We can get an idea when the shot cuts to a newspaper read by those rascally scamps, Ham and Ex. You will have click on the frame grab to see the text.
The first thing I thought was “That typeface looks like the one Variety used.” Well, it is. Whoever pasted together this fake newspaper used the Nov. 29, 1935 edition of Daily Variety.
The items about Dewey Wright and the New York hotel situation come from page 12.
And the Loew's State story is from page 1.
While Tex Avery was coming up with enjoyable one-reelers like Gold Diggers of ‘49 and Page Miss Glory, Jack King was futilely endeavouring to make Beans a star in tepid cartoons like this before going back to Disney later the same year.
Paul Smith and Don Williams are the credited animators. I suspect the backgrounds are by Art Loomer. I'd love to know who else was in the background department in 1936.
It felt like Jack King really struggled to match the direction seen in Avery and Freleng's cartoons, but so many of his cartoons at this time were either very offputting in the gag work, or focus too much on other things rather then the main characters (like how most of the gags were around Ham and Ex rather then Beans). Didn't really help that he turned Beans into another Buddy clone...
ReplyDeleteI guess this shows the late '30s directors had their own stamp on the comedy in the cartoons as they all used the same writers (with the exception of Clampett as he was off-site).
DeleteI don't find mischievous children funny. If Beans was supposed to be an adventurous hero like Mickey Mouse could be, he sure fell short.
Interesting about the Daily Variety find! Do you know where to find issues of Daily Variety online (know some are on Archive.org).
ReplyDeleteYeah, I do also think Jack King made some weak toons at WB but honestly, some are kinda one’s that I enjoy (like Buddy the Detective and Buddy’s Adventures).
Also “The Phantom Menace”? You mean “The Phantom Ship” lol.
DeleteGood lord, did I get the title wrong? Thanks for that.
DeleteYes, some have been on archive.org for several months. This comes from a paid subscription. In both cases, not all of them are on-line.
Link (to the paid thing I mean)?
Delete