Did you know May 16 is National Classic Movie Day?
To celebrate, we’ve joined Classic Film and TV Café in highlighting five films from the 1950s. Our choices today are shorts from the final years of the Golden Age of Animation.
Although animation appears early in film history (one famous example is Gertie the Dinosaur from 1914), animation’s golden age began in the 1920s with the introduction of sound and popular characters like Mickey Mouse. The era ended in the late 1950s when animated shorts began to migrate from movie theatres to television.
According to the Library of Congress, about nine percent of American households owned televisions in 1950; that number jumped to ninety percent by 1960. During this time, animated shorts (or cartoons) saw a shift in audiences, so animators began appealing more to children than adults.
Today, we’ve chosen a (very) random sampling of 1950s animated shorts, presented here in no particular order. Of course, these films aren’t a comprehensive overview of the decade; these are just a few we like.
1. Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950)
Gerald is a boy who speaks only in sound effects, much to the chagrin of his parents and the annoyance of his classmates at school. But when a radio executive discovers Gerald’s talents, he makes the lad a Star.
This Oscar-winning* film is based on the book by Dr. Seuss, and it was selected for preservation in 1995 by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
2. The Sleeping Beauty (1954)
Animator Lotte Reiniger became the most prominent pioneer in silhouette animation when, in 1919, she began making animated films. Wikipedia describes her cut-out animation (a form of stop motion) as “figures cut out of paperboard, sometimes reinforced with thin metal sheets, and tied together at their joints with thread or wire which are then moved frame-by-frame on an animation stand and filmed top-down”.
Her work is exquisitely beautiful, as evidenced in The Sleeping Beauty (1954).
3. The Tell Tale Heart (1953)
The Tell Tale Heart (1953) is another animated short selected for preservation by the Library of Congress. It’s a psychological horror film, narrated by the fab James Mason, and based on the 1843 story by Edgar Allen Poe.
Rumour has it this film was intended to be shown in 3-D, but it wasn’t released as such. It was, however, given an “X” rating in Britain, which meant it could only be shown to adults.
The animation here is unique, and Mason’s narration is riveting.
Gumby was a creature specifically made for TV; the first 12 stop-motion Gumby shorts aired on the children’s program, Howdy Doody. These were so popular they became their own television series, The Gumby Show, beginning in 1957. According to Gumby Wiki, Gumby shows and specials were produced – either regularly or sporadically – until 2002.
We’ve included Moon Trip (1956) on our list because (a) it’s strange, yet (b) it has an odd charm.
The Warner Bros. animated short, Duck Amuck (1953), features Daffy Duck in a ridiculous predicament: He and his environment are constantly erased and re-drawn by his animator, which causes him no end of frustration.
It’s a delightful bit of deconstruction. According to Wikipedia, “[Chuck] Jones (the director) is speaking to the audience directly, asking ‘Who is Daffy Duck anyway? Would you recognize him if I did this to him?…What if he had no voice? No face? What if he wasn’t even a duck anymore?’ In all cases, Daffy is still Daffy; not all cartoon characters can claim such distinctive personality.”
I started watching these as I put in some cinnamon rolls to bake annnnnnnd damn near forgot the cinnamon rolls! I didn’t know any of these existed and I’m so glad you introduced them to me. I loved them!
Holy crap, James Mason, who generally creeps me out anyway, is scary in Tell Tale Heart! Magnificently scary! And that darn Bugs, he can be so naughty 😊. These are just great, thank you so much for them. Like a Gumby said, “I was on the moon.”
Happy Classic Movie Day! What a terrific way to celebrate it.
Hi. I just watched The Sleeping Beauty. It’s really something. LR’s conception and technique are beautiful. The film seems kind of timeless. I think it would be a hit if it came out today.
Wow! I adore this post – so wonderful. All, except Bugs, of course, are new to me and all are delightful (although Gumby always made me want to hold a hot flame to him).
Ah, Gumby–I loved watching that show as much as my son loved watching Pingu! Speaking of animation though, I just finished watching the Netflix show Love, Death, and Robots–all the episodes are different styles of animation, and some of them are extremely realistic (and not for children either!)
This is a fun twist on the original theme. I love the Daffy Duck short. He is one of my favorite Warner Bros. cartoon characters (and let’s face it, Warner Bros. made the smartest cartoons!). I hadn’t seen THE TELL-TALE HEART since I was a kid. It was a blast watching t again…and listening to James Mason’s narration.
What a cool selection! I’ve seen the Daffy Duck one many times, but I’m so glad you introduced the others to me. Funnily enough, I included a version of Sleeping Beauty on my own list — great minds think alike? 😉
Such delightful choices. The variety gave me especial pleasure. The creativity in each impresses and entertains. It shows the versatility in animation. We could call it “true cinema.”
Gumby! Introducing five short animated film was a great and original idea Ruth! I’m looking forward to check these! As a matter of fact I just started Gerald McBoing-Boing!
Thank you for your take on this topic! I’ve only seen Gerald McBoing-Boing and Duck Amuck. This gives me reason to get back into watching classic animation too. Thank you!
I LOVE these cartoons! The dialogue to most of the Warner Bros. cartoons are stuck in my head, and Gerald McBoing-Boing is so sweet, he just breaks my heart. Excellent choices.
Original approach to the ’50s Favorites blogathon! What a nicely curated array of creative/quirky/fascinating animated shorts. I’d forgotten all about Gerald McBoing Boing, one-time animation superstar…the Sleeping Beauty silhouette-work so suits a fairy tale – and thanks for the intro to Lotte Reiniger. The Tell-Tale Heart with James Mason’s narration and the Salvador Dali-esque imagery is quite a show-stopper. That voice! Gumby is just plain off-the-wall and so very ’50s…and the Daffy short is a fitting finale…Th-th-th-that’s all, folks 🙂
Thanks! I love 1950s animation. Every decade has remarkable animation, but I especially like the shorts from the Fifties & wanted to celebrate some of those amazing works.
Ruth, what a great idea for a post. It’s fabulous we can watch these right here. I will admit to not being a big fan of animated storytelling, although as a kid I certainly enjoyed them on TV on Saturday mornings. I need to fill in this big gap of knowledge, so I appreciate your curating some selections for me!
Thanks! It was hard to settle on just five choices – I might pick a different five today. The 1950s was a truly remarkable decade when it came to animation, film and television, no?
Thanks for the links. I’m really interested in watching some of these now, especially Sleeping Beauty and The Tell Tale Heart. It’s surprising that Mason wasn’t used more for voice-overs, given his wonderful voice.
Silver Screenings 
You’ve introduced me to a new world of animated shorts and also taught me some things I didn’t know.
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These are terrific, aren’t they? So many wonderful shorts from that decade. It was hard to narrow the choices down to five.
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I started watching these as I put in some cinnamon rolls to bake annnnnnnd damn near forgot the cinnamon rolls! I didn’t know any of these existed and I’m so glad you introduced them to me. I loved them!
Holy crap, James Mason, who generally creeps me out anyway, is scary in Tell Tale Heart! Magnificently scary! And that darn Bugs, he can be so naughty 😊. These are just great, thank you so much for them. Like a Gumby said, “I was on the moon.”
Happy Classic Movie Day! What a terrific way to celebrate it.
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Isn’t James Mason utterly fabulous in “The Tell Tale Heart”? He’s the right amount of creepiness + intelligence + insanity.
As for Bugs & Daffy, I love that short. I live how free-wheeling it is, and how the animators did whatever they felt like.
As for those cinnamon buns… mmm! I can smell them from here. 🙂
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That’s it exactly! He IS the right amount of all three of those things! Always!
I do know what you’re saying about Daffy’s turn. It feels like they were uninhibited and it was wonderful. I had so much fun with these today…
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Hi. I just watched The Sleeping Beauty. It’s really something. LR’s conception and technique are beautiful. The film seems kind of timeless. I think it would be a hit if it came out today.
Neil
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I think you’re right, Neil. “The Sleeping Beauty” has a timeless quality about it – plus, it’s so clever. Her works are masterpieces.
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I did not know that about May 16! What a cool post to commemorate it. And heck yeah the Tell-Tale Heart!
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Isn’t James Mason perfect in The Telltale Heart? I’ve seen it a zillion times and his narration never gets old.
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Yes!! Yes he is! 🙂
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Wow! I adore this post – so wonderful. All, except Bugs, of course, are new to me and all are delightful (although Gumby always made me want to hold a hot flame to him).
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Haha! I had to laugh at your Gumby comment. What an odd creature…yet, he has widespread appeal.
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Ah, Gumby–I loved watching that show as much as my son loved watching Pingu! Speaking of animation though, I just finished watching the Netflix show Love, Death, and Robots–all the episodes are different styles of animation, and some of them are extremely realistic (and not for children either!)
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Thanks for the heads up about the Netflix show. I hadn’t heard of it, but I’ll be checking it out.
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This is a fun twist on the original theme. I love the Daffy Duck short. He is one of my favorite Warner Bros. cartoon characters (and let’s face it, Warner Bros. made the smartest cartoons!). I hadn’t seen THE TELL-TALE HEART since I was a kid. It was a blast watching t again…and listening to James Mason’s narration.
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Daffy Duck is my fave, too, and I love how exasperated he gets sometimes.
The Tell-Tale Heart is a relatively new discovery (to me), and it became an instant favourite. James Mason is so talented!
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What a cool selection! I’ve seen the Daffy Duck one many times, but I’m so glad you introduced the others to me. Funnily enough, I included a version of Sleeping Beauty on my own list — great minds think alike? 😉
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You chose a Sleeping Beauty film too? Great minds do think alike! It’s going to be a good day, looking at all these marvellous films from the 50s.
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These are so cool, I love them! Nice to see these and great you picked such a random choice too, I went for 5 British favourites!
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I’ll be dropping by soon to see your 5 British faves. I have a feeling I’ll be adding ’em to my Must Watch list. 😉
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Look forward to reading your views on these ones if you’ve seen them.
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Such delightful choices. The variety gave me especial pleasure. The creativity in each impresses and entertains. It shows the versatility in animation. We could call it “true cinema.”
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Brilliant! I never thought of that. True Cinema, indeed.
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Gumby! Introducing five short animated film was a great and original idea Ruth! I’m looking forward to check these! As a matter of fact I just started Gerald McBoing-Boing!
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Thanks, Virginie. I hope you enjoy!
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Thank you for your take on this topic! I’ve only seen Gerald McBoing-Boing and Duck Amuck. This gives me reason to get back into watching classic animation too. Thank you!
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These are wonderful, aren’t they? The scripts, the voices, the animation itself… So much talent in animation history, as I’m discovering.
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The prolificness of people like Mel Blanc and Daws Butler really is amazing.
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I LOVE these cartoons! The dialogue to most of the Warner Bros. cartoons are stuck in my head, and Gerald McBoing-Boing is so sweet, he just breaks my heart. Excellent choices.
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Gerald McBoing Boing is a really sweetheart, isn’t he? He’s so cute and innocent. Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
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Original approach to the ’50s Favorites blogathon! What a nicely curated array of creative/quirky/fascinating animated shorts. I’d forgotten all about Gerald McBoing Boing, one-time animation superstar…the Sleeping Beauty silhouette-work so suits a fairy tale – and thanks for the intro to Lotte Reiniger. The Tell-Tale Heart with James Mason’s narration and the Salvador Dali-esque imagery is quite a show-stopper. That voice! Gumby is just plain off-the-wall and so very ’50s…and the Daffy short is a fitting finale…Th-th-th-that’s all, folks 🙂
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Thanks! I love 1950s animation. Every decade has remarkable animation, but I especially like the shorts from the Fifties & wanted to celebrate some of those amazing works.
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Ruth, what a great idea for a post. It’s fabulous we can watch these right here. I will admit to not being a big fan of animated storytelling, although as a kid I certainly enjoyed them on TV on Saturday mornings. I need to fill in this big gap of knowledge, so I appreciate your curating some selections for me!
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Thanks, Jocelyn. I love animation, especially these ones from the 1950s. I never get tired of ’em! 🙂
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Love it. I’m not sure I could have chosen just 5 animated shorts, but I love your reasoning and choices, which include two new-to-me titles. CHEERS!
Aurora
Once Upon a Screen
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Thanks! It was hard to settle on just five choices – I might pick a different five today. The 1950s was a truly remarkable decade when it came to animation, film and television, no?
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Absolutely!!
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Thanks for the links. I’m really interested in watching some of these now, especially Sleeping Beauty and The Tell Tale Heart. It’s surprising that Mason wasn’t used more for voice-overs, given his wonderful voice.
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I wondered the same thing about James Mason, why he didn’t do more voice-over work. He is PERFECT in R6he Tell Tale Heart.
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Oooo Duck Amuck is so much fun – I actually remember watching that as a child! It’s still fantastic.
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Isn’t it great? You can almost hear the animators laughing out loud.
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