Van Beuren Studios: Difference between revisions

Despite the studio’s mild successes during its waning years, it was forced to closed its doors when RKO Radio Pictures decided to release Walt Disney cartoons, rather than those produced by Van Beuren.

Like many non-Disney/[[Warner Bros]]. cartoon studios, critics and historians generally tend to give Van Beuren the footnote treatment, writing off the cartoons as cheaply produced drivel—but this isn't quite true. For all the sloppy animation and one-note characters, there are some inspired gags here and there, as well as some very good musical scores provided with each cartoon. Despite this, many of the shorts were scattered and lost for a long time, due to their [[Public Domain Animation|public domain status]] and lack of care. The fact that the studio's role in the [[History of Animation]] was very minor and tangential compared to the other studios didn't help. Fortunately, thanks to recent DVD collections, especially from Thunderbean, the bulk of this studio's sound output is available on DVD for viewing. Research copies of the entire Van Beuren sound output are available for animation historians on [[Cartoon Brew|Jerry Beck's]] [http://www.cartoonresearch.com/ Cartoon Research] website.

* Aesop's Film Fables

* Cubby Bear

* Rainbow Parade: A series of lavish color cartoons, starring such fare as Molly Moo-Cow, Parrotville, and Toonerville Trolley.

* [[Felix the Cat]]: Three of the Rainbow Parade shorts were centered on him in an attempt to revive the series and give Van Beuren a true star character. Unfortunately, Felix lost all of his established personality and was turned into a stock [[Funny Animal]].

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== Sound Film Filmography ==

* Dinner Time: Dec. 17 Aesop's Fables--Paul Terry

* The Faithful Pup--May 4--Aesop's Fables--Paul Terry, Harry Bailey

* Concentrate--May 4--Aesop's Fables--Paul Terry

* Close Call--Dec. 1--Aesop's Fables--Harry Bailey

* The Iron Man--Jan 4--Aesop's Fables--Foster

* Ship Ahoy--Jan 7--Aesop's Fables--Foster

* King of Bugs--Dec. 21--Fables--Foster, Bailey

* Toy Town Tales (AKA Toyland Adventure) Jan 4-Aesop's Fables--Foster, Davis

* Red Riding Hood--Jan 18--Fables, Foster, Bailey

* A Swiss Trick--Dec. 19--Tom and Jerry--Foster, Stallings

* Toy Time--Jan. 27--Aesop's Fables--Foster, Bailey

* Rocketeers--Jan 30--Tom and Jerry--Foster, Rufle

* Bugs and Books--Dec. 30--Fables, Foster, Davis

* Tight Rope Tricks--Jan 6--Tom and Jerry--John Foster, George Rufle

* Silvery Moon (AKA Candy Town)--Jan 13--Aesop's Fables--John Foster, Mannie Davis

* Croon Crazy-dec 29--Cubby--Steve Muffati

* The Rasslin' Match-Jan 5--Amos n' Andy--George Stallings

* Jest of Honor--Jan 19--Little King--Stallings

* Mischevious Mice--Cubby Bear--Unreleased--Harman and Ising

* The Sunshine Makers-Jan 11, RP, Gillett, Ted Eshbaugh

* Parrotville Old Folks--Jan 25, RP--Gillett, Palmer

* Molly Moo Cow and Rip Van Winkle--Dec. 17, RP--Gillett, Palmer

* Toonerville Trolley--Jan 17--Rainbow Parade--Gillet, Palmer

* Felix Goose--Feb 7, RP, Gillett, Palmer

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* [[Animation Bump]]: Once Burt Gillett got to the studio, the animation improved considerably over the previous shorts.

* [[Body Horror]]: In a scene in a Tom and Jerry short, where they are visiting the Swiss Alps, they eat a strange kind of cheese that causes swiss cheese like holes to open up in their body!