I launched my home video label Cartoon Logic because after years of working on others’ projects, I finally wanted ones I could truly own a piece of, and to fill a gap in the animation-on-home video landscape: carefully curated collections of the “forgotten” cartoons with informed historical bonus material (especially audio commentaries, a neglected and misunderstood art). When I started the label with a Kickstarter for Aesop’s Fables – The 1920s Vol. 1 (a byproduct of my New York animation studio research with cohort Charlie Judkins), I was expecting to make do with prints sourced from private collectors and archives. Lo and behold, I was able to forge a relationship with Blackhawk Films, which resulted in 20 silent-era Paul Terry classics sourced largely from the best surviving 35mm fine grains and even camera negatives! There will be a second volume of Fables, hopefully, via Kickstarter later this year. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy this other collection I’ve been cooking up…
The Famous Studios Champion Collection is something I’m sure everyone was doubtful would ever happen, but you will have it April 21st. In cooperation with Paramount Pictures Archives, Cartoon Logic (with distributor ClassicFlix) is proud to present this collection of 18 fully-restored Famous cartoons mostly from the original separation exposure negatives.
Famous is another story in animation history where things didn’t turn out as well as they could have with the talent available (these were the folks that made all the Fleischer classics of the ’30s, after all), but I’ve always been a big fan of their best work. I tried to make sure all of the crew was here: Seymour Kneitel, Izzy Sparber, Bill Tytla, Dan Gordon, Dave Tendlar, Myron Waldman, Al Eugster, Nick Tafuri, Johnny Gent, Marty Taras, Steve Muffatti, Orestes Calpini, Jack Mercer, Sid Raymond, Jackson Beck, Mae Questel, Arnold Stang… I don’t think they ever expected Famous to get a spotlight quite like this!
This collection shows that while Famous may be seen as a “lesser” studio, the production values were “A” level through their first decade, and I think everything I picked out here has something to recommend them.
The featured cartoons are…
NO MUTTON FER NUTTIN’ (1943) – The first in the Noveltoons series, with Blackie Sheep and Wolfie. Dan Gordon started this cartoon but left before it was completed, so received no screen credit. (The other two unfinished Gordon cartoons were Moving Aweigh and A Self-Made Mongrel.)
THE HENPECKED ROOSTER (1944) – Herman the Mouse’s debut, with the husband-and-wife pair Henry (later Hector) and Chickenpie/Bertha.
SUDDENLY IT’S SPRING! (1944) – An extra-long Noveltoon special with Raggedy Ann.
A LAMB IN A JAM (1945) – Blackie and Wolfie return. Keith Scott thinks it may actually be Arnold Stang voicing Wolfie in this.
THE FRIENDLY GHOST (1945) – The debut of Casper, inarguably Famous’ most enduring non-sailor character.
BARGAIN COUNTER ATTACK (1946) – Little Lulu in perhaps the funniest of Famous’ animated series with the comic character.
SHEEP SHAPE (1946) – Blackie and Wolfie again, in arguably the one true screwball classic Famous ever did, and depicted on the disc’s cover (by Stephen DeStefano). Sid Raymond debuts his Bert Lahr voice and was probably never better. Click here to see a clip.
SUDDEN FRIED CHICKEN (1946) – Bill Tytla directs Herman and Hector in this wildly violent cartoon.
MUCH ADO ABOUT MUTTON (1947) – The final cartoon starring Blackie, though Wolfie would be used for several more years.
A BOUT WITH A TROUT (1947) – Maybe the most-remembered of the Little Lulu cartoons, with the song Swinging on a Star.
THERE’S GOOD BOOS TO-NIGHT (1948) – Casper returns under the direction of Myron Waldman, who became the main de-facto director for the ongoing series. Infamous for its traumatizing ending.
BUTTERSCOTCH AND SODA (1948) – The first in the Little Audrey series proper (Lulu’s replacement when they decided they could do essentially the same character cheaper without paying a license), in which she goes through Lost Weekend-ish withdrawal over her candy addiction.
READIN’, RITIN’, AND RHYTHMETIC (1948) – One of the Screen Songs produced in Polacolor. Thought to be lost for decades (it was never part of the TV package), this release marks its first appearance maybe since its original release.
HEP CAT SYMPHONY (1949) – De-facto director Dave Tendlar and animator Marty Taras in their element with pre-Herman & Katnip cat-and-mouse violence.
A HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1949) – The final Casper cartoon released under the Noveltoon banner, he’d go to his own series the following year.
CAMPUS CAPERS (1949) – Tytla directs Herman again, with Arnold Stang as his officially established voice actor. Has a particularly cringeworthy gaslighting gag involving tongue meat.
OUR FUNNY FINNY FRIENDS (1949) – De-facto director Al Eugster with another Screen Song, with a lot of aquatic life that looks “inspired” by Dr. Seuss illustrations.
QUACK-A DOODLE-DOO (1950) – Our program closes with the (first) birth of Baby Huey.
The disc will have an array of bonus features: optional audio commentary by Jerry Beck, Will Friedwald, Bob Jaques, Mike Kazaleh, Rob Waldman, and yours truly; production artwork galleries; and two “mostly lost” Famous cartoons: Snuffy Smith in SPREE FOR ALL (sourced from the only known black-and-white 35mm print, courtesy of Jerico Dvorak) and Buzzy the Crow in CAT O’ NINE AILS (picture only; the soundtrack is not known to exist, and, regardless of whatever you read on the Internet, is not at any major American archive… so if you know of an English track, you’ve found something that’s eluded fifty years’ worth of cartoon research).
A scene from “Cat O’ Nine Ails” (1948)
One frequent comment I’ve gotten regarding Fables is that viewers are surprised how much they like them, now that they’ve been given a solid restoration and presentation. I have little doubt that this Famous disc will do the same for these cartoons, and I really hope you all enjoy it! It will be available on both Blu-ray and DVD, and you can buy it (preferably) from the ClassicFlix website, or Amazon.
