International projectionist (Nov-Dec 1933)

28 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST November 1933 THE HISTORY OF THE ANIMATED FILM CARTOONS (Continued from page 15) drawing short bits of dramatic action in the form of plays, which he projected on a screen in the Reynaud Optical Theater (Fig. 2). His most notable picture was Pauvre Pierrot, drawn on a thirty-foot length of transparent medium which he termed "crystaloid." It should be noted that this was twelve years before either the first Eastman raw stock with celluloid base, or the Edison motion picture apparatus was demonstrated. Space will permit mention only of the first few pioneers who struggled to make pictures move before photography was available to them. There were a great number of others, some of whom spent a lifetime at the work. One man continued grimly to peer into his devices until he sacrificed his eyesight. Another lost his sight, yet continued his work with the assistance of his wife. To such men as these our gratitude must be extended. The revaluation that followed the perfection of the screen cartoon! should not be allowed to discredit those early movie devices; in perspective they may seem crude. But they were received in their day with all the acclaim accorded to Mickey Mouse today. It was not until 1906 that the first cartoon was made on motion picture film. It was a picture made by J. Stuart Blackton, for Vitagraph, and was entitled Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (Figs. 3-6). A recent screening of this picture, with its 1906 copyright, and Vitagraph trademark, showed it to consist of such cartoon bits as a man rolling his eyes and blowing smoke at his sweetheart, a large-nosed Semite, a dog jumping over a hoop, and ended by showing Blackton doing a chalk-talk type of drawing, in which apparently the cartoon starts as one thing and ends as another. This first cartoon picture required about three thousand drawings and its running for an early-day audience, which was largely composed of the more solid citizenry, was a signal for great mirth. The man blowing the smoke at his sweetheart was the highlight of the picture. Since cartoon technic at that time permitted the girl to show her displeasure only by suitable eye movements, the picture had its elements of humor. The McCay Cartoons The next man to make animated pictures was Winsor McCay. The first was completed early in January, 1911, and was known as Little Nemo. It was photographed in one-reel length by Walter Arthur, directed by J. Stuart Blackton and released by Vitagraph as Winsor McCay Makes His Cartoons Move. It contained more than 4,000 drawings, each complete with a background and was considered a mammouth undertaking at that time, despite the fact that the present cartoon requires as many as 12,000 drawings, which are run for a screen time of only six minutes. McCay's second picture, How a Mosquito Operates, was made in December, 1911, in 600 feet and was sold to Carl Laemmle. The third, Gertie, A Trained Dinosaur, was sold to William Fox. These pictures were used also as a vaudeville act by McCay, who toured with them and explained their making and technic. To McCay goes the credit of making the first serious attempt at a dramatic cartoon. The Sinking of the Lusitania, released on August 15, 1918, by Jewel Productions, was a cartoon of feature length. According to the Motion Picture News, of August 18, 1918, it was "made from 25,000 drawings on gelatin by the famous artist, Winsor McCay, requiring 22 months of work." The picture attracted attention at this time by virtue of its length and because it was a propaganda picture for the war. To date it has been the longest cartoon ever made. John R. Bray, during the period 191416, was granted several patents on making animated cartoons. The first, filed January 9, 1914, and granted the same year as No. 811,165, described a method 62I IMJ L I HUMOROUS ■ ' fPMA5ES I „-, funny°'faces Figs. 3 to 6. Copies from specimens of cartoon films made by Blackton in 1906 (Fig. 3, picture of Blackton doing a chalk talk in his 1906 cartoon). Figs. 7 and 8, the first Bray cartoon, The Artist's Dream, by J. R. Bray. Fig. 9, Pathe newsreel cartoon of about 1912 (note the Patents Company stencil on the edge of the film). Fig. 10, Gaumont cartoon of about 1912. Fig. 11, Packer cartoon of 1916. Fig. 12, the first Disney series made in St. Louis, 1921. Fig. 13, one of the Alice Cartoons made by Disney, 1923 ; a combination of real-life characters and cartoon. Fig. 14, first Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie. Fig. IS, first Silly Symphony, Skeleton Dance. Fig. 16 first method of synchronizing sound and picture; originated by Disney. The bouncing ball kept time for the musicians when scoring. Fig. 17, recent Mickey Mouse, showing sound track