Classic cartoons on little-known cable channel

[frizfrelengfan]

My cable system (Cablevision iO) recently added the VOOM channels. VOOM was a satellite TV service started by Cablevision that emphasized high-definition. The venture failed but the channels live on (on DISH and now iO).

One of the channels is Animania (http://www.voom.com/vhdo/anim/index.jsp). During the day it shows kiddie stuff, but at night it shows classic cartoons including Pink Panther, Felix the Cat (the Trans-Lux version) and Mr. Magoo.

The other night I decided to record. With low expectations, I set the DVR. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected made-for-TV stuff but other than Felix, they were theatricals. There was an Inspector cartoon (I didn't record the beginning so I don't know the title, but it involved a dog that kept pulling the Inspector all over the place), an Ant and Aardvark cartoon ("Science Friction"), and a theatrical Mr. Magoo ("Hotsy Footsy"). I didn't get to watch the Pink Panther cartoon yet.

But the most pleasant surprise was a Columbia Color Rhapsody. Because of the way my DVR recorded, I watched starting in the middle. Not having seen the beginning, and not having seen the cartoon before, my reaction was it looked like what Harman or Ising would have done in the late '30's for MGM. Cute, not particularly funny, beautifully drawn and in 3-strip Technicolor. It involved a brood of chicks that were driving their mother hen crazy.

Then I watched the beginning and the cartoon was "Mother Hen's Holiday." I looked it up. It was directed by Art Davis, written by Sid Marcus, and released in 1937. The Voom copy of the cartoon was pristine, the colors were rich, as if it had been restored, and of course like everything on Voom it was in hi-def and widescreen. It had one of those "Columbia Favorite" re-issue titles in the beginning, but I think it had an original end title featuring the Proud Lady in a small circle drawn comic-book style, and "A CHARLES MINTZ PRODUCTION."

I didn't know that Voom had the rights to show these, but it's nice that they do. Maybe Sony has given them the rights to the Columbias, the theatrical UPAs, and the DFEs (which were owned by MGM, now owned by Sony). I wonder if the print of "Mother Hen's Holiday" was from "Totally Tooned In" (episode 10 according to Cartoon Research). Maybe Animania will show all the "Totally Tooned In" episodes at some point.

[Bugsmer]

By widescreen, do you mean that they cropped the cartoon in such a way as to remove some of its top and bottom?

[David Gerstein]

I didn't know that Voom had the rights to show these, but it's nice that they do. Maybe Sony has given them the rights to the Columbias, the theatrical UPAs, and the DFEsI'm not sure with whom Voom had to bargain to get the DFEs. But yes, they acquired the Columbias and theatrical UPAs from Sony some while ago. Whether their license is exclusive I'm not sure, but keep watching; Fox and Crow cartoons are regularly shown, and for awhile they even had their own program on the channel.
As to your other question: the cartoons as shown on Voom are not the Totally Tooned In prints (which have new TV titles), but something even better: the complete masters as presently held by Sony, with full title sequences—and original titles when Sony possesses them. Unfortunately, only color cartoons are shown.
I don't think GAC has previously had a member with regular access to Voom to record these things. I certainly don't have it.

[Matt the Y]

The other night I decided to record. With low expectations, I set the DVR. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected made-for-TV stuff but other than Felix, they were theatricals. There was an Inspector cartoon (I didn't record the beginning so I don't know the title, but it involved a dog that kept pulling the Inspector all over the place).

That would be "Le Bowser Bagger".

[Tim Lones]

I'm not sure with whom Voom had to bargain to get the DFEs. But yes, they acquired the Columbias and theatrical UPAs from Sony some while ago. Whether their license is exclusive I'm not sure, but keep watching; Fox and Crow cartoons are regularly shown, and for awhile they even had their own program on the channel.
As to your other question: the cartoons as shown on Voom are not the Totally Tooned In prints (which have new TV titles), but something even better: the complete masters as presently held by Sony, with full title sequences—and original titles when Sony possesses them. Unfortunately, only color cartoons are shown.
I don't think GAC has previously had a member with regular access to Voom to record these things. I certainly don't have it.

A couple of months ago I mentioned seeing Felix The Cat on VOOM after not having seen it since I was very young..The classics seem to be shrinking..and being shown at a later hour..I will try to record some more tonight to get a better idea..

[frizfrelengfan]

By widescreen, do you mean that they cropped the cartoon in such a way as to remove some of its top and bottom?
Bugsmer,

I don't know based on the cartoons that I've seen so far. Nothing seems to be cropped from the cartoons. Maybe they just stretched them. They don't look bad.

[Bugsmer]

Bugsmer,

I don't know based on the cartoons that I've seen so far. Nothing seems to be cropped from the cartoons. Maybe they just stretched them. They don't look bad.

I've seen standard films stretched to fit a widescreen shape and the result is not pleasing to the eye, but you're right in that nothing is removed; rather, it's made to look ghastly.

[any_ol_1]

Some of the things I think I've seen (or not) on Animania....
1937-01-29_Skeleton Frolic has music substitution
1936-10-02_The Merry Mutineers has several short edits
560209 - Gerald McBoing Boing on planet moo edited where he points his finger like a gun

The episode titles (if there were any) omitted from Felix the Cats
Screen credits omitted on most/all UPA

The aspect ratio on the Magoos seem to vary. Some seem "ok". One definately looked like an original widescreen, pan and scanned, cropped back to pseudo-widescreen. I try to compare with how the rca logo should look, problem with that is there may be some changes from that to the body of the cartoon.

With their scheduleing, it's hard to tell and I certainly may have missed some, but some have been repeated and some have not aired (or I just missed them)

Anything is better than nothing (?), but here, nothing is as it seems.

It's definately a mixed bag of tricks, and judging from you're avitar, you'll be disapointed when/if Skeleton Frolic re-airs.

[frizfrelengfan]

It's definately a mixed bag of tricks, and judging from you're avitar, you'll be disapointed when/if Skeleton Frolic re-airs.
Funny thing about my avatar. I had a pathological fear of skeletons when I was young. Having a skeleton for an avatar is like therapy for me. I also like the avatar because it's taken from "Bimbo's Initiation," one of my favorite cartoons.

Someone should start a thread "Skeletons in cartoons." I thought about it. There are many cartoons that I can think of that have skeletons. The animators of the rubber-hose era seem to be obsessed with them.

[frizfrelengfan]

They showed "Skeleton Frolic" Tuesday. I just watched the recording. The music did sound odd, but I don't know what the original music sounded like.

[Leviathan]

According to Jerry Beck (and Gerstein), certain Columbia cartoons were redubbed to remove songs that Sony's TV Division didn't have worldwide music rights to.

Another casuality was apparently Animal Cracker Circus (which was posted on Youtube a while back). The first half of the cartoon is redubbed to remove the song "Animal Crackers in My Soup"

[frizfrelengfan]

By widescreen, do you mean that they cropped the cartoon in such a way as to remove some of its top and bottom?
Bugsmer, I got my answer. They showed "Up N' Atom" recently and to get it on widescreen, they do crop the top and the bottom. Also, the cartoon seemed to air at a slower speed than the version that I'm familiar with, and there was an unexplained edit at the spot where the cat tosses the tomato and it lands on the dog's face. The cut completely kills the timing of the scene, as the first appearance of the green-vested dog is edited out.

[ThePeterNetwork]

Can I get this channel on DirecTV, or is it only available to those who have the new-fangled Hi-def TVs that my family will never ever get ever in this lifetime?

[frizfrelengfan]

Can I get this channel on DirecTV, or is it only available to those who have the new-fangled Hi-def TVs that my family will never ever get ever in this lifetime?
Currently I think it's only available on DISH and Cablevision iO. It's part of the VOOM package of channels. It's a hi-def channel and I have it connected to a hi-def TV, but I think the set-top box can downconvert to an old TV.