National Classic Movie Day: 6 Animated Shorts from the 1960s

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This could not end any other way. Image: Tenor

Are you in the mood for some award-winning animated shorts?

Excellent! We’ve chosen six shorts for you, all from the 1960s, in honour of National Classic Movie Day on May 16.

If you plan to drop by our house for the celebration, we’ll make popcorn and lemonade. Oh – there’ll be chocolate cake, too, because you can’t celebrate anything without chocolate cake.

In the meantime, enjoy these wonderful animated short films.

♣

Munro (1960)

Run Time: 9 minutes
Plot: A four year-old boy is drafted into the U.S. army.
Screenplay: Satirist Jules Feiffer based this story on his experiences in the American military.
Awarded: Oscar for Best Short Subject, Cartoons (1961)
About the Filmmakers: Rembrandt Films began producing animated shorts in the 1960s under the direction of Gene Deitch, the former head of the animation studio, UPA (United Productions of America). In this film, Gene’s three year-old son, Seth, is the voice of Munro.

♣

The Hole (1962)

Run Time: 16 minutes
Plot: Two philosophical construction workers discuss the nature of accidents – both domestic and nuclear.
Screenplay: Improvised dialogue by musician Dizzy Gillespie and actor George Matthews.
Awarded: Oscar for Best Animated Short Film (1962)
About the Filmmakers: John Hubley, a former Disney animator, joined UPA in 1941, but was asked to resign in 1952 when he was blacklisted. Hubley and his wife, Faith, experimented with animation styles and often cast their own children in their films.

♣

The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics (1965)

Run Time: 11 minutes
Plot: The best film you will ever see on geometric shapes, guaranteed.
Narrator: The fabulous Robert Morley.
Awarded: Oscar for Best Short Subject, Cartoons (1966)
About the Filmmaker: Oscar-winner Chuck Jones made over 300 animated shorts during his 60-year career. He is best known for his work on the Looney Tunes shorts at Warner Bros. studios. Jones grew up in Hollywood and appeared as a child extra in Mack Sennett comedies. He died in 2002.

♣

Ruka (The Hand)  (1965)

Run Time: 18 minutes
Plot: Governmental interference vs. freedom of expression.
Banned: In 1969, by the former communist government of Czechoslovakia.
Awards: Winner of four international awards, including the Critics’ award at the 1990 Annecy International Film Festival.
About the Filmmaker: This was Jirí Trnka’s final film, considered to be his masterpiece. Trnka was called “the Walt Disney of Eastern Europe”, due to his early career as an illustrator of children’s books and his stop-motion animation. In 1968, he was awarded the Hans Christian Anderson Medal for his contribution to children’s literature.

♣

The Box (1967)

Run Time: 8 minutes
Plot: A man with a box walks into a bar…
Score: Percussion by jazz musician Shelly Manne.
Awarded: Oscar for Best Short Subject, Cartoons (1968)
About the Filmmaker: Fred Wolf is an Oscar- and Emmy-winning animator who has been involved in several television projects, including animated TV pitchmen Little Green Sprout and Tony the Tiger, as well as the trippy Puff the Magic Dragon and the first episodes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

♣

Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)

Run Time: Under 2 minutes
Budget: $300 ($3.06 per second)
Plot: Bambi is squished by Godzilla.
Digital 4K Restoration (and why wouldn’t there be?): Can be found here.
About the Filmmaker: Marv Newland began his career in his hometown of Los Angeles, before moving to Toronto, Canada, where he worked as a freelance animator. When he relocated to Vancouver, BC, he founded the animation company International Rocketship Limited. Newland’s most recent animated short was completed in 2016.

♣

This post is part of the 6 FROM THE ’60s Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Film & TV Café.

Posted in Fan Letter

Happily blogging about old movies and using the royal "We".

44 Comment on “National Classic Movie Day: 6 Animated Shorts from the 1960s”

  1. Deeksha Pathak May 14, 2020 at 8:11 am

    Looks like a nice collection of movies here. Will try to watch if any of them are available on Netflix or Prime.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 14, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      I hope you can enjoy at least a couple of them. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Deeksha Pathak May 14, 2020 at 1:20 pm

        Going to check the list tomorrow at Netflix and Prime… 👍

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Sarah May 14, 2020 at 4:14 pm

    I’ve just watched them all, and Ruth, this is fantastic! What a great way to start this blogathon. I just Tweeted that I’m floored! I’m FLOORED! 😊 Ruka’s gonna sticks with me a while….that really got to me. They’re all just a treasure to see. Thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 14, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      Yay! So glad you watched and enjoyed them. Ruka is disturbing, isn’t it? It’s not a film a person forgets easily.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Sarah May 14, 2020 at 7:38 pm

        Oh boy, is it. Yeah, I’ll be thinking about it for a while…

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Yeah, Another Blogger May 14, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    Here’s something we all need to keep in mind: Watch out for Godzilla. Godzilla doesn’t mess around!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. indianeskitchen May 14, 2020 at 11:39 pm

    Bambi meets Godzilla…..lol

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 15, 2020 at 5:47 am

      Haha! Isn’t it great? I love the credits.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. indianeskitchen May 15, 2020 at 8:50 am

        And thank you for the link to my cake recipe! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Silver Screenings May 15, 2020 at 1:07 pm

        A fabulous recipe like that must be shared.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. indianeskitchen May 16, 2020 at 9:51 pm

        I agree I always hated when someone would refuse to share a great recipe like it only belonged to them.

        Liked by 1 person

  5. markrenney2 May 15, 2020 at 4:17 am

    Excellent selection. The Hand is particularly powerful, thanks for the introduction.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 15, 2020 at 5:49 am

      It’s an incredible film, isn’t it? Like you say, very powerful.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. markrenney2 May 15, 2020 at 8:37 am

        It really is.

        Like

  6. Patricia Nolan-Hall (@CaftanWoman) May 15, 2020 at 6:46 am

    You have made me so very happy with these selections. I anticipate a most satisfactory viewing of the shorts later today after I bake a (lemon, not chocolate) cake. CAKE – it is not a celebration without it. I shall be joined by my working-from-home animator daughter.

    NOTE: I’m sure we all suspected this, but I now (after meeting many of them) have real-life experience that proves that animators are NUTS!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 15, 2020 at 1:05 pm

      Lemon cake always works in a pinch.

      I hope you and your animator daughter enjoy these films. (Surely the nutty animators don’t include her?)

      Like

      Reply
  7. classicfilmtvcafe May 15, 2020 at 4:29 pm

    I need to watch some of these! They look interesting and the only one I’ve seen Bambi Meets Godzilla.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 15, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      Bambi Meets Godzilla is a classic, after all…

      Like

      Reply
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  9. flickchick1953 May 16, 2020 at 11:01 am

    And now for something completely different! An amazing entry, my friend. I will be sure to watch each and every one. Many, many thanks for posting this taking me out of my comfort zone just a tad.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 16, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Aw, thanks so much, you! I really like animated shorts because they are so inventive. I’ll be by to look at your 1960s’ picks soon! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  10. mydangblog May 16, 2020 at 2:53 pm

    That Czech piece reminds me so much of the Czech version of Alice in Wonderland by Jan Švankmajer. If you haven’t seen it, check it out–it’s very surreal! Personally, I love shorts, especially the Canadian National Film Board stuff from the 50s and 60s, like The Fence.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 16, 2020 at 7:57 pm

      Thanks for the tip re: the Czech Alice in Wonderland. I’ll definitely check it out.

      As for the NFB, they’ve produced some amazing films, haven’t they? I haven’t seen The Fence, so thanks for the heads-up on that one, too. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. Shell-Shell's🐚tipsandtricks May 16, 2020 at 11:08 pm

    Sounds entertaining. I’m going to see if I can find these on Netflix

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 17, 2020 at 6:40 am

      I hope you enjoy them. 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  12. rebeccadeniston May 17, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    Ahhh, I love it! We don’t always think of animation when we think of sixties films, and it’s awesome that you went outside the box here. I’m with the other posters on here–I’m going to have to watch these. Only seen the last one.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 17, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      I hope you get the chance to see these. Amusing and thought-provoking, especially Ruka/The Hand.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. rebeccadeniston May 17, 2020 at 10:05 pm

        Very cool–looking forward to it. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  13. The Classic Movie Muse May 18, 2020 at 12:19 pm

    Thanks for enlightening me on Bambi Meets Godzilla, Ruth. Too hilarious!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 18, 2020 at 12:21 pm

      Haha! Isn’t it terrific! A scenario like that could not go any other way.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. shadowsandsatin May 18, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    This is so cool, Ruth! And so unique! I will be back to check out the others, but Ruka was deep — so sad. I’d hoped it would end differently. I loved Munro — especially his little voice, and the upbeat ending — but my favorite was Bambi Meets Godzilla! Such a great idea.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 18, 2020 at 5:02 pm

      Ruka is chilling, isn’t it? Sadly, it us still timely.

      Isn’t Bambi Meets Godzilla terrific? I first hear about it as a teenager & became a fan before I even saw it.

      Like

      Reply
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  16. Jay@cinemaessentials.com May 19, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    Thanks for these, Ruth. These animated shorts can often be really inventive. I have seen The Dot and the Line, but am not familiar with the others.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 19, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      I really like The Dot and the Line. It never gets old for me.

      I hope you get the chance to see the rest. They’re all superb, in my opinion.

      Like

      Reply
  17. Le May 19, 2020 at 2:24 pm

    I was familiar with poor Bambi’s encounter with Godzilla, and I know who Trnka was, but the others are all new to me. I’ll bookmark this page for a day of fun in the near future. You were very clever in showcasing short films!
    Kisses!
    Le

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings May 19, 2020 at 8:19 pm

      Bambi vs. Godzilla is a great short, isn’t it? It’s so irreverent.

      I hope you get a chance to enjoy the other films. I love animation, so this blogathon was a great opportunity to talk about some of these lesser-known films.

      Like

      Reply
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  20. kutukamus August 22, 2020 at 6:55 am

    Thanks for the tip. Looks good to end up the night. 🍸

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Silver Screenings August 22, 2020 at 7:10 am

      It certainly is a good way to end the night. I hope you enjoy! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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