Four Brothers and a Kat

Celebrity caricature cartoons popped up in Hollywood all through the 1930s. They didn’t involve a lot of plotting. Just take some stereotypical actions or phrases of your favourite stars and plop them into a cartoon for instant laughs through recognition.

The Krazy Kat short Seeing Stars includes Joe E. Brown, Roscoe Ates and Laurel and Hardy. Oh, and it turns out there’s a reason Krazy’s piano is rumbling around on its own. There are four guys inside it.



Yes, the Marx Brothers make an appearance. Anyone familiar with their routines will recognise Harpo slipping a claxon into someone’s hand, chasing after women (he gets tossed out of the ladies lounge) and playing the harp (the strings are actually spaghetti mushed on Krazy’s head by Jimmy Durante. Is he mortified!).



Groucho gets a moment in the spotlight. He cuts in when Krazy is dancing to “Happy Days Are Here Again” with Marie Dressler.



The cartoon’s got a nice little ending with the celebrities (Buster Keaton among them) forming a chorus line moving stage left, with Krazy pulling a “The End” title card with him.

Harry Love and Allen Rose receive the animation credit, but it’s your guess who designed the caricatures.