Flip the Frog question

[wundermild]

I seem to remember a discussion some time ago on the Ub Iwerks-themed "Cartoons that Time Forgot" DVDs. I can't spot the thread, and it may have been on an entirely different board ... anyway, it was discussed that at least one of the Flip shorts has been incomplete. Does anyone have more information on this, is the assumption correct and if so, what cartoon and what scene were missing?

[David Gerstein]

The prints of LITTLE ORPHAN WILLIE, CIRCUS, and PUPPY LOVE most commonly seen in the USA are each missing a short sequence.
WILLIE originally had a scene of Willie giving Flip a Bronx cheer. This is still visible in some poor quality PD compilations, but the good print used on the authorized release (Bosko Video) lacks the scene.
CIRCUS is missing a scene when the pickpocket first tries to grab the Spinster's purse. I've never seen an uncut version, but I presume he originally grabbed her butt by accident (seems like a typical vulgar Iwerks gag, and the kind of thing that would be edited in a 1950s TV print).
PUPPY LOVE is missing a scene right after Flip's sobbing dog tells him about his girlfriend's kidnapping. I've never seen an uncut version, but we can see Flip reach into his pocket right before the cut. I presume he originally took out a hanky and let the crying dog messily blow his nose.
What versions of these cartoons are making the rounds in Germany?

[wundermild]

David,

Thanks for your quick and informative response.

The prints of LITTLE ORPHAN WILLIE, CIRCUS, and PUPPY LOVE most commonly seen in the USA are each missing a short sequence.
WILLIE originally had a scene of Willie giving Flip a Bronx cheer. This is still visible in some poor quality PD compilations, but the good print used on the authorized release (Bosko Video) lacks the scene.
I have recently purchased a French 2-DVD edition that contains all the Flip the Frog shorts (Flip the Frog, mk2 editions; somehow connected to Lobster Films, with an itroduction by Serge Bromberg, founder of Lobster Films); this was the first time I saw LITTLE ORPHAN WILLIE, although the print looked pretty worn. The scene you describe is intact.


CIRCUS is missing a scene when the pickpocket first tries to grab the Spinster's purse. I've never seen an uncut version, but I presume he originally grabbed her butt by accident (seems like a typical vulgar Iwerks gag, and the kind of thing that would be edited in a 1950s TV print).
PUPPY LOVE is missing a scene right after Flip's sobbing dog tells him about his girlfriend's kidnapping. I've never seen an uncut version, but we can see Flip reach into his pocket right before the cut. I presume he originally took out a hanky and let the crying dog messily blow his nose.
Both scenes are also missing in the mk2 DVD versions, alas.


What versions of these cartoons are making the rounds in Germany?
"Making the rounds" is a euphemism - Flip has been off TV for half a decade now. Before, he has been showcased on the "Cartoon Factory" program (original sound with German subtitles), and he appeared on and off on TV (the public law stations and pay-TV; German voice-over, German title cards "Flip der Frosch"). Altogether, all Flip shorts have been aired on German TV over the years (along with some Willie Whopper and most Comicolor shorts, the exception being LITTLE BLACK SAMBO). At least the Cartoon Factory prints are from the Lobster Film archive, and they are probably identical to the mk2 DVD versions. One observation I made: The Lobster versions often cut the lower portion of the visible picture to achieve a 4:3 aspect ratio, while the "Cartoons that Time Forgot" versions often cut the upper portion (I do not have the Bosko Video release).