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Director: Otto Messmer
Release date: November 9, 1919
Stars: Felix the Cat (as Master Tom)
Rating: ★★★
Review:
‘Feline Follies’ sees the birth of the biggest cartoon star of the 1920s, Felix the Cat. In an age when most cartoon stars were more or less human, Felix the Cat was not the first animal cartoon star (that honor has to go to Krazy Kat), but he was the first original one (as Krazy Kat originally was a comic strip character) and the most famous of all before the advent of Mickey Mouse, paving the way for countless animal cartoon stars to come.
In his first film Felix is called ‘master Tom’. While he dates a white kitten named “Miss Kitty White’, the mice run havoc in the kitchen. Felix gets the blame and flees the house, but his girlfriend appears to have loads of children. Seeing no other way out of his misery, Felix commits suicide using gas…
When compared to the earlier Charlie Chaplin films, Otto Messmer already shows a greater amount of creativity in ‘Feline Follies’. The story may be loosely composed, it’s a clear one from start to end, and not just a string of gags like the earlier Charlie Chaplin films were. But more important, one of Felix’s trademark mannerisms, his tale changing into a question mark, already appears a few seconds into the film. Later, the two cats create steps out of musical notes. Metamorphosis gags like these would play an important part in the series, adding to its wonderful atmosphere.
Master Tom/Felix is a singular star from the start, not somebody’s pet. And like Charlie Chaplin before him, he’s a tramp, living outside, without regular food and shelter. ‘Feline Follies’ is no great cartoon in itself, but it sure shows potential. Indeed, although ‘Feline Follies’ was conceived as a standalone cartoon, made to help the Earl Hurd studio out, the film was such a success, distributor Paramount requested another one, and later a complete series. With his third film, Felix got his name, and the greatest cartoon series of the 1920s was born.
Watch ‘Feline Follies’ yourself and tell me what you think:
‘Feline Follies’ is available on the Blu-Ray ‘Cartoon Roots: Otto Messmer’s Feline Follies’, the DVD-set ‘Popeye the Sailor 1933-1938’ and the DVD ‘Presenting Felix the Cat’
Director: Chuck Jones
Release Date: January 20, 1965
Stars: Tom & Jerry
Rating: ★★★
Review:
‘Ah, Sweet Mouse Story of Life’ is the first of a short series of five classic chase cartoons with blackout gags, resembling Chuck Jones’ own Road Runner series.
The gags are good, but somehow surprisingly unfunny at the same time. Most remarkably, this cartoon revives an ancient cartoon power, frequently used by Felix the cat in the twenties: the ability to use one’s question marks and thoughts.
Watch ‘Ah, Sweet Mouse Story of Life’ yourself and tell me what you think:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3yzc0k
This is Tom & Jerry cartoon No. 134
To the previous Tom & Jerry cartoon: The Unshrinkable Jerry Mouse
To the next Tom & Jerry cartoon: Tom-ic Energy
Director: unknown
Release Date: December 15, 1925
Stars: Virginia Davis (Alice), Julius
Rating: ★★½
Review:
Alice (Virginia Davis) and her friend Julius the cat are on a safari in the jungle.
The cartoon consists of several unrelated gags: Julius encounters some crocodiles, two elephants go bathing, Julius makes a barber sign post out of a tiger’s tail, and both Alice and Julius are chased by lions (a scene similar to the finale of Alice’s pilot cartoon).
The cartoon contains many surreal gags, a lot of them unashamedly Felix the Cat-like, especially when Julius uses his comic expressions and balloons as tools. Alice’s role, however, is extremely limited here. This is no surprise, for ‘Alice in the Jungle’ is made around leftover footage of Virginia Davis, who, after some salary problems, had been replaced by Margie Gay in early 1925.
Watch ‘Alice in the Jungle’ yourself and tell me what you think:
‘Alice in the Jungle’ is available on the DVD ‘Walt Disney Treasures: Disney Rarities’
Dr. Grob's Animation Review 