New "Wanted List" Website

I've started a new simple and free web page called Silent Cartoons Wanted. It's basically my want list of 16mm silent-era cartoons that will be updated in real time as I acquire prints. From now on the "Buying 16mm Cartoons" at the top of this blog will be linked to said page.

Cartoon Carnival on July 8th, 2009

You're invited to the next installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival presented by The Kings County Cinema Society! Come and see some classic cartoon characters you know and some ancient ones you've never heard of! The show is presented in 16mm with a projector--no digital aspect whatsoever enabling you to enjoy film as it was originally intended.

$5. Donation at the rear of Freddy's Bar

Date:
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Time:
8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
Freddy's Bar and Backroom
Street:
485 Dean St.
City/Town:
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY

By Subway take the 2, 3 trains to Bergen Street; Freddy's is right around the corner. Or take practically any train in the city to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street Stations; Walk East on Flatbush and take a left on Dean.

**Please join our group at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=205685270704

All the Aesop's Fables cartoons should be out there...

The Aesop's Fables cartoons produced in 1921 to 1929 are an interesting topic of discussion among animation fans and historians. "Historians", if you will, tend to dismiss them for their lack of originality, inconsistent and occasional poor animation.
It can be said, though, that so-called historians are really just educated critics in their own right. Ask almost any baby boomer, especially from the Northeast of America, what cartoons they watched on television as a kid and many will cite Farmer Gray. Gray was the nickname given to Farmer Alfalfa by one of the New York kiddie TV show hosts while in competition with a rival host. The animated product was the same on both shows but apparently it's all in the naming of the character...and in both cases, these baby boomers speak of the Aesop's Fables cartoons lovingly, perhaps even if out of pure nostalgia for a time so recent yet so completely lost in today's American culture.
As I've probably mentioned on this blog before, at least three firms were responsible for bringing the 1920s Fables to television. Stuart Productions, also known as Guaranteed Pictures and later known as FilmVideo released 44; Saul Turrell of Sterling Television under the "Snappy Cartoons" moniker and most certainly Commonwealth Pictures which had the biggest stake of the cartoons. Those of you who have been watching public domain tapes for a long time probably recall seeing "Commonwealth" main titles on some of the color Van Beuren cartoons. Below we see a nice ad for Commonwealth's film package, found in a 1950's television trade paper. Mark Kausler tells me Commonwealth had at least 304 of the 430+ Fables. Considering the ad states 400 cartoons, it makes sense if they carried other Van Beuren product. David Gerstein agrees that it's nice to see Ub Iwerks' name proudly displayed on a 1950s advertisement.

What does this all mean? Television prints are not impossible to find, making the Aesop's Fables not only the largest silent cartoon series but also one that has the best odds of being completely archived and accessible. The TV prints don't account for all the original nitrates held in archives, either. For as long as I'm breathing it will be a quest to find more of these titles.
And now, a sound version Commonwealth fable cartoon for you.

Tom on the Fanboy blog, etc...

Check it out folks, my first Cartoon Carnival was written up by Joe Strike and appears over at the Fanboy blog.

Remember folks, join the Carnival group over on Facebook for updates on new screenings- at this rate, there definitely will be several in the near future!

Cartoon Carnival 1 in retrospect

After all these years I've finally put on my first public 16mm screening of these ancient cartoons. The turnout wasn't as big as I'm hoping for in the future, but large enough to make a very nice start to the series, and I think the audience really enjoyed the varied presentation.

Photos by Joe Strike
And how would this blog post be complete without a video? ENJOY!

Join the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival group on Facebook and get alerts for any upcoming shows!

Brooklyn, NY: Cartoon Carnival #1

Friday, June 12th 8pm to 10pm
Come and enjoy the first installment of the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival—a series of screenings featuring ancient and offbeat animation, all presented on 100% genuine 16mm film! See cartoons culled from a large private collection, produced from the 1910s to 1930s when true hand-drawn art filled movie palace screens... and political correctness didn't exist!

$4-$7 donation at the rear of Goodbye Blue Monday. Say THANK YOU to Goodbye Blue Monday for hosting this event by purchasing a drink at the bar!

J train to Kosciuzko St., walk 3 blocks down Broadway to 1087.

If you need help with more detailed or custom directions, email me at CartoonsOnFilm (at) gmail (dot) com

Happy Mothers Day!

New Blog: David Gerstein

Attention, Folks! As Santa Barbarian youth from the late 80s might recall, "WE WANT DAVID GERSTEIN!" was a chant with the best intentions for making sure the limitless knowledge and humor of our fellow historian Dave Gerstein was accessible to all interested parties. This finally applies even moreso now that he has started a new and very promising blog; Prehistoric Pop Culture, or 'ramapithblog' for short.
David is sure to share much of his knowledge of all things Disney, other miscellany like early Warner Bros. as well as many interesting comic book facts and tidbits. Obviously the random exotic dinner recipe will be thrown in...anyone with esoteric or downright eccentric tastes will enjoy this blog and I highly recommend it.
http://ramapithblog.blogspot.com/

Ken Priebe, Stop Motion Detective

Ken Priebe has posted a wonderful update on his blog The Boundaries of Fantasia in which his detective work and appreciation for all things stop motion animation are showcased. Ken's latest update, Explorations in Stop-Motion History moves from some interesting George Pal imagery (huge favorite of mine!) and then into the annals of something much more relevant to Stathesian animation studies, a [stop motion] animator of the silent era. Ken's musings and research on Howard Moss and his Mo-Toy and "Mugsy" character films is most interesting to me and I highly suggest readers here visit the blog post here.
As posted on Ken's blog and here several months back, a video shot of actual 16mm projection of a film done by Moss and re-released in the 1940s with a new title and narration.

Flip's Lunchroom

Here's a nice Iwerks cartoon I didn't see readily available online...transferred from my 16mm collection. Note the awesome Films Inc. distributor introduction! Enjoy.

NEW DVD releases!

NEW DVD releases for 2009! $20.00 each plus shipping.

TS-41 Farmer Alfalfa Vol. 7 - Everyone's favorite Farmer Alfalfa from Paul Terry.
Alley Cat (1923) Farmer Al encounters the Cat KKK in his nightmares!
African Huntsman (1924)
Jealous Fisherman (1925)
Runaway Balloon (1925)
Up in the Air (1926)
Red Hot Sands (1927)
Flying Hoofs (1928)
Mechanical Cow (1937)

TS-42 Aesop's Fables Vol.2 - More early treasures from Paul Terry.
Rooster and the Eagle (1921)
Monkey Business (1924)
Adventures of Adenoid (1925)
Hitting the Rails (1926)
Wicked City (1926)
Pirates Bold (1926)
High Seas (1927)
Lad and His Lamp (1929)

TS-43 Alice Comedies - More silent classics from Walt Disney.
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- rare Sound version)
Alice's Tin Pony (1925- home movie version)
Alice Chops the Suey (1925)
Alice in the Jungle (1925)
Alice in the Wooly West (1926)
Alice's Little Parade (1926)
Alice the Whaler (1927- rare sound verion)

The following two collections feature Eastern European, mostly Russian cartoons which were edited, retitled, and repackaged with new English soundtracks for American telivision consumption in the 1960s. Here's a rare chance to see what was coming out of Europe during the Cold War. Packaged by Fima Noveck for Flamingo Telefilm, youth of the 1960s and 1970s remember these cartoons well. Unfortunately these color prints have turned red

TS-44 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 1
Hole in the Sky
Wooden Boy
War of Colors
Gone with the Goose
One Sunny Day
Beggar's Treasure
Woody in Toyland
Detective's Nightmare
Millie the Kid
Monkey and the Atom

TS-45 Flamingo Cartoons Vol. 2
Wolf Trap
Bullies in a Toy Shop
The Rescue
The Party
Lion and the Gazelle
And So On
Animal School
Tiger Trouble
Barefoot King
Magic Mirror.

Shipping extra. Simply email me at cartoonsonfilm [at] gmail.com if interested. Thanks always, friends.

Tom's Vintage Film- The largest source of Early Animation offering some 350 cartoons!
http://farmeralfalfa.tripod.com

Intellitoons Forums

To all the followers and surfers:
Please join Intellitoons Forums, hosted by Thad Komorowski and myself.
We welcome all intelligent discussion relating to classic cartoons as well as offering a generously liberal platform to speak your mind on virtually all topics- including off topic ones!
Remember folks, please register with your real name as the user name.

New Video

This has been over two years forthcoming...finally I have put together a video about my personal tour of the local RKO Keith's theater here in Flushing New York. Definitely of interest to both film historians as well as theater and architecture historians and preservationists. Feel free to cover this on your blogs as well.

Off Topic: 1876 advice for 2009

In looking through my collection of FLUSHING DAILY TIMES newspapers from 1876-1880, I came across the following passage which I found interesting and appropriate for our current times.

One result of the present dullness in trade of all kinds will be the driving out of the credit system, and the restablishment of the cash basis permanently. When we reach the point where retail merchants will only sell for cash, then the prosperity of the people will follow, for then will money be valued higher than it is at present, and its purchasing power be better understood than it has been in the latter years of our national history.
-Flushing Daily Times, March 9th, 1876.

Silent Disney Cartoon Reviews

For the silent-era Disney connosieurs out there I would like to proudly recommend The Disney Film Project. On the blog, Ryan Kilpatrick follows a largely chronological method of reviewing the silent Disney cartoons complete with frame grabs. This is a crucial step (and one that is largely ignored elsewhere) in Ryan's goal to review all of the Disney films. Don't miss the latest review, Alice the Peacemaker, and keep a lookout for ones to come!