We’re skip what’s going on in Thunderbeanland this week — but if you’re in New York, I’ll be at the Film Forum on Sunday and Monday for the shows of restored cartoons, including the premiere of the restored Felix the Cat “Rainbow Parade” BOLD KING COLE from the original successive exposure negatives. Devon Baxter did a beautiful job on it! Information here:
• CARTOONS LOST AND FOUND – Sunday August 10 at 4:15pm [CLICK HERE for details]
• MUSICAL CARTOONS BEFORE THE CODE – Monday August 11 at 6pm [CLICK HERE for details]
I’m definitely dreaming of less hot weather here. It’s been hot as heck, and a few days of beautiful weather here reminded me of how much I enjoy it just a little milder than this overall hot summer has been. So – what’s better than a winter-themed Columbia cartoon to distract one from the weather?
The Columbia cartoons have never really been given a fair shake- and I think a huge piece of that is never getting a really good, restored release. The later UPA shorts have at least had a decent DVD release at this point. When I see a good IB Technicolor print of one, I’m still astonished that there has never been more consideration and exploitation by the Columbia.
While Snowtime (1938) isn’t the best of the Ub Iwerks Columbia Rhapsodies, it’s a pretty enjoyable little musical outing. The cartoon starts with a classroom full of grade school animals asking professor owl “why do we have snow?’ . This leads to professor owl spining a fantasy story of how things work at the North Pole. Maybe in this universe this actually exists. Anyway, this leads to a beautiful Technicolor excuse for lots of singing and color, including the four cheery winds and a bunch of elves.
I had never had a print of this particular one and had only seen it online from a broadcast. When I scanned this IB Technicolor print, it reminded me of what was so special about the process, and just how good one of these cartoons can look. And that said, sometimes the extravagance and music and fun is enough to make this a perfectly acceptable cartoon distraction from the depression and everything else going on in life in 1938.
So, enjoy a bit of Winter, if only on the screen. Some day, when these cartoons finally get a proper HD restoration, I hope these old IB Technicolor prints are referenced. This re-release print looks miles ahead of the version otherwise available. The Rhapsodies need a hero.
Have a good week all— and make sure to watch this one in HD!