Common Classics- Popeye with Little Swee'Pea.

This is the first online copy of a Popeye cartoon taken directly from the new DVD that Jerry Beck did for the Warners, or at least have I seen. This huge Popeye fan/former YouTube memeber posted
his copy of the restored Little Swee'pea.



Fleischer was still at its prime to many historians and this was the first offical introduction of Little Swee'pea- not counting SOCK-A-BYE-BABY. According to the documentary, nobody knew if he was orignally an orphan baby or not. Seymour Knetiel directed the animation and Dave Fleischer was the supervising producer/credited director. Little Swee'pea has the 3-D Stereoptical process- the byline at the Paramount logo says the patent was pending.

Plot? Popeye orginally was going to take Olive Oyl, but then compromises to take Little Swee'pea to the zoo. Like other Swee'pea apperances during the Fleischer era, Popeye thinks he's in great cartoon danger when facing four animals. But unlike some other cartoons with the Popeye formula and the Swee'pea sub-formula, this one has a twist. You may already know this twist if you bought a public domain DVD or seen it on Cartoon Network- but watch it and find out.


Little Swee'Pea (1936)
Uploaded by Rec_Free_Media

Common Classic- Superman in "Terror on the Midway"- compare 3 prints!

Haven't done an on topic post in a while....

3 prints of Terror on the Midway- the most easily found cartoon in all of Max Fleischer/Famous Studios-era Superman history.

If you link to the second video there is a rumor in the summary that the 35mm negative has deteriorated.

Although I have watched Superman cartoons earlier- this is the one I remember the most. I borrowed this cartoon from a PD tape at the library and this where I rediscovered Paramount's Superman cartoons.


This reminds me of King Kong- a gorrila trying to get a woman. Also, when I first saw this- it looked like a prototype for one of the villians in an episode from Justice Leauge a few years back.

Directed by Dave Fleischer, Animation Directed by Orestes Calipini.

Authorized print from Warner Bros. by arrangment with comics department DC Comics and Paramount Pictures. Note there's probably no DVNR because of it's organic-type
naturally grainy print.

The guy who claims he has the "best copy"...
Colorful- but the Paramount logo, series title card (Paramount Presents A Max Fleischer Cartoon "Superman" in Technicolor), and the Superman background narrative is missing from this print.



Standard internet print with added sound effects:




What print do you prefer?

Off Topic- Got California Milk? the Orginal campaign

I think Milk Mustache ads, and the America's Dairy Farmers titles on the orginal campaign are a disgrace against the original 90's campaign. Got Milk? rip-offs are also a disgrace. Worst Disgrace? "Got Breakfast?". That rip-off is now a campaign! However the original owner of the slogan would like to rather get a good laugh rather than sue.

But salute the milk processors of California, and even Jeff Manning, because we need the laugh and fear of a classic private label campaign- the Original "Got Milk" commercials from the CALIFORNIA MILK PROCESSOR BOARD, fully know as the CALIFORNIA MILK PROCESSOR FLUID ADVISORY BOARD. Don't be confused with California Milk Advisory Board, they only now do Real California Cheese and CMPB was based in the 90's.




I liked that because it matches my inner craziness. Trix Rabbit is always crazy, but his "Finally after all these years..." speech was the best. He finally got his cereal, until, uh-oh....

Here's another one that looks like it was 2000's because of the CG and dialogue, even though Toy Story came out in the 90's. It's a national print, but gotmilk.com won't show a whole library of their ads. An authorized complete DVD will not work because it would be pure advertising.







Also, compare the California version versus the national version in the Kitten commercial. Yes I have seen the original titles as a complete clip on an Animal Planet "Funniest Animal Commercials" special. The original version has scary nothing sound but watch the other version to hear the audio track.


National obscure version




Original California Milk version







The girl who played the daughter posted her commercial:




This carnival Hall of Mirrors one has a nice dance plus ouches, also has the original titles.





National obscure version





Here's a fictional trapped-with-Cheerios-without-milk experiment.
National obscure version, looks and sounds like a 70's commercial. CMPB was not based until 1993 so this is actually a 90's commercial.





Here's a banned one decpeting the "eternal punishment" for Christans, looks like heaven until the got milk logo comes up. Mr. Goodby had an original imagination. Obscure National Version.





Here's the one that started it all, who shot Alexander Hamilton in that famous duo?
(with peanut butter in mouth) Awon Buwrr



Too much? Hate milk because of hormones? Too annoyed? Lactose intolerant? Well if you animation historians can stand Popeye and also the Roadrunner cartoons, you've got to apperciate it as unique stories of people desperate for milk, unlike those who hate the board, or just hate milk.

The DVD that almost never was- Popeye DVD review from what I watched

Spolier Warning: It contains parts revealing the quality of the DVD.

Well, thanks to angels who helped a KFS executive, after more than 1 year, this miracle happened.


I finally got my Popeye DVD. I didn't watch it all, but I watched enough to review how "restored" the cartoons were.

First off, Jerry Beck's and my obsession: Original Paramount Titles. Were they restored? To answer this question, the best available prints out of all the cartoons I watched, both full and partly, was LITTLE SWEE'PEA and POPEYE MEETS ALI BABA. Also, some of the cartoons' titles were "recreations", so you could see no grain like it had been DVNR'd. Jerry had told this earlier that "some of the material has been altered by AAP". So they inserted "fake" Paramount logos, the same process used in Cartoon Network's THE POPEYE SHOW, in many VCI relases, and in public domain prints of color Paramount cartoons (seen in many YouTube prints of Little Audrey in GOOFY GOOFY GANDER, and the Fleischer Color Classic THE COBWEB HOTEL). Some of the prints were very typical in quality, like I'M IN THE ARMY NOW, although the sound was good.

The Paramount opening to the Popeye pilot is not properly restored. This means the special transition from the Paramount logo to the main title card in Betty Boop cartoons are lost.

One print I happened to encounter, the Paramount sing-along advertising short used in movie theaters' Popeye clubs, LET'S SING WITH POPEYE, felt like it was either taken from a public domain DVD or was downloaded from the Internet. If it was downloaded from the Internet, this is the beginning of not using negatives in official releases to let them deteriorate. What a HORRIBLE thing to pioneer, Warner Home Video/Turner!


Now kids, if you start to pop in a Warner Home Video collector's disc, you'll find out why Warner Bros. says their DVD's are for the "Adult Collector". After the FBI warning in discs 1-3, there's a disclaimer saying (abridged and translated in my own words): These are cartoons with racial and ethnic stereotypes, the cartoons were released in a particular time of racism. These do not reflect Warner Home Video's view of socitey today. It would be wrong to edit the films as it telling that the predjuices never existed.

This is a review from a person who's never watched everything. I only know of two racist parts, one in Popeye's pilot, and another that I heard was very racist. I didn't see it yet, but it be very brain-rotting to do so, and I forgot where the very racist part was.

When I heard buzz about John K's commentary, I didn't want to listen to it, but I would listen to anybody but him, I just would like to listen to anyone who's name is spelled J-E-R-R-Y B-E-C-K or a recorded commentary of late animators spelled D-A-V-E T-E-N-D-L-A-R.

When I first watched it, it was like listening to the Disney Silly Symphony THE THREE LITTLE PIGS only better.


Here's a lesson to never forget, along with not using DVNR:

I liked the fact that Popeye was on DVD, but next time, and I mean if Viacom/Lionsgate is relasing "The Complete Noveltoons" set and Jerry Beck is involved, please, oh, please search all over the country for prints. One source for all materials does not mean you'll strike a perfect collection. Sure we're not perfect, but just learn from this mistake. It was a mistake made in the past and it's still being made now in the present. No more recreations. If you see an opening logo and it dissloves naturally like an old film should, you've found the orignal titles.

Audrey the Rainmaker, complete with spinning star!

This is probably based on The Wizard Of Oz (The place Little Audrey goes to resembles Emerald City), and AUDREY THE RAINMAKER also is included in the lyrics of the Little Audrey theme, "Little Audrey Says", even before it was produced. People with keen ears can hear something in the theme about Little Adurey making the rain go away.

This print has the orignal titles, rather than the fake Harveytoon titles found on THE COMPLETE HARVEYTOONS set.


If I'm correct, I have seen another MGM spoof. It was based on a Tex Avery or Tom and Jerry cartoon if not several, used in the 1950 Paramount Screen Song GOBS OF FUN. It was shown on an end gag where the animals peeked into a live action scence of women dancing.


EDIT: Actually, this is based on a story in a Little Audrey comic book.

Merry Christmas in July- and I'm giving you all a hard-to-find gift...

This is the first time I found a Paramount christmas cartoon with the orginal titles....

I would have never known that one of the stars crested in the logo got on top of Christmas tree. You can't find that on an UM&M/NTA print! That was a great logo sequence.

This is also Little Audrey's pilot episode.

Have a date with the International, you weak-minded fool!

This is a very funny cartoon, thanks to some hilarious timing that Izzy Sparber did.

This Famous Popeye, PARLEZ VOUS WOO (1956) is just a good example of combining a fomulaic storyline with timing. Notice the MGM Tex Avery gag imatations.

And oh, by the way, don't feel sorry for Bluto, he did a creepy evil laugh.

Also it looks restored, enough to trick the brain.

Lucky 1947

Here are three 1947 cartoons with their orignal titles.

I was trying to research what the names Buzzy and the cat was a parody of, but the website froze my browser. Look closely and the title cards SHAKE!

I think Paramount's Raggedy Ann cartoons are better than the Fox version, because I hear the Fox version uses sexual jokes. Don't mind that one racial stereotype in SUDDENLY IT'S SPRING, the Paramount Raggedy Ann cartoons are more kid-friendly.

Fleischer historian Ray Pointer thinks Seymour Kneitel is the second best Famous director, and he did great works on these three 1947 classics.

These prints are very common execpt THE ENCAHNTED SQUARE. Most $1 DVD's have the NTA print, though the titles are easy to guess.

It may have been the millionth time you've seen these cartoons, but here they are.

Duck Dodgers' French version might be brighter, however they are great and bright standard 16mm dupes.

JASPER AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE (sorry, bright print was removed).

Unfortunately, PCinoguy's Puppetoon Movie DVD copy was removed a long time ago by Pal's friend, Arnold Lebovit, who partly owns the intellectual property of the Puppetoons along with Viacom. If you're reading the archives, please note this backup red UM&M print is the only copy on I've seen that still exists on the Internet.


Here's some history: This was released in 1942 by Paramount Pictures. The JASPER series offended a lot of people, and this was banned from television. George calmed down the offensiveness with the cartoon "John Henry and the Inky-Poo".
In the 1950's, like many Paramount cartoons, was released and retitled for television by UM&M TV Corp.



Well, see this cartoon for yourself and post a comment.

Double Favorites- Shortnin' Bread and Horton Hatches an Egg

It was included on a UAV tape of OLD MACDONALD (1946). It is one of the last Famous cartoons to have realistic backgrounds. I loved this cartoon when I was little.



Another favorite is from another studio. It's a WB Merrie Melodies cartoon based on a Dr. Seuss tale I saw on a Random House video when I was little. Sure it doesn't fit the blog's name, but it's a cute cartoon with the combination of 2 distinctive things- Looney Tunes' non-violent gags and Thedore's ryming.

1942-Dr. Seuss - Horton Hatches the Egg
Uploaded by iToons

Orignal Titles to Old Macdonald Had A Farm

This is the original titles I have been looking for online to "Old MacDonald Had A Farm". However they put a generic end Paramount logo spliced on the print. Also the user didn't post the entire cartoon. It stops right before the first shot of Old MacDonald himself.

Noveltoons - Old MacDonald had a Farm
Uploaded by iToons

Also the music is high pitched unlike my own copy which also has the original titles.

However the color is restored to Technicolor quality, no fade intended. If this was from another PD video other than the various UAV editions , then UAV is not the only one who has a great print.

Matty Mattel's Funday Funnies with Harveytoon Characters

I discovered this ABC programming block sponsored by Mattel, featuring Famous Studios cartoon characters, hosted by the sponsor's advertising icon of the time (he now only exists in the 800-number square on the back of Mattel toys). Recongnize any familar scences? Here's a piece of triva, the last Casper promo before the toy commericals on the YouTube post featured features BOO MOON (1953). The block aired when the Paramount stars were Harvey stars.

Popeye DVD Cover Revealed!

Found in this print ad is the Popeye DVD cover, which now is revealed! It will be restored to the original Paramount titles. However, have you noticed recently the "adult collector" disclaimer, on recent cartoon sets from Warner Home Video? It was used on the Popeye DVD ad. A lot of people are frustrated because no mater how inappropriate it seems, some people are wanting their kids to have the freedom to watch these cartoons. Anyways, unless they release it on Blu-ray or HD-DVD, the only way you would have theater experience if you pop in the DVD on a Bose Lifestyle DVD player/home theater system. Jerry Beck is excited about the final product. He has worked with both PD and official DVD relases of Popeye.
This DVD will include:

-All B/W cartoons from his screen debut in 1933 to 1938, with the first two Color Features (the official name for a color special as seen on an original title of POPEYE MEETS SINBAD)

-Commentary

-History of Popeye and Fleischer Studios documentaries.

Here's a bonus: Like WB releases for MGM and RKO movies, it will have the Turner Entertainment Co. print logo on the cover.

I hope it will not be like that Tom and Jerry DVD where people had to order replacement discs.

Sorry, Charlie, but it will wait till July

Here's a Popeye cartoon that will help with the wait:

Here's a link to the preview:
http://www.totaleclips.com/player/Splash.aspx?custid=235&clipid=e31098&playerid=65&affiliateid=-1

Somewhere in Dreamland (1936)

This was a cartoon taking place in the Great Depression, and showed a poor family getting food (at least in their dreams). This cartoon is cute. This Max Fleischer Color Classic (Max Fleischer for short) from 1936, has sorta creepy yet nice and surreal Stereo Optical process, common during cartoons relased between 1935 to 1936. This will make junk food consumers think about poor people and also the Great Depression. If you see pictures of other YouTube posts showing this cartoon, you'll notice that the color looks reddish, which will not be good if you were those 'toons. ( Full Credits: Directed by Dave Fleischer, Animated by Seymour Knetiel and Roland Crandall. Music and Lyrics by Charles Newman and Murray Mercher. Western Electric Noisless Recording, MPPDA approved Certificate Number 0587 and In Technicolor. A Paramount Picture.) Without further ado, here's Somewhere in Dreamland. (Look closely and you'll notice that I removed a fact that was not true, courtesy of Ray Pointer. According to him, he said that VCI is lying about 35mm restoration.

Welcome

Welcome to my Blog devoted to Fleischer and Famous Studios. The Fleischer cartoons are from the Paramount era only. No Jam Handy, Out of the Inkwell Productions, or Alfed Weiss' fake Paramount relases. To kick off, we invite Gabby (of GULLIVER'S TRAVELS fame), fighting fire along with a semi-classical piece used in fire scences. The color is much better, maybe it was a Paramount orginal that looks like an NTA print, but I could be wrong because the logo got cut out. I love that piece, though I don't beleive in favorite songs.