Dear Intanibasers,
It's time to tell you about a brand new surprise release in my series of Blu-ray/DVD combos that spotlight early animation, most often silent era material. Cartoon Roots: Otto Messmer's Feline Follies presents some early works from the Pat Sullivan Studios, with master animator Otto Messmer's directorial efforts on full display. There are even a couple of those notorious Chaplin cartoons in the mix!
History's most famous cat has "kept on walking" for generations: from 1919 right down to the present day! But nobody drew him like his creator drew him—and here's your chance to meet New Jersey-born cartoon genius Otto Messmer for yourself! From Messmer's rare "Charley" Chaplin cartoons to the seminal FELINE FOLLIES (1919) and even some wild, inspired cat tales all-new to home video, we're bringing you a fully-remastered HD anthology worth its weight in catnip!
Cartoons included in this collection (all directed by Otto Messmer for the Pat Sullivan Studio):
CHESTNUTS (c. 1916)
CHARLEY AT THE BEACH (1919)
CHARLEY AT THE CIRCUS (1919)
FELINE FOLLIES (1919)
FELIX MAKES GOOD (1922)
FELIX IN LOVE (1922)
FELIX WAKES UP (1922)
FELIX MINDS THE KID (1922)
FELIX TURNS THE TIDE (1922)
FELIX LENDS A HAND (1922)
FELIX FIFTY-FIFTY (1922)
FELIX WINS OUT (1923)
FELIX TRIES FOR TREASURE (1923)
FELIX REVOLTS (1923)
FELIX STRIKES IT RICH (1923)
Extras! Booklet, archival galleries, and new music by Charlie Judkins.Have a look at the trailer here:
It even shocks *me* how clean and sharp some of these films look. While they've been given the usual basic Cartoons On Film-style stabilization and clean-up, the crispness of many of the films here is a result of starting largely with 16mm Kodascope Libraries prints that were made way back in the 1920s. These very old rental library prints were reduced directly from 35mm negatives, and not long at all after the films were originally produced. I've been trying my best to track down and obtain these kinds of prints for the past 15 years, and the search always continues for more of them.
While some of the offerings here are very rare items, a few titles in this selection have definitely circulated much over the past few decades. The catch is that they've usually only been seen by the masses in murky dupes of dupes. Not anymore.
The set is now available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R5XNPGL . Check it out, and thanks everyone! Stay tuned for even more news about another future Cartoon Roots project as well, very soon...