. The subject matter will intrigue the kids. A little fish plays hookey from school, is caught by the teacher, and sulks as the other scholars deep down at the bottom of the sea learn their lesson about avoiding the baited hook with the tempting worm. So later when the little fish sees a hook with a beautiful worm flirting with him, he gets hooked. After the fisherman fends him in the boat, he flops overboard, and returns to teacher a much wiser little fish.
"Proteck the Weakerist" (Popeye)
Paramount 7 mins. Weak Cartoon Number
"Mechanical Handy Man" (An Oswald Cartoon)
Universal 7 2-3 mins. Humorous and Imaginative
Two of Producer Walter Lantz' pet characters, Oswald and the Dumb Cluck, have a literal and figurative field day in this chapter, for they pay a proud visit to Farmer Hippo and place at his disposal for demonstration purposes a mechanical Handy Man which they have invented. This odd contraption, equipped with a convenient dial, has the form of a modernistic ostrich and is capable of performing numerous chores. Farmer Hippo opines he'd like to see the thing milk his cow. The animal becomes frightened and bolts through the barn, with the Handy Man in hot pursuit. Eventually, Oswald and the Dumb Cluck are hauled into court where the judge insists that the cow be brought back following another bolt. At the finale the inventors destroy their weird Handy Man. Short is amusingly delineated and has enough humor and imagination to appeal to cartoon reel fanciers.
"The New Deal Show" (Betty Boop Cartoon)
Betty Boop appears with a trained animal act. She puts them through some lively paces. The cute part of the act is a little chick just hatched. The chick does a nifty dance routine that is not only funny but clever. Plenty of neat gags and a funny story sequence keep this going along at a lively clip. A Max Fleischer animated.
November 9, 1937
"The Foxy Hunter" (Betty Boop)
Paramount 7 mins. Funny Kid Antics
The kids will eat this up. Junior, the little boy starts out with his dog Pudgy on a hunt for real live game, after trying out their skill on the pictures and art objects in Betty's house. Everything goes well till Junior makes the error of taking pot shots at the little ducklings with his pop gun. Ma Duck then moves into action, and chases the culprits all the way back to Betty Boop's home, where she helps Ma Duck chastise them.
November 11, 1937
"Porky's Double Trouble" (Looney Tune Cartoon)
Vitaphone 7 mins. Lively Cartoon Number
November 16, 1937
"The Clock Goes Round and Round" (Scrappy Cartoon)
Columbia 7 mins. Novelty Cartoon
In an inquisitive mood, Scrappy stops the clocks in the house, and then continues the work around the neighborhood. The stopping of the clocks also stops all activity in the world. Everything stands still, including his pup, and all human beings and animals. In fear, he tries to start the clocks, but only reverses them, and all moving things start to go backward. When all seems lost, the clocks are finally adjusted, and Scrappy is happy as his pup and all about him return to normal. A Charles Mintz production.
"The Little Match Girl" (Color Rhapsody)
Columbia 9 mins. Amateurishly Executed
"The Fire Plug" (Scrappy Cartoon)
Columbia 6 mins. Lively Horse Play
Built around the old song about the old gray mare not being as good as she used to be, Scrappy is seen playing with the old fire horse that has been replaced in the town's fire department by a modern motorized engine. But when the fire alarm sounds, the old mare responds, and with Scrappy driving the discarded truck, they dash to the fire along with the chief in his new engine. The mare wins when the new engine breaks down, and the chief admits that the old gray mare is as good as she used to be.
November 19, 1937
"Fowl Play" (Popeye Cartoon)
What promises to be one of the funniest and most popular cartoon characters ever created is this talking parrot here introduced. Popeye makes a present of the bird to Olive Oyl. But Bluto the big bully, comes along and discovers Olive making a fuss over the bird. When he learns that it is a gift from his rival, Popeye, he knocks the bird out of its cage, and it takes refuge in a tree. Bluto chops the tree down branch by branch as he chases the terrorized animal, which takes refuge on the roof, where Olive rescues it. Meanwhile, Popeye has reached for his spinach after taking a beating from his enemy, and cleans up the front yard with him. Produced by Max Fleischer.
November 22, 1937
"Football Fever" (Oswald Cartoon)
Universal 7 mins. Timely Cartoon Reel
A topical cartoon subject with Oswald lining up his team against the tough Ruffians who far outweighed them. The rooting section was all for Oswald's team, but the heavy Ruffian team was too much for Oswald's lightweights. Suddenly it began to rain, and this enabled Oswald's eleven to swim easily to a smashing victory.
"The Dog and the Bone" (A TerryToon)
Educational 6 1/2 mins. Very Amusing Short
"Puddy the Pup" is walking along with a bone in his mouth and crossing on a log over a stream he sees the reflection of the bone in the water and it is magnified. A devil appears at his side and prompts him to drop the bone and go after the larger one. Naturally he finds nothing, and loses the one he had. There is a very hilarious sequence with a tough looking bulldog, and there is a series of funny gags carried out when the pup gets in an Italian restaurant. Finally, he finds another bone and as he returns over the same stream he sees the reflection again, but this time when the devil appears to heckle him, he kicks the devil into the water and marches triumphantly off with his bone. Paul Terry and George Gordon did this one, with Philip A. Scheib contributing the score. For the first time, a short has been done completely in Sepia Tone, and it is extremely effective.
November 29, 1937
"Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves" (Popeye Cartoon)
Paramount 18 mins. Swell Holiday Special
"Magic on Broadway" (Screen Songs)
Paramount 8 mins. Novelty Cartoon
This series is a combination of cartoons and band music. In the present number, the cartoon shows a gent who tries to con the machines in the penny arcade by tying a string to the penny and pulling it out again. But the machines all gang up on him and he gets pretty rough treatment from them. The second half presents Jay Freeman and his ork in selections. Johnny Russell vocal.
December 3, 1937
"Porky's Hero Agency" (Looney Tune Cartoon)
Vitaphone 7 mins. Diverting Cartoon Reel
Porky falls asleep while reading a book on Greek Mythology. He dreams that he runs a Hero Agency for the use of people oppressed by anything. The emperor summons him and sends him on a mission to get the "life restorer" possessed by the wicked Gorgon, Medusa, who has turned most of the population into stone statues with her evil eye. Porky is aided by Mercury's winged spats to reach Medusa's hideout, where she is turning all her prisoners into statues. He disguises himself as Adonis and gets the old witch to fall for him. However, she discovers who he is after he grabs the magic restorer. He returns the statues to life as he flees, but as he is about to be caught he wakes up, with everything all right. Leon Schlesinger produced this one.
"Little Red Walking Hood" (A Merrie Melody Cartoon)
Warners 7 mins. Amusing Short in Color
December 15, 1937
"The Mysterious Jug" (Oswald Cartoon)
Universal 7 Mins. Lively Cartoon
Oswald hits into an adventure as he goes snooping around a junk yard with his doggie, Doxie. The hero finds a bottle marked "The Magic Jug." When he uncorks it, out jumps a genii with his magic wand. The genii transforms all the pictures on the ad labels on old cans and bottles into very alive people. They organize a dancing and singing party. But one of the ads on a ham tin, a devil with a pitch fork, gets jealous, steals the genii's wand, and starts to mess things up. Oswald saves the day by vanquishing the little devil, and restoring the wand to the genii.
"The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos" (Merrie Melody Cartoon)
Vitaphone 7 Mins. Amusing Color Short
December 23, 1937
"Lonesome Ghosts" (Mickey Mouse)
One of the funniest of the Mickey series. Mickey, the Duck and the Goof get a job as ghost exterminators when four ghosts haunting an old mansion decide to have some fun and send for the "experts." They go to work on Mickey, who chases one of the ghosts, and lands up against a blank wall, which turns into a waterfall and soaks him. Donald the Duck has another ghost following him all over the house scaring the stuffing out of him by clashing a heavy chain and breaking dishes in back of him. The Goof has a tough time with another ghost, who appears in a mirror and does everything the Goof does, till the latter almost goes out of his mind. After the three "experts" are scared into a panic and hide in a dresser, the ghosts slam the dresser down the stairs into the cellar, and leave the house laughing. The ghost stuff is all played for laughs instead of spookiness, and the kids will eat it up.
"Donald's Ostrich" (Donald Duck)
Donaid Duck is the station agent in a small town, and the train deposits a crate containing an ostrich. The latter gets loose, and starts to make love to Donald. He finally gets away from the embraces of the ostrich, which goes on a tour of investigation. The strange animal swallows an accordion, a clock and some balloons, with very disastrous and comical results. But the real fun comes when the ostrich swallows a small radio, and the different programs come in, such as a prize-fight and a horse race. The ostrich gives a demonstration of what the radio announcer is talking about, and succeeds in wrecking the railroad station and poor Donald Duck. One of the funniest of the Duck series.
"Barnyard Boss" (Terry-Toons)
Educational 7 mins. Novelty Gag
The rooster is the Boss of the barnyard, and raises the devil with the hens when he finds them neglecting their egg-laying work while they play bridge. Later he returns to the barnyard and finds them off patronizing a Bingo game nearby. Then the Boss gets smart and realizes that he has to use a little psychology. He puts Bingo boards under each hen so that they can play the game as they do their work, using new-laid eggs as markers as the numbers are called off.
Vitaphone 7 mins. Happy Farm Life
Down on the farm which Porky's daddy owns, Bessie the cow gets ill and the farmer buys a mechanical cow from the mail order house. Porky doesn't want to see his pal, Bessie, thrown out of a home, so he gets busy and doctors her back to health. Then begins a race between the mechanical cow and Bessie to see which can deliver the most milk. Bessie wins in a surprise finish as Porky cheers.
"September in the Rain" (Merrie Melody)
Vitaphone 7 mins. Clever Fantasy
December 27, 1937
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
Walt Disney-RKO 85 Mins.
(HOLLYWOOD PREVIEW)
WALT DISNEY MAKES NEW MOTION PICTURE HISTORY WITH A SURE-FIRE BOX-OFFICE SENSATION.
Here is a picture so masterfully produced and of such unusual entertainment value that it will make motion picture history. A sure-fire sensation, it will prove a clean-up for any exhibitor anywhere, its appeal being to adults and children alike. The famous fairy tale comes to life in multiplane Technicolor on the screen with its cruel Queen, her stepdaughter, "Snow White" and the handsome Prince among the characters. The seven dwarfs are a joy to behold, with their human qualities and pranks. The most lovable of the gnomes is "Dopey," silent but happy. All the other dwarfs are given voices, with woman-hating Grumpy, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc and Sneezy attracting the most attention. The backgrounds are breath-taking in their beauty and multiplane Technicolor has been used to advantage. Much comedy has been introduced, with the antics and lines of the dwarfs winning many laughs. The music by Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline and Paul Smith is an important factor and includes the songs, "The Wishing Well Song," "One Song" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come." David Hand, supervising director, rates much credit in aiding Disney, while Hamilton Luske, Vladimir Tytla, Fred Moore and Herman Ferguson headed the battery of artists who assisted in animating the figures. Disney's ten art directors did important work. A special bow is due the sequence directors, the story adaptors and character designers. The picture has such clever and human touches that it never lags throughout its 85 minutes.
CREDITS: Producer, Walt Disney; Supervising Director, David Hand; Story, Grimm's Fairy Tale; Story Adaptation. Ted Sears, Otto Englander, Earl Hurd, Dorothy Ann Blank, Richard Creedon, Dick Rickard, Merrill de Maris, Webb Smith; Music, Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline, Paul Smith; Sequence Directors, Perce Pearce, Larry Morey, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen; Supervising Animators, Hamilton Luske, Vladimir Tytla, Fred Moore, Herman Ferguson [sic]; Art Directors, Charles Philippi, High Hennesy, Terrell Stapp, McLaren Stewart, Harold Miles, Tom Codrick, Gustaf Tenggren, Kenneth Anderson, Kendall O'Connor, Hazel Sewell; Art backgrounds, Samuel Armstrong, Mique Nelson, Merle Cox, Claude Coats, Phil Dike, Ray Lockrem, Maurice Noble; Character Designers, Albert Hurter, Jose Grant; Animators, Frank Thomas, Dick Lundy, Arthur Babbitt, Eric Larson, Milton Kahl, Robert Stokes, James Algar, Al Eugster, Cy Young, Joshua Meader, Ugo D'Orsi, George Rowley, Les Clark, Fred Spencer, Bill Roberts, Bernard Garbutt, Grim Natwick, Jack Campbell, Marvin Woodward, James Culhane, Stan Quackenbush, Ward Kimball, Woolie Reitherman, Robert Martsch. DIRECTION, Aces. PHOTOGRAPHY, Brilliant.
The Arthur B. Krim listed as the counsel for the Fleischer Studios in the August 18th excerpt is the same Arthur B. Krim who ended up running United Artists and Orion Pictures for over 40 years, including UA's Golden Age of the 1960s and 70s (the period of James Bond, Woody Allen and -- for both live action and animation -- The Pink Panther).
ReplyDeleteWhy is Speaking of the Weather reviewed twice? btw, I'm amused/annoyed at the way they list the credited animator for one of these shorts as if his screen credit actually meant something.
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