The_Doctor_2099

Released: 21 November 1941 (USA) Directors: Dave Fleischer, Steve Muffati (uncredited) Writers: Joe Shuster (comic strip created by: Superman), Jerry Siegel (comic strip created by: Superman) (as Jerome Siegel) Stars: Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander, Jackson Beck Superman battles a criminal mastermind and his robot army. Trivia The design for the flying robots was later given an homage by the brilliant Hayao Miyazaki twice! One was in a Lupin the III short, "Farewell My Beloved Lupin.", where it's used (as in this short) to steal. The second is in Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Also given homage in 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)' This cartoon is the first Superman story in which Clark Kent changes into his Superman costume inside a phone booth.

Directors: Dave Fleischer, Steve Muffati (uncredited) Writers: Jerry Siegel (comic strip created by: Superman) (as Jerome Siegel), Joe Shuster (comic strip created by: Superman) Stars: Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander, Jackson Beck The Man of Steel fights a mad scientist who is destroying Metropolis with an energy cannon. Trivia In late 1942, the comic book Superman 19 featured the story "Superman, Matinee Idol" where Superman and Lois watch this cartoon at the cinema. The metaphysical fourth-wall-breaking nature of the story caused it to be relabeled "Our Very First Imaginary Story" in reprints. Marks the first appearance on film of the famous introduction, "Faster than a speeding bullet", etc. . . . , and of the "Look, up in the sky,", etc. . . . This series is where Superman "learned" to fly. Prior to this he was only able to "leap tall buildings in a single bound." It was deemed that leaping would not look right on film. However, even when Superman flies it looks as if he needs to make a jumping start, rather than just taking off. Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer were reluctant to take this assignment because it would require much more realistic designs and animation than they usually used. They tried to discourage Paramount by stating they would need a budget of around $100,000 per short, four times the budget of an average Walt Disney cartoon, which then had the highest budgets in animation. To their shock, Paramount executives agreed to at least half the amount, which made the Superman series--in adjusted dollars--the biggest-budgeted animation series in film history. Model sheets were provided by Superman co-creator and illustrator Joe Shuster. This short is often retitled "The Mad Scientist" on video release to distinguish it from other Superman cartoons. Boris Karloff's character of engineer Poelzig in The Black Cat (1934) was the inspiration for the mad scientist in this animated Superman cartoon. His Mao suit, hairdo, the way he climbs down the spiral staircase only as a shadow, are obviously referenced in the cartoon as well as the organ playing by Karloff's mad scientist. These have all become horror-film staples.

Directors: Dave Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel (uncredited) Stars: Jack Mercer, Mae Questel At an orphanage, the children are sad because they received broken toys as gifts. Professor Grampy sees the children while passing by in his sled and has an idea on how to give them a merry Christmas. Trivia This cartoon used a process called the Stereoptical Camera or Setback created in 1934 as a variation on the multiplane camera. Three-dimensional sets were created so that animation cels could be placed in a realistic background allowing the characters to move about an actual miniature stage. The scenes were shot with a horizontal camera and the set was rotated on a turntable for background motion. The opening shot of the orphanage and the final shot of the umbrella tree were completed using this process. This short was Professor Grampy's only film without Betty Boop. It is also the character's only film in color. The orphans are all based on the same template except for the baby who tries to reach the toy soldier in his stocking and fails.

As a cartoonist draws a clown, a housefly harasses both the man and his pen-and-ink creation.

*Trigger Warning: This cartoon is a product of it's time, and one or more of the characters drawn are caricatures that can and would be considered racist by the standards of our day. Cartoonist Winsor McCay agrees to create a large set of drawings that will be photographed and made into a motion picture. The job requires plenty of drawing supplies, and the cartoonist must also overcome some mishaps caused by an assistant. Finally, the work is done, and everyone can see the resulting animated picture.

Adapted from Winsor McCay's films and comics of the period, this film follows the established theme: the "Rarebit Fiend" gorges himself on rarebit and thus suffers spectacular hallucinatory dreams. Trivia: Trivia Based on the comic strip of the same name by Winsor McKay. This was the Edison Company's most popular film release in 1906, selling 192 copies during the year. Welsh Rarebit is a dish consisting of a hot cheese-based sauce served over slices of toasted bread. The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later reinterpreted as "rarebit", as the dish contains no rabbit.