This is a frame from a five-minute commercial for Telefunken radios made in Germany in 1930 by UFA. A Minnie Mouse knock-off hires an orchestra for her society party. A harp is made from some cow horns. The cat-musician’s tail detaches and becomes frizzy.
Another cat takes a turtle, twirls an opening on its belly button and creates a banjo. The cat develops blackface, while the turtle sings along with him.
The singing is so bad, the cat’s music stand grabs the sheet music and walks away.
A fish is a saxophone.
Minnie throws them out. My wild guess is a different animator handled this scene.
Rather than post more frames, you can watch the cartoon below.
Weird and wonderful! "Minnie's" Charleston may not have been rotoscoped, but there certainly was some sort of filmed reference.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of Hans Fischerkoesen's early films, advertising Telefunken radios in German cinemas. At one time Hans Fischerkoesen was considered to be the German Walt Disney. He made three big budget cartoons under Joseph Goebbel's Nazi propaganda regime, "Undersea Wedding", "The Snowman" and "The Silly Goose". Hans was in a concentration camp later on for collaborating with the Nazis. Read more about his career in the Wikipedia article. They describe the Cow's horns into a Lyre scene in the text. Thanks for posting this film, Yowp. It is really animated mostly with cut-outs.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mark. I wasn't sure if parts were rotoscoped or characters had rivets for arms and legs or were slid across backgrounds, but the movement is odd.
DeleteI gather the sound was added after the animation was done.
the song being played is Cooking Breakfast For the One I Love from the 1930 United Artists film Be Yourself, starring Fanny Brice & Robert Armstrong
DeleteVan Beuren on acid.
ReplyDelete