Famous Studios Screen Songs/Kartune Question- READ

[Chris Mulwee]

I'm sure a lot of us are familiar w/ the Famous Studios' Screen Song cartoons
w/ the famous(pun?) bouncing ball. They are different from the Fleischer Screen songs in that they do NOT have a live action singer. From about
1948 thru mid 1951, they were Called Screen Songs and the theme song was
"Start Your Day with A Song...". Then, sometime in 1951, the title became
KARTUNE MUSICAL SHORT, and the theme was changed to a jazzy version
of Sing A Song of Sixpence. Considering it was the same series, why the change
of title and theme music? Could it have been to sustain waninig interest in the cartoons?

Any answer would be great!

-Chris

[detroittvguy]

Maybe they changed the theme to fool the kids into thinking that a funny cartoon was about to be screened. I know that every time I heard "Start Each Day With A Song" on my TV screen, I left the room for 6 minutes. A friend of mine is old enough to have seen the original Screen Songs on the silver screen, and he told me he always felt cheated that a "real cartoon" wasn't shown, instead of a bouncing ball cartoon.

[Ray Pointer]

The SCREEN SONGS were originally born as KO-KO SONG CAR-TUNES beginning in 1924. They were produced in both sound and silent versions. The first one was OH, MABEL (silent), MOTHER PIN A ROSE ON ME followed, and was the first animated film released in the sound-on-film process. Between 1924 and 1927, 36 KO-KO SONG CAR-TUNES were produced, with 1/3 of them released in sound. For further information, check the Internet on this subject. You will also find my documentary showcase, Max Fleischer's Ko-ko Song Car-tunes (with the Famous Bouncing Ball) listed with links to websites where it is available.

The "Bouncing Ball" sing-along was revised for Paramount in 1929 as SCREEN SONGS. At first they were all animation until 1930 when live action performers were introduced. This was an economical measure, and something of a cheater, as these "cartoons" were cheaper and faster produced than fully animated cartoons. The tendency to feature live action performers increased into the decade, and by 1935, the series began featuring bands of the Swing Era, including Abe Lyman, Hal Kemp, Richard Huber, Gus Arnheim,, Shep Fields, and Jimmy Dorsey.

I believe the change of series title was to make the concept fresh. The nostalgic value of the revised Screen Songs had worn out after four years.

[Bobby Bickert]

Then, sometime in 1951, the title became
KARTUNE MUSICAL SHORT, and the theme was changed to a jazzy version
of Sing A Song of Sixpence.


For some reason, that music was played over the opening credits of all the cartoons on the MCA/Universal Casper videos instead of Casper's theme song. I always assumed that music was from the Buzzy the Crow cartoons (since I've never seen a Harvey-owned Buzzy with the original soundtrack and full opening credits).

[J Lee]

For some reason, that music was played over the opening credits of all the cartoons on the MCA/Universal Casper videos instead of Casper's theme song. I always assumed that music was from the Buzzy the Crow cartoons (since I've never seen a Harvey-owned Buzzy with the original soundtrack and full opening credits).

Like the Little Audey cartoons, the Buzzy shorts were produced under the Noveltoon banner and use that opening music.

[That 70s Mom]

Like the Little Audey cartoons, the Buzzy shorts were produced under the Noveltoon banner and use that opening music.

Did Paramount stop using "Little Audrey Says" at some point? I recall seeing a later Little Audrey cartoon with Harveytoon titles, but the music was the old jack-in-the-box theme.

[J Lee]

Did Paramount stop using "Little Audrey Says" at some point? I recall seeing a later Little Audrey cartoon with Harveytoon titles, but the music was the old jack-in-the-box theme.

In 1955, Winston Sharples debuted the new Novletoons theme music in the cartoon "Little Audrey Riding Hood." From then on in the handful of remaining Audreys, the new Noveltoon theme was used. Prior to that, Audrey did have her own title music, even though the cartoons were still under the Noveltoons banner.

(Note to Chris: Your mailbox says it's full, but this is pretty much the same as I put in my reply.)