Lobster/Arte's show, Cartoon Factory, has been long noted for airing many shorts not available elsewhere. However, with forum members in the 00s having almost every episode on tape, many episodes with cartoons that otherwise aren't available do not circulate, mostly from later episodes, some of which I've been interested in for some time. Since I imagine some folks here may still have access to the show, I'm interested in the following episodes:

-Episode 35
-Episode 39
-Episode 45,46
-Episode 52,53
-Episode 58
-Episode 62
-Episode 67
-Episode 70
-Episode 73
-Episode 76
-Episode 81
-Episode 84

If this is too daunting a request, I apologize. I'm sure I won't get all of these, but that's no issue

Back in 2006, fellow GAC enthusiast YpsmitGimmick and me posted a Cartoon Factory Episode Guide on the old Termite Terrace Trading Post (archived here ), I guess this is what you are referring to with your list. I have since moved from Germany to Norway to Denmark and then back to Germany and to Norway again, where I still reside. I have largely lost contact to YpsmitGimmick, and I am not sure if he has ever been following this board in exile. I have trashed or given away my old VHS tapes (save for a few), but back in the days I have digitalized some selected episodes or individual cartoons of interest. (Encoded as MPEG-1 and/or DivX, if my memory serves me right.) I will cross-check my old backup drives but I have to find them first. Really busy at work these days, don't hold your breath...

No worries, I understand. Again, I posted this without really expecting to get them, just to see. I know that several other GAC users had transfers of the tapes, I can't imagine their completely gone, even if you may not have them. Let me know!

Hi S.C. MacPeter,

The Cartoon Factory on arte was awesome and one of the reasons I got interested in cartoons and cartoon history. I was hoping for years that Lobster Films would put it on DVD but that never happened. So for the really rare shorts that were distributed throughout the program, we are stuck with tapes, hardcoded subtitles and a TV logo in the upper right corner. If we ever get to see them at all.

When I checked out your list above more thoroughly, I realized that it is primarily the silent "Aesop's Fables" you are trying to hunt down. These also recently sparked my interest. I have digitalized a few of these back in 2006/7 (576i, standard PAL SD format) and actually have those handy (as MKVs) on my cartoon HD. Others were backed up (as MPEG-1 videos) on an old drive that I have recovered the other day. On that drive were also a couple of full episodes but only in low-res 288i PAL. So, let's see:

Episode 35: I don't have the full half-hour but I have a digitalized copy of the Aesop's Fable In Vaudeville.

Episode 39: Likewise, I have River of Doubt (1927 Fable) and Placide au Serail/Hot Turkey (1930 Terrytoon).

I think I never caught episode 45 on tape. Caviar/Placide Moujik (1930 Terrytoon) is somewhere on Youtube, I think, but I have never seen Yarn About Yarn (a 1925 Fable).

Episode 46: I digitalized only Lindy's Cat (Fable, 1927) from that episode.

Episodes 52 and 53 I have both missed, and therefore I can't supply the Fables Music Hath Charms (1925) nor Knight Out (1926).

Likewise I don't have episode 58 that contained Ship Ahoy (1930 Fable). I recently realized that the Garage Sale copy I have is actually a silent Aesop's Film Fable version of the actual sound cartoon (branded as Aesop's Sound Fable), and the sound version is generally unavailable, I think. Unfortunately I did not take notes what version arte aired.

Episode 62 had a 1925 Bray Dinky Doodle, Robinson Crusoe, I guess that is what you are looking for. Digitalized back in the days.

Episode 67 contained Red Hot Sand (1927 Fable) and also a UK-made short from 1930 starring Bingo (Bingo chez Malikoko/in Bahahula), recovered from my old backup drive. A real curiosity, that flick.

Episode 70 was missing back in 2006 and is still missing today. That leaves me kind of pessimistic about any further unknown episodes turning up but who knows. (For the record: It sported a Bray Heeza Liar and another UK Bingo short.)

Episode 73 was missing from my collection. It had a Lantz Unnatural History short (The Leopard's Spots, 1925) but I don't think it's rare, I have seen it on Youtube and elsewhere, I think.

Episode 76 showed Disney's Alice Plays Cupid (1925). Darn I don't have it on tape.

Episode 81 contained another Dinky Doodle: Peter Panhandled (1925) with French titles. I remember watching it, but it seems I failed to digitalize it. Maybe I still have the VHS somewhere, but right now I don't have a setup to rip VHS anyway.

Episode 84 I don't have, but I have the 1930 Terrytoon Dutch Treat (equipped with faulty Van Beuren 'Holland Days' titles), found on Youtube at one point (I think it's gone now, so included here).

The cartoons I was able to recover are on Mega . Enjoy.

This is all excellent, even if its not everything (which I expected), thanks a lot wundermild, for being so kind to share these with everyone! At one point, I believe, every episode was once available online through Lobster or Arte, no longer the case. Just to keep things transparent, here's what I am looking for on the episodes wundermild doesn't have, in hopes that someone else may have them in one shape or another,

Episode 84: While its nice to see the complete DUTCH TREAT again, I was really looking to see HEEZA'S LIAR FORBIDDEN FRUIT to see if there were any differences between it and the usually preservation copy online

Episode 81: PETER PAN-HANDLED is going to be on Tommy's Dinky Doodle and Friends disc coming out later this year. Not an issue at all. If anyone does have it though, I'm still interested

Episode 76: ALICE PLAYS CUPID should circulate from this show, but sadly does not. I'm curious if its the Raytone version; Disney has a 35mm element, but I believe it is silent. I know of another copy, but uncertain if Raytone either

Episode 73: Same with Episode 81

Episode 70: The Heeza Liar seems to of been IN THE AFRICAN JUNGLES, a Lantz Heeza Liar. And the Bingo was CIRCUS DAYS. Would love to see either cartoon or the entire program if anyone has it!

Episode 58: I know where SHIP AHOY's track is but is not able to be heard for now. I bet someone has a print with the track though, or perhaps this episode

That seems to be about everything. Thanks again wundermild! Everyone give him a big hand for doing this!

wundermild, I cannot thank you enough for uploading that Bingo cartoon! I remember seeing it on YouTube a few years back, but the account that uploaded it eventually got terminated and I haven't seen anyone else post it until now. (The copy that I saw had a short animated opening sequence with Bingo in front of live-action backgrounds that sadly doesn't seem to be on this print - if anyone still has that, please let me know!)

UPDATE: Did a bit of digging and found this upload courtesy of Lyric J.!

---

For sake of accuracy, the scan Lyric posted is from one of Steve's Special sets, using what I think is a French 9.5mm "Bingoscope" print. The Cartoon Factory source is a nicer gauge (probably 35) and is superior in image and sound, but the airing removes the charming opening! I bet its the same deal for BINGO IN CIRCUS DAYS which was in the allusive episode 70. One of these was sold in an English 16mm or 9.5mm last year on ebay (all four would've been available this way), a sound fragment of what might be BINGO BREAKS LOOSE is on British Pathe's Youtube , and the BFI has a silent fragment of another, so I bet someday we'll see all four of Bingo's plucky adventures in one way or another.

I viewed the cartoons last night and this morning and enjoyed them very much. Thanks again wundermild!

YpsmitGimmick runs the German Disney Trickfilm Index  (last update 2018 though). Largely a website listing home movie and TV availability for anything Disney animation in Germany. There, on the Alice Plays Cupid page , he has posted frame grabs from the Cartoon Factory airing of that cartoon (note the arte TV logo). The title and ending card are clearly from a Raytone version. That page was last updated in 2001, and I wonder if he still has that cartoon and if so, in what format...

Thanks for pointing that out, I'll look into it. I ask that nobody else contact them for if they do check emails, they may not respond to any of the multiple emails on the same subject. If I get the CUPID cartoon I'll more than likely be able to share it, unlike other subjects I've talked about here that I have accessed. The Raytone titles looked created to me, BUT the crop tells me it is a Raytone print

The main title for Alice Plays Cupid is a digital fake. Serge probably had a 35mm print with French titles.

The version of Heeza Liar's Forbidden Fruit that would have been included is what was previously the 'common' version, Murray Glass' 16mm Glenn Photo Supply/Em Gee library print. His was duped from an old 1940s rental print; many (if not all) of the 1922-1924 Heeza Liars had been offered by one or two 16mm film libraries at that time. I bought my own 'dupe' of it brand new from Murray, in the late 2000s, at the tail end of his 16mm rental and printing business.

This makes sense. Their index for it online gives it a French title, though my search for the episode with it is still cold.



Knew you had a print but didn’t know the source, thanks! I imagine your print of KNIGHTHOOD was from one of those libraries too. Looking forward to seeing more Heezas someday

Has an English print of this short surface since then or is it still lost? My knowledge of the early silent animated films status is limited.

Disney has a 35 element, though I do not know if its an original or Raytone element. There wouldn't be a difference track wise, though

wondering what episodes had the Mish Mish Effendi shorts on them and if anyone hasuncompressed VHS recordings on them.

https://distribution.arte.tv/fiche/CARTOON_FACTORY