Finding Fame For Felix

What’s with Felix the Cat and dancers?

We posted a spread of Felix from Photoplay magazine with 1920s dancer Ann Pennington. He also got an appearance in with another dancer, this time in the New York Herald Tribune in 1925.

Exhibitors Trade Review of November 7, 1925 wrote about it, with advice for theatre owners—Yes, You, Mr. Exhibitor!—on how to exploit moviedom’s most successful animated character to date.

"Felix, the Cat" Crashes Sunday Supplement Section
More persons than usual, 330,000 more in fact, had an opportunity to laugh at the antics of "Felix the Cat," the comical feline star appearing in Educational Pictures, when the rotogravure section of the Herald-Tribune on Sunday, October 25, featured a series of "Felix" photo caricatures.
Felix "crashed" his way into the picture pages of this great metropolitan Sunday newspaper in the manner that would do justice to Tammany Young himself. Not only did Felix "crash in" but he also "strutted in," in his own inimitable feline way — via "The Charleston."
On the Sunday afore-mentioned, the famous Pat Sullivan character dominated one of the picture pages with four views of his version of the dance as taught him by Virginia Vance, leading lady of Educational-Mermaid Comedies.
Not to be outdone by the "thousand and one" celebrities who have been breaking into print these days, by showing pictorially the "fad fond" multitudes how they do the "Charleston" and having himself a few new ones up his pelt, Felix decides to broadcast evidence of his skill to the world.
That he does this satisfactorily is borne out by the fact that following the use of this pictorial feature by the Sunday Herald-Tribune, another great news organization, King Features Syndicate, requested the use of the pictures for distribution to about fifty of the principal newspapers throughout the country subscribing to this Hearst feature service — a most decided publicity "beat" for Felix.
This and many other Felix publicity ideas may be used to advantage by Exhibitors who have booked the Felix cartoon series. For instance, the photo of a pretty local girl could have a small cut-out of the cat pasted on her cheek — call it a new beauty spot fad or what you will. A prominent boxer could be posed boxing and Felix afterward inserted as a sparring partner. Felix directing traffic could be inserted in place of the regular officer over a photo of the busiest corner in your town.
Think up a few of these trick photographic stunts yourself, Mr. Exhibitor. Send any print you desire Felix inserted into, to the exploitation editor of this publication and they will be returned promptly with a quaint figure of the cat carefully inked in. This is the sort of picture material that your local newspaper is usually willing to print — it has humor and local interest, a most ideal combination.



Educational Pictures was releasing a Felix cartoon every two week. The same trade paper gave little synopses of shorts—and there was an amazing number of one and two reelers being made then—so let’s pass along a few to give you an idea of the kinds of situations Felix was in.

"Felix the Cat Trifles with Time"
Educational 1 reel
This is another Pat Sullivan animated cartoon having to do with the adventures of our old friend, Felix, the cat, when he persuades Father Time to transport him for a day to the Stone Age.
Felix has various troubles with Mastodons, dinosaurs, and the various other monstrous beasts of the time, and is mighty glad when he is recalled to modern times.
This comedy is well up to the standard set by its predecessors, and will please both children and grown-ups.

"Felix the Cat Trips Through Toyland"
Educational 1 reel
Here is one of the cleverest Pat Sullivan cartoons. Felix rescues a doll from an irate pup and in reward is taken for a trip to toyland. Here he encounters a villainous clown who kidnaps his doll-girl and spirits her away to his castle. Felix tries in many ways to rescue her. Finally he calls on the toyland army for aid and wages war against the villain. Finally he overcomes Punchinello and again clasps the doll to his heart. There are many nice touches in the film, such as lollypop trees and various toy animals that seem to live.

Felix the Cat "Eats Are West"
Educational 1 reel
Here is Felix again who expresses more human emotions than many a full-fledged actor. This latest edition of the Felix comedies, promises to emit chuckle after chuckle from the old and young, as the hero goes through his stunts.
Poor Felix is continually being chased; first by hunger, then by the old colored woman of the pancake ad, then cowboys and finally Indians. Miraculously, Felix uses many devices to escape. Punctuation marks are his greatest aid, but after he has succeeded in eating all the grub intended for the cowboys, he calls on his guns, and continues to use these to "shoot-up" the Indians — even a wooden one. Very good !

Exhibitors Herald published short squibs from theatre managers about the films they were running. Felix was incredibly popular and highly praised. Just a couple:

FELIX THE CAT TRIFLES WITH TIME
Best thing in a cartoon reel that I have ever seen. Used it with my one cent sales and “knocked ‘em dead.”
FELIX THE CAT BUSTS INTO BUSINESS
Another excellent cartoon.
FELIX ON THE FARM
I have found all of the Felix cartoon comedies very good. Well worth playing.
FELIX FINISHES FIRST is another comic in which the Sullivan prodigy gets the necessary money for the farmer’s mortgage holder. He does it by riding a trick horse in a funny race. It’s been done before, but it isn’t old.
There seems no end to this cat’s cleverness. Incidentally, Mr. Sullivan seems to me to have improved animation and photography materially since beginning distribution of the current output. I never see one of his comics, nor one of Paul Terry’s, without thinking how much funnier most of our flesh and blood comedians would be in similar footage than they are in the lengths they employ.
FELIX GOES HUNGRY
These Felix cat comedies are cartoons, of course, but they do please.

Considering the comments, it’s startling to release before the end of the decade, Felix would essentially be washed up, with sound—and a mouse—grabbing theatre goers’ attentions.