Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936)

3 years ago
31

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.

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