Poochini Ballerina

The comic transitions are quick in Tex Avery’s masterpiece Magical Maestro. A scene where Poochini changes into a ballerina lasts five seconds, enough for the silliness of an opera singer doing a little ballet dance to hit the audience, then it’s on to the next gag.

Here are some poses.



Avery once said it took five frames for an anvil to drop from the sky and hit something, and the action would still register on the audience. It takes five frames for the tutu to drop to the floor. He sets up the suddenness of the drop by keeping Spike with his arms up in the air for 14 frames, although there is a little bit of movement so the movie isn’t static. Avery was as much a master of animation timing as anyone else.