Question: Mutt & Jeff "Westward Whoa"

[frizfrelengfan]

Maybe Tom Stathes can answer this one.

I recently saw a cartoon called "Westward Whoa" featuring Mutt & Jeff. It features Mutt & Jeff trying to rope an unwilling bull. The Big Cartoon Data Base lists it as a 1926 silent, in black and white. But this cartoon is in color ("Kromocolor", according to the end title) and has sound (music and sound effects, but no dialogue). Who colorized this cartoon and when? And who added the sound and when? The opening title says "Modern Film Sales Corporation". Who are they?

Incidentally, the BCDB lists four cartoons called "Westward Whoa". In addition to this one, there's the 1936 LT featuring Porky and Beans, a Rankin-Bass TV series from 1960-61, and a Hanna-Barbera TV show from 1980.

[Argus]

It was purchased by Modern Film Sales Corporation, and redrawn for re-release in the 1930's, apparantly filmed in KROMOCOLOR.

[Cartman]

Wow! Even in the 1930's they tampered with cartoons?:eek:

[Tom Stathes]

Absolutely right, Argus!
(Dang, beat me to it!)

The other colorization by Modern Film Sales was "Slick Sleuths". I am told these were done in 1931.

I also discovered that "Aroma of the South Seas" (1926) was also colorized in 1931 by them. I found this out because I bought a "toy film" print of it, shortened and b/w. Strangely enough this is a copy of what appears to be a colorized version of the cartoon! I'm not sure if anyone else knows that such a version exists, but to my knowledge, an actual color and sound print has yet to surface.


If anyone is interested in Mutt & Jeff in general, keep checking Jerry Beck's website- he will eventually feature a new program by Ray Pointer (www.inkwellimagesink.com (http://www.inkwellimagesink.com)) on the duo. It's going to be fantastic, and best of all, it should be ready for the winter holidays (or, at least winter here in NY;) ) I'm going to ask for it for Christmas. Also watch out for a Krazy Kat program from the same producer which should be available next month.


Re: Maybe Tom Stathes can answer this one.

Oh, and thanks Frizfrelengfan for that snippet:bosko:

-Tom

[JDWeil]

Westward Whoa was originally produced in black & white back in 1924. The colorized version was made in 1935.

[cbrubaker]

Westward Whoa was originally produced in black & white back in 1924. The colorized version was made in 1935.
hard to believe they were actually destroying cartoons in the '30s
:) ;)

[Tom Stathes]

Westward Whoa was originally produced in black & white back in 1924. The colorized version was made in 1935.Partial correction, Westward Whoa as well as most of the Mutt & Jeff cartoons available to us (with the current exception of "Cramps"- 1916, and "Grill Room Express"-1917) were produced in 1926.

[Lee Glover]

Westward Whoa was originally produced in black & white back in 1924. The colorized version was made in 1935.
And I thought it was a Fred Ladd redrawn cartoon. :eek:

[Cartman]

The Mutt & Jeff cartoons I own have a musical soundtrack added with 60's/70's-style music (or what sounds like it anyway)

[Tom Stathes]

I know Slick Sleuths and Westward Whoa were redone by Ladd as well. Slick Sleuths was retitled as The Adventures of Mutt & Jeff and Bugoff (really!)

It featured some pyschadelic redrawing and music...you could only imagine how it looked, Ladd having free reign over what could be done with it.

Does anyone have the Ladd version of Westward Whoa? I'd like to see it.

There were several other M&J's redone by Ladd but I think only three were done in the 30's.
-Tom

[Studio Toledo]

The Mutt & Jeff cartoons I own have a musical soundtrack added with 60's/70's-style music (or what sounds like it anyway)
Though I know this post is already a year and a half old, I just like to point out those cartoons were from "Radio & TV Packagers" that were released in the 70's using those needledrop muzak tunes!

[Studio Toledo]

I know Slick Sleuths and Westward Whoa were redone by Ladd as well. Slick Sleuths was retitled as The Adventures of Mutt & Jeff and Bugoff (really!)

It featured some pyschadelic redrawing and music...you could only imagine how it looked, Ladd having free reign over what could be done with it.

Does anyone have the Ladd version of Westward Whoa? I'd like to see it.
I'm still reeling for that muzak! (it's like, ever ephemeral and porno film of that time were so into it)

There were several other M&J's redone by Ladd but I think only three were done in the 30's.
-Tom
At least the ones in the '30s weren't probably sent overseas.

[dandu]

I am only 13 so i havent seen any of these 1970's pornos, wot kind of music do they have in those?

[absolutpaul]

!!

[Studio Toledo]

!!
Yes, I know how to deviate a thread into something completely irrelevent! :cool:

What I'm getting at was the music that used to get used during this period, too often referred to as "muzak" or "elevator music" by those that often heard it in department stores and other businesses in place of "real" music they would know of. Too often in those days, many TV shows and films often relied on pre-recorded tracks supplied by companies like Associated Production Music that would usually cost a fee depending on it's usage, but too often, those who made pornography tend to use this in place of any "original" pieces they could've created themselves. This kind of music too often relied heavilly on sythesizers like the powerful MOOG (http://www.moogmusic.com/) in their compositions and really didn't have the same sort of feel that might've been heard in previous library stock pieces of the '50s and '60s, but relatively was a change of pace and was also keeping with the times.

Here's a webpage to one such place that probably still has some of this in their collection, you can also sign up to listen to it free over the net!
ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION MUSIC LLC (http://www.apmmusic.com/)

(Starting to act like Steve Carras right about now!) :)

[Tom Stathes]

Couldn't really find any of the 70s muzak on that site. Does anyone know of another good source? I'm personally interested in hearing more of this stuff.

-Tom

[Studio Toledo]

Couldn't really find any of the 70s muzak on that site. Does anyone know of another good source? I'm personally interested in hearing more of this stuff.

-Tom
God! Someone out there understands me! :D

Getting onto that, the one piece of music that sticks out in my mind was what was used for the Mutt & Jeff cartoon "Egyptian Daze", which if Tom remembers is exactly what we are talking about! That kind of music with it's trendy psychotic rythmic pulses. It's the kind of music I almost expect to hear in a dentist office. :D

I found a 16mm science film in my collection that used a short piece of that for it's opening title sequence, though I don't feel like ripping that to MP3 just yet. The same piece could also be heard briefly in a circulated blooper from General Hospital that had Elizabeth Taylor on many, many years ago (some Goodtimes Home Video release had this bit). Lately I've been trying to get that feeling again through buying a few such CDs or whatever MP3s I could find online of music used for things like commercials to the familiar "Test Card" music heard in the UK back then, as well as having to spend big on a royalty-free buy-out library of production music, mostlyi short stingers that were used in TV/radio stations 20-30 years ago. Yet I haven't been able to track down anything I've heard in the "Radio & TV Packagers" redrawns in full glory!

You just wonder who or where does that music belong to! It's like some obscure company that's probably not even in business anymore, or perhaps there are reel-to-reel tapes or LPs of it out there that haven't been re-discovered yet. It's just one of those mysteries that may never be solved unless someone comes foward with the answer!

[Tom Stathes]

I hear ya. Incidentally, some EXCELLENT examples of such music was added in the late 80s to the only 8 minutes of home movies from my paternal family from the pre-VHS days. Not only do I enjoy seeing my family as it was 40 years ago, but the music is an added treat. Where to find this stuff? Beats me!

[Tom Stathes]

I'd like to recommend the works of Bob James who composed lots of things such as "Angela", the theme used in Taxi while he was working for CBS.
My two favorite works of his are "Westchester Lady" and "Touchdown."
This stuff runs along those muzak lines ;)

[Studio Toledo]

I hear ya. Incidentally, some EXCELLENT examples of such music was added in the late 80s to the only 8 minutes of home movies from my paternal family from the pre-VHS days. Not only do I enjoy seeing my family as it was 40 years ago, but the music is an added treat. Where to find this stuff? Beats me!
You were lucky!

The best I had of my mom's super-8mm footage transferred to video (herself) is complete silence! :D

[Ray Pointer]

Kromocolor was a Cinecolor two color emulsion process using red and green in some and red and blue in others. The original B/W version of WESTWARD WHOA!, GLOBE TROTTERS, and SLICK SLEUTHS along with the color remakes can be seen on the DVD MUTT AND JEFF: THE ORIGINAL ANIMATED ODD COUPLE (2005) available through http://www.inkwellimagesink.com (http://www.inkwellimagesink.com/)