Rankin Bass On The Big Screen: “Willy McBean And His Magic Machine”
Sixty years later, Willy McBean is an interesting enough film to merit some examination.
The 40th Anniversary of “The Great Mouse Detective”
The film was a glimmer of hope for the studio’s future after two challenging decades.
Wartime Cartoons – What Are Your Favorites?
What’s your favorite – or best – WW2 short? Plus Thunderbean Rambles and some progress on the ‘Cartoons for Victory’ Blu-ray!
“Moving” Pictures (Part 5)
Let’s spend an afternoon “moving” along with Hanna-Barbera, during their early “glory years” of TV. We’ll focus today only on three of their early series – Yogi Bear, Pixie and…
An In-Depth Look at MGM’s “Dangerous When Wet”
While Jerry Mouse’s sequence in “Anchors Aweigh” is more famous, Tom & Jerry’s sequence in “Dangerous When Wet” is more important to the story.
In Honor of the US 250th: A Forgotten Bicentennial Cartoon, “Pinky Doodle” (1976)
This year, marking the golden anniversary of the US Bicentennial and the patriotic pop culture of 1976, we must shine a spotlight on an overlooked DePatie-Freleng theatrical.
Looking Back at “America Rock”
There were generations who learned American History, not just Monday through Friday at school, between Math and Science, but also on Saturday mornings, between Grape Ape and Dynomutt. America Rock,…
Van Beuren Aesop’s Fables “Fairyland Follies” (1931)
The film’s loose plot and ever looser animation revolve around a school of nursery rhyme characters singing and dancing. That’s really it.
“Moving” Pictures (Part 4)
This week, we see sporadic moves by the Goofy Gophers, the Honey-Mousers, Popeye (in a trifecta of furniture-hauling), Astronut, and a late Goofy comeback.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than 15 books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney, and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He has curated cartoons for DVD and Blu-ray compilations and has lent his expertise to dozens of bonus documentaries and audio commentaries on such. Beck is currently on the faculty of USC in Los Angeles, CalArts in Santa Clarita, and UCLA in Westwood – teaching animation history. More about Jerry Beck [Click Here]
