Color Classics

Last updated
Color Classics
Directed byDave Fleischer
Produced byMax Fleischer
Animation by Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
William Henning
Willard Bowsky
David Tendlar
Nicholas Tafuri
Eli Brucker
William Sturm
Myron Waldman
Sam Stimson
Edward Nolan
Hicks Lokey
Joseph Oriolo
Graham Place
Arnold Gillespie
Orestes Calpini
Tony Pabian
Nelson Demorset
George Moreno
Shamus Culhane
Al Eugster
Stan Quackenbush
Otto Feuer
Color process2-strip Cinecolor ( Poor Cinderella )
2-strip Technicolor (1934–1935)
3-strip Technicolor (1936–1941)
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Pictures (original and current holder)
National Telefilm Associates (reissue)
Release dates
August 3, 1934 –
August 22, 1941
Running time
6–10 minutes (one reel)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Color Classics are a series of animated short films produced by Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures from 1934 to 1941 as a competitor to Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies . [1] As the name implies, all of the shorts were made in color format, with the first entry of the series, Poor Cinderella (1934), being the first color cartoon produced by the Fleischer studio. There were 36 shorts produced in this series.

Contents

History

The first Color Classic was photographed with the Two-Color, two strip Cinecolor process. The rest of the 1934 and 1935 cartoons were filmed in Two-Color Technicolor, because the Disney studio had an exclusive agreement with Technicolor that prevented other studios from using the Three-Color process. That exclusive contract expired during September 1935, and the 1936 Color Classic cartoon Somewhere in Dreamland (1936) became the first Fleischer cartoon produced in Three-Color Technicolor. [2]

The first cartoon in the series, Poor Cinderella , featured Betty Boop (with red hair and turquoise eyes); future shorts usually did not have familiar or recurring characters.

Many of the Color Classics entries make prominent use of Max Fleischer's Stereoptical process, a device which allowed animation cels to be photographed against actual 3 dimensional background sets instead of the traditional paintings. Poor Cinderella, Somewhere in Dreamland, and Christmas Comes But Once a Year all make prominent use of the technique. Disney's competing apparatus, the multiplane camera, would not be completed until 1937, three years after the Stereoptical Process's first use. [2] The Color Classics series ended in 1941 with Vitamin Hay, featuring characters Hunky and Spunky. A similar series would be started by Fleischer's successor Famous Studios during 1943, with the name Noveltoons .

Later statuses

During 1955, Paramount sold all rights to the Color Classics cartoons to television distributor U.M. & M. TV Corporation. U.M. & M. altered the original beginning credits sequences for some of the shorts, to remove all references to the names "Paramount Pictures" and "Technicolor", and to add their own Copyright notices. Before the re-titling could be finished, U.M. & M. was bought by National Telefilm Associates (NTA). Instead of re-filming the openings, NTA obscured the references to the Paramount and Technicolor names by placing black bars over the original title cards and Copyright notices. Only a few Color Classics had their title cards redone by U.M. & M., among them Greedy Humpty Dumpty, Play Safe, Christmas Comes But Once a Year, Bunny Mooning, Little Lambkins, and Vitamin Hay.

NTA distributed the Color Classics to television, yet allowed the Copyrights on all of the shorts to lapse except The Tears of an Onion. Many public domain video distributors have released television prints of Color Classics shorts for Home Video. The UCLA Film and Television Archive has, through the assistance of Republic Pictures (successor company to U.M. & M. and NTA), retained original theatrical copies of all of the shorts, which have periodically been shown in revival movie houses and by Cable Television.

Ironically, original distributor Paramount has, through their 1999 acquisition of Republic, regained ownership of the Color Classics, including the original elements. Olive Films (current licensee for Republic, and which currently has home video rights) has, to date, not announced any plans to release the Color Classics officially to DVD or Blu-Ray.

During 2003, animation archivist Jerry Beck conceived a definitive DVD box set of all the Color Classics, excluding The Tears of an Onion, and tried to enlist Republic Pictures' help in releasing this set. After being refused, Kit Parker Films (in association with VCI Entertainment) offered to provide the best available 35mm and 16mm prints of the Color Classics from Parker's archives to create the box set Somewhere in Dreamland: The Max Fleischer Color Classics. These "interim restored versions" contain digitally recreated Paramount titles; the U.M. & M.-modified prints had to have their title cards as well as their Animator Credits recreated. The Tears of an Onion was not included in the set, as it remains Copyrighted by Republic successor Melange Pictures. [3]

In 2021, after decades of being shown in altered, worn, and "beet-red" prints, the Fleischer estate (in co-operation with Paramount Pictures) launched an initiative to formally restore the entire classic animation library from the surviving original negatives, beginning with Somewhere In Dreamland, which has had its restored World Premiere on the MeTV network in December of said year as part of the Toon In With Me Christmas special, presented uncut with its original front-and-end Paramount titles. [4]

Filmography

Many of the cartoons do not have recurring characters, but Poor Cinderella featured Betty Boop, while Christmas Comes But Once a Year featured Grampy and Tommy Cod. Towards the end, Hunky and Spunky were featured characters.

All cartoons released during 1934 and 1935 were produced in Two-Color Technicolor, except for Poor Cinderella which was produced in Cinecolor. All shorts from 1936 and onward were produced in Three-Color Technicolor.

No.TitleOriginal release dateAnimationStoryMusic
1 Betty Boop in Poor Cinderella August 3, 1934Character animation:
Roland Crandall
Seymour Kneitel
William Henning
Murray Mencher
Jack Scholl
Charles Tobias
Phil Spitalny
(director, uncredited)
Sammy Timberg
(director, uncredited)
2Little Dutch MillOctober 26, 1934 Willard Bowsky
Dave Tendlar
George Steiner
(uncredited)
3 An Elephant Never Forgets January 2, 1935 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Sammy Timberg
Jack Scholl
4 The Song of the Birds March 1, 1935 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Sammy Timberg
5 The Kids in the Shoe May 19, 1935 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
George Steiner
(uncredited)
6 Dancing on the Moon July 12, 1935 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Charlie Tobias
Murray Mencher
7 Time for Love September 6, 1935 Willard Bowsky
Nicholas Tafuri
Sammy Timberg
8Musical MemoriesNovember 8, 1935 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Sammy Timberg
9 Somewhere in Dreamland January 17, 1936 Seymour Kneitel
Roland Crandall
Murray Mencher
Charles Newman
10The Little StrangerMarch 13, 1936 Dave Tendlar
Eli Brucker
Sammy Timberg
11 The Cobweb Hotel May 15, 1936 David Tendlar
William Sturm
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
12Greedy Humpty DumptyJuly 10, 1936 David Tendlar
William Sturm
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
13Hawaiian BirdsAugust 28, 1936 Myron Waldman
Sam Stimson
Sammy Timberg
14 Play Safe October 16, 1936 David Tendlar
Eli Brucker
Sammy Timberg
Vee Lawnhurst
Tot Seymour
15 Christmas Comes But Once a Year December 4, 1936 Seymour Kneitel
William Henning
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
Tot Seymour
16Bunny MooningFebruary 12, 1937 Myron Waldman
Edward Nolan
Sammy Timberg
17Chicken a La KingApril 16, 1937 David Tendlar
Nicholas Tafuri
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
18 A Car-Tune Portrait June 26, 1937Character animation:
David Tendlar
Nicholas Tafuri
Herman Cohen (uncr.)
William Sturm (uncr.)
Eli Brucker (uncr.)
Joe Oriolo (uncr.)
Jack Rabin (uncr.)
Uncredited story by:
Dave Fleischer
Isadore Sparber
and
David Tendlar
King Ross
19 Peeping Penguins August 26, 1937 Myron Waldman
Hicks Lokey
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
20 Educated Fish October 29, 1937 Myron Waldman
Hicks Lokey
Sammy Timberg
Bob Rothberg
21Little LambyNovember 12, 1937 David Tendlar
William Sturm
Sammy Timberg
22The Tears of an OnionFebruary 26, 1938 David Tendlar
Joseph Oriolo
Sammy Timberg
23Hold It!April 29, 1938 David Tendlar
Nicholas Tafuri
Sammy Timberg
Vee Lawnhurst
Tot Seymour
24 Hunky and Spunky June 24, 1938 Myron Waldman
Graham Place
Sammy Timberg
25 All's Fair at the Fair August 26, 1938 Myron Waldman
Graham Place
Sammy Timberg
26 The Playful Polar Bears October 28, 1938 Myron Waldman
Graham Place
Sammy Timberg
27Hunky and Spunky in "Always Kickin'"January 29, 1939 Myron Waldman
Arnold Gillespie
Sammy Timberg
28Small FryApril 21, 1939Willard Bowsky
Orestes Calpini
Sammy Timberg
29The Barnyard Brat (Hunky and Spunky)June 30, 1939 Myron Waldman
Tony Pabian
Sammy Timberg
30 The Fresh Vegetable Mystery September 29, 1939 David Tendlar
William Sturm
Joe StultzSammy Timberg
31 Little Lambkins February 2, 1940Character animation:
Dave Tendlar
Nelson Demorest (credited as N. Demorest)
Joe StultzSammy Timberg
32 Ants in the Plants March 15, 1940 Myron Waldman
George Moreno
George ManuellSammy Timberg
33A Kick in Time (Hunky and Spunky)May 17, 1940 James Culhane
Alfred Eugster
George Manuell Sammy Timberg
34Snubbed by a Snob (Hunky and Spunky)July 19, 1940Stan Quackenbush
Arnold Gillespie
Joe Stultz Sammy Timberg
35You Can't Shoe a Horse Fly (Hunky and Spunky)August 23, 1940 Myron Waldman
Sam Stimson
William Turner Sammy Timberg
36Vitamin Hay (Hunky and Spunky)August 22, 1941 David Tendlar
Otto Feuer
Bob Wickersham Sammy Timberg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden age of American animation</span> Period of animation where theatrical sound cartoons were common and popular

The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medium of television. Animated media from after the golden age, especially on television, were produced on cheaper budgets and with more limited techniques between the 1960s and 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleischer Studios</span> American animation studio

Fleischer Studios was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of its films. In its prime, Fleischer Studios was a premier producer of animated cartoons for theaters, with Walt Disney Productions being its chief competitor in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Fleischer</span> American animator and inventor (1883–1972)

Max Fleischer was a Polish-American animator, inventor, film director and producer, and studio founder and owner. Born in Kraków, Poland, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios, which he co-founded with his younger brother Dave. He brought such comic characters as Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye, and Superman to the movie screen, and was responsible for several technological innovations, including the rotoscope, the "follow the bouncing ball" technique pioneered in the Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes films, and the "stereoptical process". Film director Richard Fleischer was his son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Boop</span> Animated cartoon character

Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Dave Fleischer. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She was featured in 90 theatrical cartoons between 1930 and 1939. She has also been featured in comic strips and mass merchandising.

<i>Flowers and Trees</i> 1932 Silly Symphony cartoon

Flowers and Trees is a Silly Symphonies cartoon produced by Walt Disney, directed by Burt Gillett, and released to theatres by United Artists on July 30, 1932. It was the first commercially released film to be produced in the full-color three-strip Technicolor process after several years of two-color Technicolor films. The film was a commercial and critical success, winning the first Academy Award for Best Cartoon Short Subject.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flip the Frog</span> Fictional character created by Ub Iwerks

Flip the Frog is an animated cartoon character created by American animator Ub Iwerks. He starred in a series of cartoons produced by Celebrity Pictures and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1930 to 1933. The series had many recurring characters, including Flip's dog, the mule Orace, and a dizzy neighborhood spinster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Famous Studios</span> Defunct American animation studio

Famous Studios was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was established as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized control of the aforementioned studio amid the departure of its founders, Max and Dave Fleischer, in 1942. The studio's productions included three series started by the Fleischers—Popeye the Sailor, Superman, and Screen Songs—as well as Little Audrey, Little Lulu, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Honey Halfwitch, Herman and Katnip, Baby Huey, and the Noveltoons and Modern Madcaps series.

<i>Noveltoons</i> 1943-67 American animated film series

Noveltoons is a series of cartoons produced by Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios from 1943 to the end of the studio during 1967. The series was known for bringing the characters from Harvey Comics to life, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, and Baby Huey. All shorts from Baby Huey and Little Audrey are included. It was the successor to the series Color Classics produced by Fleischer Studios. Several Noveltoons feature characters which originated in Color Classics. This series was also similar to the two series from Warner Bros., Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, in that it features several recurring characters with one general title.

ComiColor Cartoons is a series of twenty-five animated short subjects produced by Ub Iwerks from 1933 to 1936. The series was the last produced by Iwerks Studio; after losing distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1934, the Iwerks studio's senior company Celebrity Pictures had to distribute the films itself. The series was shot exclusively in Cinecolor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.M. & M. TV Corporation</span> Defunct American television syndicator

U.M. & M. TV Corporation was an American media company best known as the original purchaser of the pre-October 1950 short films and cartoons produced by Paramount Pictures, excluding Popeye and Superman. The initials stand for United Film Service, MTA TV of New Orleans, and Minot T.V.

<i>Screen Songs</i> Series of animated cartoons

Screen Songs are a series of animated cartoons produced at the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1929 and 1938. Paramount brought back the sing-along cartoons in 1945, now in color, and released them regularly through 1951. Two of Paramount's one-shot cartoons quietly revived the format later: Candy Cabaret (1954) and Hobo's Holiday (1963).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Telefilm Associates</span> Defunct American television syndicator (1954–1984)

National Telefilm Associates (NTA) was an audio-visual marketing company primarily concerned with the syndication of American film libraries to television, including the Republic Pictures film library. It was successful enough on cable television between 1983 and 1985 that it renamed itself Republic Pictures and undertook film production and home video sales as well.

Seymour Kneitel was an American animator, best known for his work with Fleischer Studios and its successor, Famous Studios.

<i>Poor Cinderella</i> 1934 Fleischer Studios-animated short film

Poor Cinderella is a 1934 Fleischer Studios-animated short film featuring Betty Boop. Poor Cinderella was Fleischer Studios' first color film, and the only appearance of Betty Boop in color during the Fleischer era. It was the first Paramount Pictures animated short in color.

<i>Hunky and Spunky</i> Animated fictional characters

Hunky and Spunky are fictional characters appearing in the series of animated short subjects produced by Fleischer Studios for Paramount Pictures from 1938 to 1941. Filmed in Technicolor (three-strip), the series revolves around a mother burro and her son.

<i>Popeye the Sailor</i> (film series) 1933 American film

Popeye the Sailor is an American animated series of short films based on the Popeye comic strip character created by E. C. Segar. In 1933, Max and Dave Fleischer's Fleischer Studios, based in New York City, adapted Segar's characters into a series of theatrical cartoon shorts for Paramount Pictures. The plotlines in the animated cartoons tended to be simpler than those presented in the comic strips, and the characters slightly different. A villain, usually Bluto, makes a move on Popeye's "sweetie", Olive Oyl. The villain clobbers Popeye until he eats spinach, giving him superhuman strength. Thus empowered, Popeye makes short work of the villain.

Somewhere in Dreamland is a 1936 animated short in Max Fleischer's Color Classics series. The film was produced by Max Fleischer, directed by Dave Fleischer, co-directed by Dawn Fleischer, and was animated by Fleischer veterans Seymour Kneitel and Roland Crandall. The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression, follows two impoverished children who dream that they are in Dreamland where there is an area full of candy and ice cream. The cartoon is Fleischer's first in three-strip Technicolor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lillian Friedman Astor</span>

Lillian Friedman Astor was an American animator who was one of the first female animators in the country. She worked for Fleischer Brothers' studio, inking and eventually animating various Betty Boop cartoons, as well as one Popeye, some Color Classics, and several Hunky and Spunky cartoons, although she received screen credit on only six of the forty-two cartoons she animated in her lifetime.

<i>Ants in the Plants</i> 1940 film

Ants in the Plants is a Technicolor cartoon created by Fleischer Studios and originally released into theaters on March 15, 1940, by Paramount Studios. It was produced by Max Fleischer and directed by Dave Fleischer; animators were Myron Waldman and George Moreno. Music for the cartoon was composed by Sammy Timberg. It was part of the Fleischer Studios series Color Classics produced by the studio between 1934 and 1941.

<i>Toon In with Me</i> American live-action/animated anthology comedy television series

Toon In with Me is an American live-action/animated anthology television series created by Neal Sabin for MeTV, MeTV Plus, and MeTV Toons. A special preview episode aired on January 1, 2021, with the main series officially debuting on January 4, 2021.

References

  1. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 66–67. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 Maltin, Leonard. Of Mice and Magic, p. 114
  3. Treadway, Bill. Review for Somewhere in Dreamland DVD.
  4. "Bringing Fleischer's "Somewhere In Dreamland" to MeTV". Cartoon Research. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
General