Reviews of books that have held my interest. And things that happen along the way.
I have made it simpler to leave a comment. Just hit the comment selection and choose anonymous at the bottom- Or at my yahoo;
robertrswwilliams@yahoo.com
And let's not forget my friends at the Public Libraries!Most of my selections come from the Libraries listed on my sidebar. They are a great resource and a wonderful use of our tax dollars.
Have you hugged a Librarian today?
Here's one of the old Popeye cartoons from the Max and Dave Fleischer Days. The animation is always fluid; or "trippy" as we used to say; in these cartoons. The story lines are kind of entertaining as well; especially if you listen to Popeye's muttering closely. He says some strange things at times.
This one is the usual fare; Olive and Popeye struggling against Brutus as they also struggle with the idiosyncrasies of a new car.
I’m not exactly sure of what Max Fleischer had in mind when
he produced this cartoon, but it’s really quite good. It seems to involve our
gal Betty trying to get some sleep on a cold winter’s night. She shivers herself
to sleep; dreaming that she is surrounded by fire and warmth; only to discover
that she is in hell.
But devils and demons, along with a few dancing flames,
prove no match for Betty’s cold shoulder and icy stare. And you know what?
Before she wakes up, hell freezes over. About the only thing missing here is
the devil ice skating.
Someone recently pointed out to me that the video link to this cartoon had been compromised. I first ran it in January 2013. For those who have never seen it, share it with a Grandchild. It's not "Frozen" but it sure is a lot of fun!
Dave Fleischer really put a lot of effort and imagination
into this 1935 cartoon. I can almost hear the laughter of the audience watching
this just before the weekly “Flash Gordon” serial. The rocket ship is about the
same, but the cast of characters is straight out of Noah’s Ark!
The cartoon begins as all of the animals within hearing
distance strive to board the “Honeymoon Express”, as it prepares to take off
for a journey to the moon, and promises of connubial bliss. The only thing
which goes wrong is when the tom cat’s bride gets left behind. She is furious,
and he is “mooning” over her for the entire trip, even as the other guests
enjoy their “special” time with one another, far away from earthly woes. The
giraffes “necking” is one good example of the humor employed in this flight of
fancy.
The usual fluidity is readily apparent, and even without
the credits at the start, you’d have to be blind to not recognize this as a Max
and Dave Fleischer cartoon. The song “Dancing on the Moon” was written by
Charles Tobias and Murray Mencher; the song writing team who, along with Eddie
Cantor the comedian; wrote the Merrie Melodies theme song “Merrily We Roll
Along”. Mr. Tobias also penned the
popular hits “Lazy, Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer”, the World War Two staple
“Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree”, and even the slightly annoying “A Hunting We
Will Go.” His collaborations with his brother, as well as other songwriters,
are too numerous to list here.
There’s a lot that went into these old cartoons, usually
with only about 6 people working on them. The Fleischer team was typical of the
era, employing less than 10 people even for a feature cartoon. Compared to
today’s technically proficient releases; which usually cap out at about 1,000
people taking part in the creative process; the most amazing thing about these
older gems are that they got made at all!
It’s hard to believe that this cartoon was once banned
for drug use, but it was. In this hysterical classic, Max Fleischer is shown
drawing Betty on the board, finishing just in time to quit, and leaving her
alone on a blank canvas. Just as you begin to feel sad for her, out pops Koko
from the ink bottle, where he was due to arrive at any time, but he just can’t
wait to get out!
When he tries a bite of Max Fleischer's half eaten candy bar, he quickly learns that life is sometimes not as sweet as
it first tastes. But, Betty is there to rescue him. Jumping from the canvas out
into the real world of Max Fleischer’s desk, she quickly uses the cartoonist’s
own tools in a very clever bid to help her friend Koko. When the whole scheme
falls apart it has some unintended consequences for the whole world!
This is one of those old cartoons which still make me laugh out loud. No gas required...
I hurt my hand and cannot blog for a few days - Please excuse me while I heal and enjoy a couple of my old favorites...
What could be more entertaining than a classic cartoon
featuring 2 of the most recognizable feature cartoon characters in it? In this
8 minute classic, Popeye the Sailor finds himself ashore after an ocean voyage.
He elects to take Olive Oyl to the Carnival with predictable results, as he and
Bluto compete in their never ending quest for her affections.
When the Hula Hula dancer (Betty Boop) makes her appearance
and Popeye jumps on stage to perform with her, Bluto sees his chance and takes
it; or rather, Olive; and kidnaps her with the intention of making her his wife
whether she likes it or not.
By the way, while Popeye is dancing, at about 5 minutes into
the cartoon, he encounters a snake on stage, and places his pipe under the
serpents nose, quickly neutralizing the snake and calling into question just
what was in that pipe? This is not the first time I have sensed that Popeye was
a “smoker.” In several other cartoons he uses his pipe as a blowtorch to open
the can and then inhales the “spinach” through the pipe.
Once Popeye realizes that Olive is gone and in danger, he
jumps into “high” gear; and the chase is on to save the woman of his dreams. As
in all of the old cartoons, everything works out in the end for Popeye and
Olive. This is a unique cartoon in that it is the first one for Popeye and the
only one in which he appears with Betty Boop. He also sings the entire theme
song, which was composed by Sammy Lerner in 1933 for this cartoon. It was also
a hit for Hoagy Carmichael, which I play in my car, much to most people’s
disbelief.
Until this cartoon’s release in 1933, Popeye had only been
in the funny papers since January of 1929, drawn by E.C. Segar for the Thimble
Theater series. Segar had been working with King Features Syndicate since 1919.
Riding the wave of success surrounding the Betty Boop cartoons, Max Fleischer
decided to animate the cartoon strip, He chose a Betty Boop cartoon to do it
in, figuring that if it failed to gain any traction, it wouldn’t be noticed for
long.
Of course, Betty Boop may have remained a staple in the world of classic
cartoons, but Popeye went on to greater success in the 1950’s when King
Features re-vitalized him in a new format featuring Brutus in Bluto’s place.
Those cartoons never did measure up to the “trippy” style which rolled out of
the studios during the 1930’s, making them a delight to watch even today, 80
years later.
It’s the dead of winter and everyone is hibernating except
for the baby bear. When he runs away from home he finds that Old Man Winter has
some wicked things in store for him. But, by chance; or maybe something more;
Jack Frost comes to his rescue, saving the little bear from the ravages of the
cold.
Cartoons like these were a mainstay when I was a kid. You
actually learned something from them. In this one the lesson is clear; don’t
bite off more than you can chew. But if you do, it’s okay; there is someone who
cares enough to help you.
Is that unrealistic? I don’t know; perhaps in some ways it
is. But the greater good is in the hope that these cartoons engendered in the
hearts and minds of those who watched them, heeding their siren like call. And
these lessons, once learned, never leave the mind, holding one in good stead
during the darkest of times.
How do I know this for a certainty? Easy; when I was a kid
my Mom was very ill; frequently in the hospital for months at time. There was
never a year in which this did not occur. That was my “Old Man Winter." Cartoons, books, movies and music; these things all became my own personal “Jack
Frosts’.” That’s why these cartoons were so special to me then, and continue to
be so now.
Once again I am going to post a cartoon from Christmas past
in the final days leading up to the holiday. I always loved this old classic
cartoon in particular, and I posted it last year. I’m posting it again because
it’s a great example of the quality of the animation in the 1930's. And, Max
and Dave Fleischer were two of the best.
They often worked separately on
various projects, though their best works are probably the collaborations they
produced with the Popeye cartoons and Betty Boop series. They also made a
boatload of feature cartoons like this one, which is a wonderful little story about
an orphanage on Christmas morning. If you have seen this before, I hope that
you enjoy it again this year.
Note: A Very Happy Birthday to my friend Eddie Ray. He's the youngest person I know …
_____________________________
A Picture from Israel
This is a photo of the moon setting over Massada in Israel the other morning. It was taken by my daughter who is on a trip to the Holy Land. She's 26 years old, exactly the same age I was when I made my first "aliyah". Forgive me for being so proud of her...
It seems there is a never ending treasure trove of Max and Dave
Fleischer cartoons which I have never seen. All I have to do is browse You Tube
for them. In this classic from 1939 the vegetables have all gone to sleep for
the night, with mama Carrot laying her babies to sleep on a bed of lettuce.
The Potato Cop has just left the potato sack Precinct and
has a free beer form the mouse hole saloon before he begins his patrol. It isn't
long before things start to go wrong on what should be an ordinary night.
Some of the vegetables have been menaced by what appears to
be a giant cockroach and the Potato Cop is at his wits end. But, when the baby
carrots fall victim to a kidnapping all hands pitch in to solve the crime,
fearing the worst for the little ones.
In classic Fleischer form the mystery is soon solved and the
answer to the puzzle concerning the giant cockroach is revealed. A very clever
and fun cartoon, this offering is a good example of just how far the Fleischer
studios were able to push the boundaries of imagination.
This is a “Stereoptical” cartoon, which was the name of a
process meant to give greater clarity to the cartoons of the era. Max and Dave
Fleischer had been toying with this process for a few years, and they produced
some wonderful cartoons with the process. This is one of those.
Basically the plot revolves around Tommy Cod, who decides to
play hooky from the A.B. Sea School, after being thrown in the closet for
misbehavior. While out on his own he meets a pretty little worm whom he invites
to play “hooky” with him. She readily agrees, but there’s a hook to it, as she
takes the term literally. Tommy, predictably, soon finds himself “hooked” and
in a struggle for his very life.
Using all the tricks he can think of to elude capture, he
soon finds himself in the boat with the fisherman who caught him. But, slippery
as he is, he manages to get away, flopping back into the ocean where he makes a
beeline for the A.B. Sea School. Once there, he vows to never be a problem
again. And even to this very day, I have
never heard a bad word about him.
___________________________________________
Seamus Heaney
"Digging" by Seamus Heaney 1939–2013
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked,
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
My grandfather cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner’s bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, going down and down
For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
I love this cartoon. But be careful, it just might make you
cry. The story concerns 2 poor children who live with their mother. There is no
father in evidence. The children’s lives are chiefly concerned with gathering
the necessities of life; wood for fire, and anything edible. Their mother does
all she can do to provide for them, but with limited resources, there is not
much that she can do.
As the children go gathering firewood one day, they are
mesmerized by all of the things in the shop windows of the town in which they
live. But, they realize that none of these beautiful, and delicious, things are
meant for them. They were for other, more fortunate folks. Remember, this
cartoon was created during the middle of the Great Depression, so there were
likely many kids who saw this cartoon and identified with the plight of the two
children.
That night they go home and give their Mother the firewood
they have gathered and she serves them a very sparse meal. They allude to all
of the things they have seen that day, which only breaks their Mother’s heart,
as she cannot afford to feed them well, let alone provide them with such
luxuries. The children reassure her of their love and then turn in for the
night, singing the song “I’ll See You Tonight in Dreamland.”
Their dreams are filled with every sight and smell which
they have coveted for so long. They play in their dream with all of the toys
they don’t have, and eat of the foods that they can only wish for. And then it’s
morning.
Waking up and looking at their tattered clothes, they
realize that it was all a dream; until they look out from their bedroom and see
everything that was in their dreams assembled in the usually sparse living
room. It seems that all of the town’s merchants have been watching these two
children as they toiled daily to help provide for them-selves and their mother.
And, as the children slept, these same merchants were preparing a veritable
Christmas for them. This is a beautifully crafted and wonderfully conceived
cartoon from the Fleischers. The message is pretty clear; every day is
Christmas if you just help it along.
A very special hello to Aliyah and Trinity in Texas. This is an extremely funny cartoon which, in the end, pokes fun of it's own theme; keeping in style; when everybody takes Ms. Boop's advice to heart. The results are satirical as everyone from man to woman, and even beasts, attempt to "keep in style" with the latest whimsical fashion.
These old cartoons are so well made, and the messages in them still so applicable, making them all the more worth while watching. With the usual direction of Dave Fleischer and his team, the cartoon flows like no other cartoons; including Disney's "big screen" epics, ever have, or will.
With the usual combination of wit and art, along with a bit of song, Betty has everyone filling the movie house for the show; a one week engagement from May 31st through July 31st; and then afterward, trying to live out their fantasies through the "style" she has displayed. Gee, sounds like real life...
Dave Fleischer really put a lot of effort and imagination
into this 1935 cartoon. I can almost hear the laughter of the audience watching
this just before the weekly “Flash Gordon” serial. The rocket ship is about the
same, but the cast of characters is straight out of Noah’s Ark!
The cartoon begins as all of the animals within hearing
distance strive to board the “Honeymoon Express”, as it prepares to take off
for a journey to the moon, and promises of connubial bliss. The only thing
which goes wrong is when the tom cat’s bride gets left behind. She is furious,
and he is “mooning” over her for the entire trip, even as the other guests
enjoy their “special” time with one another, far away from earthly woes. The
giraffes “necking” is one good example of the humor employed in this flight of
fancy.
The usual fluidity is readily apparent, and even without the
credits at the start, you’d have to be blind to not recognize this as a Max and
Dave Fleischer cartoon. The song “Dancing on the Moon” was written by Charles
Tobias and Murray Mencher; the song writing team who, along with Eddie Cantor
the comedian; wrote the Merrie Melodies theme song “Merrily We Roll Along”. Mr. Tobias also penned the popular hits “Lazy,
Crazy, Hazy Days of Summer”, the World War Two staple “Don’t Sit under the
Apple Tree”, and even the slightly annoying “A Hunting We Will Go.” His collaborations with his brother, as well
as other songwriters, are too numerous to list here.
There’s a lot that went into these old cartoons, usually
with only about 6 people working on them. The Fleischer team was typical of the
era, employing less than 10 people even for a feature cartoon. Compared to
today’s technically proficient releases; which usually cap out at about 1,000
people taking part in the creative process; the most amazing thing about these
older gems are that they got made at all!
With the weather so cold up north in New York; and hotter
down south; I found myself in a bit of a lurch while trying to decide what
cartoon to post today for my grandkids. Around holidays the choice is easy
enough, but what to do when the kids live so far away, and in opposite
directions, as well as climates?
The answer, of course, is to simply pick out the one which
you like best (the cartoon, not the grandkid!) and just go with it. The grandkids up north will appreciate the
snowy theme, and the ones in Texas will remember being here for a white
Christmas 2 years ago.
This is another fluid Max Fleischer creation, featuring 2
small penguins, both of whom ignore their mothers warning and go exploring the
inside of a hunter’s cabin. The things they find within, along with their naivety
about humans, make this a cute little cartoon for a cold winter’s day in
upstate New York; or even a warm and sunny day in Texas.
If you’re a baby-boomer, then you’ll remember this
adaptation of the classic Christmas tale of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". It
was done by Max Fleischer, with the help of Johnny Marks and Paul Wing, in
1944, but for some reason; perhaps the war; it seems to have been released in
1948. I don’t know the whole story behind that, but I’m looking…
Meantime, the story of Rudolph is familiar to us all, and if
you haven’t seen this one before, you’re missing out on a real treat. Share it
with the little ones in your life, or just watch it yourself. Rudolph gets to
save the day, and the story serves to remind us that we are all capable of
more. Sometimes we just need a reason.
This old Popeye cartoon was released 79 years ago today in
1933. It is one of the earlier Popeye cartoons, in black and white,
with the animation done by Max and Dave Fleischer associates Willard Bowsky and
William Sturm. The plot is fairly simple. When Popeye arrives at a town on
the coast of Mexico he wants nothing more than to see his beloved Olive Oyl,
who is working at a bar. When Popeye arrives, with a flower for Olive, he is quickly
drawn into a game of one-upmanship with local bandit Bluto. Things escalate to
the point where Bluto calls in all of the towns’ thieves and roughnecks to
finish Popeye off while he goes upstairs to “visit” with Olive.
But Popeye, after finishing off a can of spinach and soundly
trouncing his foes, is quick to come to her rescue; just as he would continue
to do for so many years after. True love never dies.
Some of the best cartoons to come out of the 1930’s were
done by 2 of my favorite animators, Max and Dave Fleischer. Their cartoons have
fluency to them; the images seem to roll by like waves. They are really a joy
to watch. And, of course, the best ones were always the feature length cartoons
mimicking some literary character or story. Some of those cartoons are satire,
art and just plain old cartoons rolled into one. “Sinbad the Sailor” with Popeye
is one which immediately springs to mind in this regard. And so does this one, “Aladdin
and His Wonderful Lamp”, which is based upon the tale in “The Book of One
Thousand and One Arabian Nights”
Popeye, playing Aladdin, is in a struggle to obtain the hand
of a beautiful Princess, played by Olive Oyl; this is the basic plot of almost
every Popeye cartoon; and involves an evil sorcerer who lures our hero to a cave
in order to obtain a magic lamp. Popeye gets the lamp, but just as the evil
sorcerer is about to steal the lamp from him, trapping Popeye in the cave, he
drops the lamp.
Popeye rubs the lamp and the genie appears, granting him a
wish. Popeye wishes to get out of the cave and claim Olive Oyl as his true
love. But the sorcerer has other plans and kidnaps her, leaving Popeye in a
tight bind. When the sorcerer sends monsters to thwart the true love Popeye
feels for Olive Oyl, the game is on. And with a little luck, a genie, and a can
of Spinach to help him, the outcome is almost certain from the start.
This is the only Max Fleischer color Betty Boop cartoon. It
was released in 1934. It was filmed in Cinecolor, which was a new process at
the time. Max and Dave Fleischer had done several color cartoons by this time,
most notably “Sinbad the Sailor” with Popeye, a cartoon which I actually own a
copy of, it is that good. The biggest surprise in this cartoon is that Betty
Boop is a red head! But, although I prefer her as the black haired cutie I
always thought she was, in the end it doesn’t make a bit of difference - she
still sings like Helen Kane.
It’s hard to believe that this cartoon was once banned for
drug use, but it was. In this hysterical classic, Max Fleischer is shown
drawing Betty on the board, finishing just in time to quit, and leaving her
alone on a blank canvas. Just as you begin to feel sad for her, out pops Koko
from the ink bottle, where he is due to arrive at any time, but he just can’t
wait to get out!
He quickly learns that life is sometimes not as sweet as it first
tastes, but, Betty is there to rescue him. Jumping from the canvas out into the
real world of Max Fleischer’s desk, she quickly uses the cartoonist’s own tools
in a very clever bid to help her friend Koko. When the whole scheme falls apart
it has some unintended consequences for the whole world!
I watched this with Aliyah and Trinity the other night. They
thought it was great! Aliyah especially liked the way Max Fleischer shifted the
action from “cartoon” to “real life”, and then back again. I loved watching her
watching it, and actually “getting” it. It was a discovery for her, and a
delight for me. Some things, just like clever cartoons, never lose their
appeal.
This is Betty Boop doing Helen Kane's hit record "I Want to Be Loved By You". Ms. Kane had introduced the song in Oscar Hammerstein's 1928 show "Good Boy". She also recorded her version that same year, with much success. She became known as the "Boop Oop a Doop" Girl, and also was the basis for the cartoon character who would later become known as Betty Boop. Ms. Kane was only 5 feet tall and slightly plump, which attracted many fans. She had a round face and big brown eyes, topped by black, curly hair; and her childish voice, with its distinct Bronx dialect, made her an instant hit on Broadway.
Max and Dave Fleischer, my two favorite animators from that era, needed something a bit different for their cartoons, and soon one of their chief animators, Grim Natwick, created a caricature of Helen Kane. He used the persona of a dog with long ears and a squeaky voice to introduce a character in some cartoons he called he called "Dizzy Dishes." By 1932 he had lengthened the ears on the dog and turned her into a slender, narrow waisted woman called "Betty Boop." The cartoons were extremely successful and have endured for more than 7 decades as a staple of American culture. This didn't sit all that well with Ms. Kane, who brought suit against both Paramount and Max Fleischer in 1934 for the lofty sum of $250,000. The charge was unfair competition and wrongful appropriation of her character in the Betty Boop cartoons.
It was a very unusual trial, in that the judge would be listening to, and watching, recordings and films of the two litigants, one of whom was a cartoon character. Also summoned as witnesses were singers such as Ann Rotshchild, Margie Hines, Kate Wright, Bonnie Poe, and most notably Mae Questel. There was no jury. This is a photo of Helen Kane. You can see by her appearance that she very closely resembles Betty Boop, with her wide eyes, dark hair and pouting lips. Added to these similarities was the voice, high pitched, and distinctly "New York."
The witnesses all claimed to be the originator of the "Boop Oop a Doop" for which Ms. Boop was known. But further examination revealed that all of the witnesses had performed in this style during the 1920's, albeit with some different variations of the coveted phrase.
As an example, Little Ann Little testified that "Boop Oop a Doop" had begun as "ba da indeo do", which morphed into "bo do de o do" and eventually became "Boop Oop a Doop".
The case dragged on for more than 2 years before an obscure African_American singer known as "Baby Esther" was produced by the defense for "booping" before Helen Kane. Max Fleischer had found an old film of Baby Esther performing, doing a number which contained the phrase "Boop Oop a Doop". When that film was shown to the by then weary judge, he ruled against Ms. Kane, stating that she had failed to prove her singing style to be unique, and therefore Betty Boop was not imitating her in her rendition of the song. Here is Ms. Kane's version of "I Want to Be Loved by You"; you be the judge. Was the judge correct, or just tired of the 2 year lawsuit between Helen Kane and Betty Boop?
Mae Questel was the real voice behind Betty Boop. She got the job after winning a talent contest imitating Helen Kane when she was only 17 years old. She went on to do the voiceovers for more than 150 Betty Boop cartoons. She even sold 2 million copies of her version of "The Good Ship Lollipop". In addition to being Betty Boop, Ms. Questel was also the voice of Olive Oyl in the original Popeye cartoons of the 1930's. She also did imitations of Maurice Chevalier, Fanny Brice, Rudy Vallee and Marlene Dietrich. For more about this talented artist, hit this link;
In this 1936 Max Fleischer production Betty is invited to
Grampy's for a party. Joining Ms. Boop
are two workmen, a fireman and also a police officer, all of whom she attracts along
the way. After all, she was sort of a party girl.The results are exactly what you would expect; and along with some tongue in cheek visual humor,
and a bit of typical Max Fleischer ingenuity; the cartoon is a delight
and everything works out in the end.
