Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Filmography: You're Driving Me Crazy (1931)
This post is just the tip of the iceberg... see reason number 7 on our The Top Ten Reasons To Support The A-HAA for links to more great cartoons to study.
We continue to digitize the Fleischer Bouncing Ball Screen Songs... today, we added the 1931 sing-along cartoon, "You're Driving Me Crazy" to our collection.
The song was a big hit for Guy Lombardo's band at the time, and it lends itself perfectly to a cartoon treatment. Like the best of the Fleischer cartoons, the music pulses through the whole cartoon like a heartbeat. There's plenty of great scatting in the first half, which sounds like it might be provided by Louis Prima in his early days as a jazz trumpeter in New York.
From 1930 to 1934, the Fleischers were on a roll. Just about every cartoon they made during this time was a classic. It's hard to understand why the much less interesting Mickey Mouse cartoons and the innumerable Disney imitators garnered all of the attention in the film press of the day when exciting and fun cartoons like this were being made.
Check out that monkey masher!
A couple of months ago, I read a few postings on an internet chat board that discussed the Fleischer Screen Songs series. The posters stated that the Bouncing Ball cartoons were among Fleischer's weakest releases. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Screen Songs were the most popular Fleischer cartoons of their day. Cartoon fans often assume that the cartoons they haven't seen are the "bad ones". I think this cartoon will prove that the Screen Songs are among Fleischer's best.
You're Driving Me Crazy (Fleischer/1931)
(Quicktime 7 / 15 megs)
PLEASE NOTE The text and media files on the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Blog are not to be duplicated, redistributed or hosted on other websites without the prior written permission of the Board of Directors of ASIFA-Hollywood.
If you like this cartoon, see our previous Screen Songs postings... I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles and Mariutch. If you'd like to see more, stop by the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive in Burbank. We have over 12 hours of Screen Songs available for viewing. We're beginning to digitize our collection of color Terrytoons now. More on that soon.
Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive
Stumble It!
posted by Stephen Worth @ 1:46 PM
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11 Comments:
Much less intresting? I doubt you have actually seen The Mail Pilot or The Whopiee Party. Don't tell me you are not getting any Disney cartoons in the museum. That's like haveing an Art book not having anying De Vinchi's just because the author doesn't like most of his work.
If you compare the complete output of the Fleischers and Disney during the early thirties, you'll see that although Disney had some good cartoons. like The Gorilla Mystery, Mickey's Nightmare and Mail Pilot; overall, the Fleischers were much more consistent in quality. In 1931, there is no comparison at all. Traffic Troubles and Barnyard Olympics are downright primitive compared to anything the Fleischers produced during that period; and in 1929-1930, the Fleischers were succeeding at tackling complex lipsync and jazzy syncopated action while Mickey was still avoiding speaking and moving to a metronomic beat.
See ya
Steve
I wonder if these screen songs get short shrift because they don't (generally) have *STAR* characters as an instantly accessible "hook?" As in, "Oh, boy, it's POPEYE! / BETTY BOOP! / BUGS BUNNY! / WOODY WOODPECKER! / ETC!"
The posted samples really whet one's appetite for more. Thanks to you and all the archive contributors & volunteers.
WOW!! WHOA!! everytime i think i'll never see another really crazy fleischer cartoon again, you reveal a new one. i couldn't believe how awesome this was, THANKS for posting this!
You ain't seen nothing yet, Ryan! Stop by the archive soon. We've got a nice stack of DVDs for you to look at.
See ya
Steve
wow that's amazing! thanks!
and that definitely sounds like louis prima!
does the asifa east have any manner of archive? i need to look into it...and i don't know why i haven't joined yet...and i'm not sure why i need to write my internal monologue on your blog...
As we get the archive established at ASIFA-Hollywood, we're hoping that other ASIFA chapters will raise the funds for a digitizing station so they can participate in the archive project. I'd like to see the ASIFA Animation Archive syndicated all over the world.
Thanks
Steve
Will your archive feature any classic Disney cartoons, anyway (particurlaly the Silly Symphonies)?
Yes, we will be including Disney films in the archive. But Disney's output is well represented on commercial DVDs. We're starting with the studios that aren't readily available first.
Thanks
Steve
That cartoon is genius, Steve and what a finale. Fleischers sure knew how to build their cartoons. Great pacing.
Keep up the good work!
John
Amazing. Thanks so much for doing this! Does anyone know if the male scat-singer in this one is Cliff ("Ukelele Ike") Edwards? Sounds a lot like him, but I can't swear it's him.
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