Remember these wonderful very vintage cartoons from Walt Disney? Well, even if you don't, they're 'oh so much fun' to watch (even for the first time) and can't help but bring a smile to your face. I love these clunky old animation techniques, seen in retrospect, they seem especially naive and full of joy.
I taught my daughter very early on the difference between good animation and not so good. (The difference, say, between the great old Tom and Jerry's from the 40's and the later versions for television which were unwatchable far as I'm concerned.) She caught on quickly. Of course by then we were watching cartoons on television. You may not be as particular as I was about my cartoon viewing, but we all have our little quirks.
Here's a youtube link to two Christmas cartoons from the early days.
These cartoons (well, maybe later ones from the late 40's and early 50's) were once the staple - ten at a time - between feature length movies at the local theater, while I was growing up in NY. Two movies, ten cartoons and as many Coming Attractions as you could stand - all for 25 cents. My friends, it never did get any better than that.
P.S. I hope to be watching these two cartoons with my granddaughter over Christmas.
Yvette, what would life be like without cartoons, comic strips, and comic-books? Dead boring! I agree today's animation is no patch on the early cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Walt Disney, Harvey, Looney Tunes, and Heckle and Jeckle by Terrytoons (after producer Paul Terry). The stuff of life, aren't they?!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Prashant. I don't know what my childhood would have been like WITHOUT these wonderful cartoons by all the amazing artists working then.
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of the Fleischer cartoons from the same era. Go to youtube and look up the cartoon, Christmas Comes But Once A Year. I think you'll enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteYes on all counts here, Yvette. Loved the early Disney cartoons. Remember going to my local NY movie theater for 25 cents to see a double-feature PLUS cartoons, usually PLUS a newsreel, PLUS coming attractions. And the cartoons were wonderful. Disney, to be sure, but also Chuck Jones and Leon Schlesinger and the Warner Bros gang. And the old classic Tom and Jerrys. Sigh. I'm showing my age, aren't I?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Yvette! Although I prefer the Warner Bros. cartoons over the Disney ones, I am still a big fan of the early Disney classics. As for Tom and Jerry, my all-time fave is the Three Musketeers tributes guest starring the little French mouse.
ReplyDeleteI definitely will look it up, Mike, when I have a moment to really pay attention. Thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteLes, I'm with you on all the cartoon creators mentioned. If you're showing your age, then welcome to the club. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the way that the Bugs Bunny cartoons (especially) used classical music in the background. My daughter learned to love that music in spite of herself and I could segway into listening to it at home. I even took her to a couple on concerts at Lincoln Center way back when. Why don't they do that anymore????
I loved them all, Rick! As long as they were done well. I think the 40's and 50's were the golden age when cartoons really came into their own as a separate art form.
ReplyDeleteRick, I LOVE THAT TOM AND JERRY TOO!! I've been trying to find it on youtube but to no avail. If you find it, please let me know. :)
I loved watching those two cartoons!
ReplyDeleteI still have some ticket stubs (in a scrapbook) from the Saturday matinees I went to. For 15 cents, I saw two cartoons, an episode of Captain Video, coming attractions and a movie. If one went to a regular feature — which probably cost a dollar — you'd also get a newsreel.
Ah, Saturday matinees - I remember we used to go see the latest Roy Rogers or Red Ryder or...well, can't remember but I do know we had a lot of fun. And then the matron would come with her flashlight and kick us out to make room for the adults in the afternoon. Ha.
ReplyDeleteWhat a bundle of features for such little bits of money! Newsreels. Forgot about those.
I love all the Silly Symphonies.... I think I have about 10 of them forever etched in my brain.
ReplyDeleteRyan, think how wonderful it is that we can now watch them at will on youtube.
ReplyDeleteEspecially around the holiday season.