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Early Sound

Ann “Little” Rothschild

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Ann L. Rothschild, better known as Little Ann Little, started in show business in 1925 as a part of the Greenwich Village Follies. In the early 1930s, she auditioned for the part of a new cartoon character at Fleischer Studios. Impressed by her high-..."

Bosko Shipwrecked!

Filed under: animation, , , , ,

Producer(s): Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising

Release Date: 19/09/1931

"Bosko attempts to steer a boat through a storm to no avail. He then washes ashore only to be hassled by the local wildlife.Bosko and the lion's alternation between movement towards and away from the spectator deserves particular note for its innovati..."

Carl W. Stalling

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , ,

"Carl Stalling was the composer of Warner Bros. Cartoon classic Looney Tunes, serving as composer and arranger for over 22 years and averaging the completion of a score per week. St..."

Dinner Time

Filed under: animation, , , , , ,

Producer(s): Paul Terry

Release Date: 17/12/1928 (copyright date, possibly not release date)

"An early example of sound animation. In it, animals square off against each other and then join forces against a Butcher (Farmer Alfalfa)."

Émile (Eugène Jean Louis) Courtet

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Émile Cohl was an important early independent cartoonist and animator, who was a caricaturist in the "Incoherent Movement" and has often been called "The Father of the Animated Cartoon.""

Ferdinand Horvath

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Ferdinand Horvath was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1891. Horvath was an animator and illustrator at various major animation studios such as Fable Studios, Inc., Walt Disney, and Screen Gems (Columbia Pictures) Horvath died of a stroke on Novem..."

Ferdinand the Bull

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Walt Disney

Release Date: 25/11/1938

"Ferdinand is a quiet, peaceful young bull who only wants to stop and smell the flowers. But, when he is stung by a bee, the townspeople believe he is ferocious and take him to the bullfight ring."

Flip the Frog – School Days

Filed under: animation, , , , , , ,

Release Date: 14/05/1932

"School Days features Flip trying to prevent his dog from coming to school with him. His dog eventually comes all the way to school, however, wreaking havoc in the classroom by chasing a skunk in. Everyone runs from the classroom, ending school early."

Flip the Frog – Spooks

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Ub Iwerks Pat Powers

Release Date: 21/12/1931

"Seeking shelter from a storm, Flip and his horse arrive at a house which, unbeknownst to them, is inhabited entirely by skeletons. Flip sits through a ghoulish dinner with the head of the house before enjoying a bout of dancing with a lady skeleton. ..."

Jam Handy Organization

Filed under: studio, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Jam Handy Organization was founded by Jam Handy just before the First World War. The company produced educational, advertising, and training films. During the First and Second World Wars, Jam Handy Organization animated and produced training and inst..."

Kenzō Masaoka

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Masaoka was one of the first Japanese animators, who also trained and guided artists who would move on to become the next generation of animators. Masaoka is credited with creating the earliest anime using cel animation and recorded sound. He has als..."

Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing

Filed under: animation, , , , , ,

Release Date: 29/02/1916

Laverne Harding

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Laverne Harding was the second female studio animator in history, and one of the first to receive onscreen credit for her work. She started out as an inker for the Walter Lantz Productions, moving on to do animation work for several of the Lantz Prod..."

Let’s Celebrake!

Filed under: animation, , , ,

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 1938

""Popeye invites Olive's grandmother along for a New Year's Eve party.""

Lillian Friedman Astor

Filed under: people, , , , , , , ,

"Lilian Friedman Astor was the first American female studio animator and worked at Fleischer studios."

Lillian Friedman Astor

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , ,

"Lillian Friedman Astor was born in New York City. She developed a passion for drawing as a preteen, and went on to attend Washington Irving High School, focusing on fashion design. After a brief stint as a fashion designer upon graduation, she sought..."

Making ‘Em Move

Filed under: animation, , , , ,

Release Date: 1931

"A classic 1931's cartoon from Van Beuren Studios, Make 'Em Move depicts a mischievous female character whom stumbles in onto the scene of a cartoon factory bursting with drawings and jazz music. The animals depicted create animation much like themsel..."

Max Fleischer

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Max Fleischer was an American inventor born in Hungary, who moved to the United States with his family at the age of 4 and later became a filmmaker, animator, director and producer, famous for serving as the head of his own animation studio, Fleisch..."

Oliver Wallace

Filed under: people, , , , , , ,

"Born in England, Wallace studied music widely, in London as well as in Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. First relocating to Canada in 1904, Oliver eventually settled in the United States, becoming a citizen 10 years later in 1914. After compl..."

Otto Messmer

Filed under: people, , , , , , , ,

"Messmer was a legendary American cartoonist and animator, who was best know as the creator of Felix the Cat, who is considered the first major cartoon star."

Out of the Inkwell Films/Fleischer Studios

Filed under: studio, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Out of the Inkwell Films, renamed Fleischer Studios in 1929, was founded by brothers- Dave and Max Fleischer, in 1921. The Fleischers' studio was one of the most influential and successful animation studios in the silent era as well as in the Golden ..."

Patrick Anthony (Pat) Powers

Filed under: people, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Pat Powers was an influential American businessman who was involved with the film and animation developments inAmericaduring the first part of the twentieth century. His most important development being the work of Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, who he b..."

Pigs is Pigs

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 30/01/1937

"This 1937 Merrie Melodies short stereotypes pigs as gluttonous, insatiable beings whose mortal sins have explosive consequences. Piggy has a hunger that cannot be fulfilled, and much to the chagrin of his mother all he does throughout the day is fant..."

Popeye the Sailor

Filed under: animation, , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 14/07/1933

"This Popeye The Sailor cartoon features Betty Boop, as well as a live action intro featuring Popeye on the cover of a real newspaper. In this cartoon short Olive and Popeye go to the fun fare, and play games in attempt to win prizes, only to be usu..."

Popeye the Sailor: Seasin’s Greetinks!

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 17/12/1933

"Popeye and Olive Oyl go for a skate on a chilly winter day. Bluto tries to spoil their fun, but of course he's no match for Popeye and his spinach. "

Rudy Ising

Filed under: people, , , , , , , ,

"Ising began his animation career first working for Walt Disney, and was the lifelong business partner of Hugh Harman, producing Oscar-win..."

Silly Scandals

Filed under: animation, , , , ,

Producer(s): Max Fleischer Adolph Zukor

Release Date: 23/05/1931

"This cartoon marks the origin of Betty Boop (at least the name anyway, the character, or at least one with an uncanny resemblance, had appeared before). Bimbo sneaks into a vaudeville theater to see Betty perform. He is enthralled with her performanc..."

Sinkin’ In The Bathtub

Filed under: animation, , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Leon Schlesinger

Release Date: 19/04/1930

"Both racist and a blatant ripoff of Mickey Mouse, this is the first Looney Tunes cartoon. It follows Bosko bathing and then having an adventure on a tiny anthropomorphic train, during this he courts Honey. "

Snow White

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Max Fleischer

Release Date: 31/03/1933

"A slim musical adaptation of Snow White's tale. Despite the queen's order to behead Betty (Snow White), the two guards, Bimbo and Koko, rescued Betty and entered a cave where Koko's renowned dancing rotoscoped from Cab Calloway. The evil queen pursue..."

Steamboat Willie

Filed under: animation, , , , ,

Producer(s): Walt Disney Roy O. Disney

Release Date: 29/07/1928

"The first Mickey Mouse cartoon with synchronized sound. Disney agonized over the synchronization of sound to the animation in Steamboat Willie. The cartoon also introduces a prototypical Minnie mouse. Mickey's pretty much a jerk within the narrative ..."

Terrytoons

Filed under: studio, , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Paul Terry opened his own animation studio, called Terrytoons, in 1929.   Paul Terry is known in the animation industry for producing his cartoons quickly, and for resisting improvements. Terry’s goal was to produce cartoons at the lowest cost po..."

The Friendly Ghost-Casper playing with friends

Filed under: animation, , , , , , , , , , ,

Producer(s): Sam Buchwald

Release Date: 16/11/1945

Van Beuren Studios

Filed under: studio, , , , , , , , , , , ,

"Van Beuren Studios was an animation studio in the 1930s.  After Paul Terry left Aesop's Fables Studio, due to a disagreement over sound with his partner, Amadee J. Van Beuren, Van Beuren reorganized the studio, prepared it for the production of soun..."

William C. (Bill) Nolan

Filed under: people, , , , , , ,

"Nolan was a innovative film animator and director during the early days of sound animation, working mostly with Walter Lantz and J.R. Bra..."