The Stork Exchange

The Stork Exchange
The Stork Exchange
Directed by	Ben Harrison; Manny Gould
Produced by	Charles Mintz
Animation by	Dave Tendlar
Color process	Black and white
Production; company	Winkler Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount-Famous-Lasky
Release date	December 17, 1927
Running time	7:21
Language	English

Last updated January 31, 2024

The Stork Exchange is a 1927 silent short film starring Krazy Kat.^[1] This film was thought to be lost but has been found. It is also one of the earliest in the cartoon series to feature Manny Gould and Ben Harrison's version of Krazy, the first of few incarnations derived from George Herriman's famous character.

Rediscovery

In 1948, cartoon producer Margaret J. Winkler had all the 1925–1929 Krazy Kat films kept in a storage facility. Because the films were made of a dangerous material called nitrocellulose, Winkler figured she had to get rid of them. Although a neighbor of hers showed interest in buying the films, she was still reluctant, and therefore gave the reels their final fate.

Nevertheless, a copy of The Stork Exchange and three other Krazy shorts were rediscovered in 2004 at an archive of the British Film Institute.

Plot

Krazy is driving his car on an urban road. As he goes on his journey, he spots a bird above, suspending something under its beak. The curious Krazy turns his vehicle into an aircraft, and takes off to investigate. Coming close in his flying car, he is amazed that the bird he spotted is a stork carrying an infant. He then sees the stork handing the child to a person on a rooftop before leaving. Although the bird leaves with an empty beak, Krazy continues to follow it.

The feline follows the stork into an adoption center up on the clouds. Inside, he is intrigued to see orphaned infants groomed and taken out of the place by other storks for delivery. Lunch time comes just then and one of the birds calls Krazy to watch over the infants. The infants are loud and bothersome but Krazy is able to keep them company. Suddenly, he receives a customer's order by phone. The cat then selects the suitable child for the delivery and takes off.

Up in mid-air for a few moments, Krazy is carrying the infant smoothly. But things become quite difficult for him as the tyke starts playing mischievously. Nevertheless, they reach the customer's house on time. When the infant's diaper comes off, the feline tries to put it back. The infant, however, refuses to wear it, and Krazy tries to do things in a scuffle, only to put the diaper on himself. The child then disappears mysteriously, and Krazy looks into the chimney. While he does, the infant shows up from the edge of the roof, and pushes him into the flue.

Krazy falls through the chimney and into the house with a waiting couple inside. Because of the diaper he's wearing, the couple mistakes him as the infant they ordered. The overjoyed wife then picks up, hugs, and smooches Krazy, much to the feline's dismay. After getting too much of the unwanted affection, Krazy removes his diaper and convinces the couple that there's a misunderstanding. Immediately, the infant he tried to deliver finally comes down the chimney and has been diapered somehow. The couple is finally pleased, knowing they got the correct order.

Remake

Years after the Krazy Kat staff had the cartoons distributed by Columbia, a remake of The Stork Exchange was released in 1931 under the title The Stork Market. The storyline of this later film is very similar to its earlier counterpart except that Krazy's spaniel girlfriend makes an appearance there.

Related Research Articles

Krazy Kat is an American newspaper comic strip, created by cartoonist George Herriman, which ran from 1913 to 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run. The characters had been introduced previously in a side strip with Herriman's earlier creation, The Dingbat Family. The phrase "Krazy Kat" originated there, said by the mouse by way of describing the cat. Set in a dreamlike portrayal of Herriman's vacation home of Coconino County, Arizona, KrazyKat's mixture of offbeat surrealism, innocent playfulness and poetic, idiosyncratic language has made it a favorite of comics aficionados and art critics for more than 80 years.

Rodeo Dough is a 1931 American short animated Western film by Columbia Pictures, and stars the comic strip character Krazy Kat.

Sleepy Holler is a 1929 silent animated short film by Winkler Pictures, and stars Krazy Kat. It is the character's last silent film. It is also the last film of the series to be distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Lil' Ainjil is a 1936 short animated film distributed by Columbia Pictures, and features Krazy Kat.

Prosperity Blues is a 1932 short cartoon distributed by Columbia Pictures, part of the Krazy Kat films.

Love's Labor Lost is a 1920 short, animated film by Bray Productions and is one of the silent Krazy Kat cartoons. The film's title references a play by William Shakespeare.

Bars and Stripes is a 1931 short film from Columbia Pictures, part of the Krazy Kat theatrical cartoons.

Searching For Santa! is a silent short film by Winkler Pictures, starring Krazy Kat. The cartoon was thought to be lost but was rediscovered in 2004.

Piano Mover is a 1932 short animated cartoon released by Columbia Pictures, starring Krazy Kat.

Birth of Jazz is a 1932 short animated film by Columbia Pictures, featuring Krazy Kat.

Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse: A Duet, He Made Me Love Him, also simply known as A Duet, is a 1916 silent short animated film featuring Krazy Kat. It is among the earliest cartoons to feature Krazy who earlier achieved modest success through comic strips.

A Barnyard Frolic is a 1925 animated cartoon short by the Winkler studio, and part of a long-running series featuring the comic strip character Krazy Kat. It was written by George Winkler and directed by Bill Nolan.

Farm Relief is a 1929 animated short subject produced by Columbia Pictures, featuring Krazy Kat. The film is also the character's fifth to employ sound after the studio made the transition less than a year before.

Kannibal Kapers is a 1935 short animated film by Columbia Pictures featuring the comic strip character Krazy Kat.

The Medicine Show is a 1933 short animated film by Columbia Pictures. The film is part of a long-running short film series featuring Krazy Kat.

The Broadway Malady is a 1933 short animated film distributed by Columbia Pictures, and stars Krazy Kat. The title is derived from the 1929 feature film The Broadway Melody. The cartoon, however, makes no references to the feature film.

The Wireless Wire-Walkers, also released as Wireless Wire Walker, is a 1921 silent animated film starring Krazy Kat. The film marks the final Krazy Kat film produced by Bray Studios before the filmmakers moved to Winkler Pictures.

A Family Affair is a silent short animated film by Bray Productions featuring Krazy Kat. It is the sixth Krazy short produced by the studio.

The Awful Spook is a silent short animated film created by the Bray Studio, featuring Krazy Kat.

Stomach Trouble is a 1927 silent animated short starring the comic strip character Krazy Kat. The short was released by Winkler Pictures.

References

↑ Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.

External links

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (3rd ed.). New York: Checkmark Books. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-0-8160-6600-1.

[1]