Wot A Night - a 1931 Tom and Jerry funfest from Van Beuren - check out this new DVD...I've been watching it all week!
These Van Beuren cartoons are ALL visual humor (almost no dialog) but they're driven by amazing old-timey jazz scores. I could just listen to the music alone and have a great time. You gotta see 'em!
Fun cartoon. Highlights include the treatment of the water in the cab, the trees with tentacle-like flutes, and the skeleton going down the drain almost like a double-helix.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely need to watch more of these. I'm a Fleischer guy, but these have good visual humor, too. Even if the animation isn't quite as good.
I'm new to these, too...but I'm surprised that they have a similar surreal urban quality - kind of like low-rent Fleishers. I really love the music. I noticed that I enjoy the sensation of feeling like I have NO idea what's going to happen from one moment to the next!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, one amazing/unexpected gag after another! The cloud/pipe-organ gag was my favorite. It woulda been so fun to work on these toons! Are they all this good? One more item to add to my wish list.
ReplyDeletei love van beuren cartoons! my friend pedro turned me on to them on my first nyc animation job about 4 years ago now. it's great to see that there were other studios out there that weren't just emulating disney. i feel like van beuren took the viewpoint of "we might not be as good as fleischer...but we can be way weirder!"
ReplyDeletei bought jerry beck's collection from his animation garage sale thing and it totally makes me proud to be an animator in new york! i just wish i was doing the same kind of crazy work!