Cartoon feature film

[Scuz Fink]

Ive always wondered given the opportunity what one of the faster paced directors would do if they were to direct a feature film, the most obvious examples being Bob Clampett when he was at his peak at Warner Bros or Tex Avery when he was at MGM.

How do you think they would pace a feature? Would it full full throttle from beginning to end? Or would this tire out the audience and they would add slower sections? Would they even be interested in doing features?

[mulroz]

Frank Tashlin finally started making features, I think you can take him as a benchmark in this case.

I suppose they would use a slower pace, 90 minutes full speed Avery is more than a sane person can take.

[Scuz Fink]

Oh yeah , I forgot about those live action Tashlin films, I'll check them out.Thanks

[J. J. Hunsecker]

I think the pacing probably would have been similar to Blazing Saddles, which seems influenced by the Warner cartoons.

[Jack G.]

How do you think they would pace a feature? Would it full full throttle from beginning to end? Or would this tire out the audience and they would add slower sections? Would they even be interested in doing features?I think most directors would be attracted to the prestige of doing a feature film.

There would have to be some pacing.
I don't think you can go blazing through
like you you do on a seven-minute cartoon.
Maybe you put in a Freleng dance number and a few quieter Jones moments.

Mel Brooks is a good reference for over the top comedy.
The Naked Gun and the first Airplane! movie are others.

I haven't seen Tashlin's live action stuff. I really should.

[Bobby Bickert]

Tashlin liked to put "cartoony" gags in his live-action features. In Artists and Models, when Shirley MacLaine kisses Jerry Lewis while he's leaning against a water cooler, the water in the tank starts boiling!

[Thad]

Tashlin liked to put "cartoony" gags in his live-action features. In Artists and Models, when Shirley MacLaine kisses Jerry Lewis while he's leaning against a water cooler, the water in the tank starts boiling!

Not to mention Jerry Lewis's visit to the chiropractor later in that film... See also Bob Hope's downing the 'Paleface Special' in Son of Paleface (this whole movie, and Artists and Models, are pretty much a live-action cartoons). Or the milkman (Phil Silvers?) and his milk bottle ejaculating over Jayne Mansfield's cleavage in The Girl Can't Help It. Or Mansfield kissing Tony Randall and his popcorn poppin' in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? The list goes on and on.

[Ray Pointer]

Ive always wondered given the opportunity what one of the faster paced directors would do if they were to direct a feature film, the most obvious examples being Bob Clampett when he was at his peak at Warner Bros or Tex Avery when he was at MGM. How do you think they would pace a feature? Would it full full throttle from beginning to end? Or would this tire out the audience and they would add slower sections? Would they even be interested in doing features?

It's interesting the direction this is going. Did you mean animated or live action feature films? As it was, Frank Tashlin made the transition to live action comedy as already cited. Silent pioneer animation director Gregory LaCava also went into live action films, but is lesser known.

[mulroz]

It's interesting the direction this is going. Did you mean animated or live action feature films? As it was, Frank Tashlin made the transition to live action comedy as already cited. Silent pioneer animation director Gregory LaCava also went into live action films, but is lesser known.

Didn't Dave Fleischer work as a "timing expert" for feature films at the end of his carreer?

[J. J. Hunsecker]

It's interesting the direction this is going. Did you mean animated or live action feature films? As it was, Frank Tashlin made the transition to live action comedy as already cited. Silent pioneer animation director Gregory LaCava also went into live action films, but is lesser known.
I think he meant feature animation. The problem would be could an animated feature be done in the Tex Avery style, or would that be too much for an audience to handle? Would the directors have to slow down the pacing to accommodate the length of time a feature takes? The only examples of an Averyesque style to me would be Mel Brooks's early live action features, or as others have mentioned, Frank Tashlin's live action features -- since both contained "cartoony" gags.

[Jack G.]

Didn't Dave Fleischer work as a "timing expert" for feature films at the end of his carreer?I read about some "story chart" that Dave Fleischer used.

Any insights Mr Pointer?

[Scuz Fink]

It's interesting the direction this is going. Did you mean animated or live action feature films? As it was, Frank Tashlin made the transition to live action comedy as already cited. Silent pioneer animation director Gregory LaCava also went into live action films, but is lesser known.

I meant as in animated feature films,looking at a Tashlin live action film could be used to get a rough idea of how a really "cartoony" animated feature length movie would have been approached in terms of structure,pacing,story etc

I think he meant feature animation. The problem would be could an animated feature be done in the Tex Avery style, or would that be too much for an audience to handle? Would the directors have to slow down the pacing to accommodate the length of time a feature takes? The only examples of an Averyesque style to me would be Mel Brooks's early live action features, or as others have mentioned, Frank Tashlin's live action features -- since both contained "cartoony" gags.


Yes that's what I mean, given that most faster cartoons like Warner Bros are only 6 or 7 minutes long.

[Ray Pointer]

Didn't Dave Fleischer work as a "timing expert" for feature films at the end of his carreer?

He was a "consultant" of sorts, working on the "story arcs" for scripts by applying a "story chart" he claimed to have developed. I'm not clear as to when he developed this method, but he certainly was not using it during the Miami days of Fleischer Studios with some of the poor stories they were doing.