|
Author
|
Topic: Balloonland (a.k.a. Pincushion Man)
|
Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
|
posted August 25, 2005 10:38 PM
I thought for this review, I would do a long neglected minor classic, "Baloonland". It was retitled by castle films as "Pincushion Man". This cartoon, made in 1935 by the Ub Iwerks studio, is a perfect example of a classification of cartoons I call "Fantasy cartoons"
This means that for the space of seven minutes, a complete fantasy world is created. These cartoons were rarely a series of cartoons, mostly one shot endeavors. Other cartoons along this line are "Porky in Wackyland" (1938) and the other major and RARE cartoon of this fantasy genre, "Sunshine Makers" by the Van Buren Studio, (1936)
Except for a few rare occasions after 1940, (in some Warner's one shots cartoons), These cartoons were a product of the 1930's. It is thought that this is because during these years of the depression, these happy cartoons were needed to boost the morale of people and give them a real escapism. There's also something to be said for the graphic stylings of the thirties cartoons that also allowed for these worlds of whimsy to exist. As animation artists perfected thier styles of animation, (between 1940 and 1945, for the most part), we also see a tendency to go for more realistic setting and away from fantasy, (the Bob Clampett cartoons, while quite wild and insane, tend to still be grounded in a certain amount of realism, stretched to the absurb)
So, here we have Baloonland. Much of Ub Iwerks cartoon output doesn't hold up too well today. Though Ub Iwerks was the complete animator of the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, ("Plane Crazy" 1927, not "Steamboat Willie"1928. Two cartoons were made before Steamboat willie, but when Steamboat willie was such a smash, they then took back the two silent Mickeys and added soundtracks.), Ub, none the less, would end up pretty much copying the Disney style, with good fluid animation, but with little story development. Most of his films would easily be described as adequete, but few stand out like Baloonland.
Baloonland is about a land of baloon people, (don't figure, huh?), as the cartoon opens,, we see baloon versions of Laurel and Hardy, as well as Chaplin strut by. We also see numerous other cute baloon character, as well as a rubber tree painfully squeezing out the rubber to make the baloon children.
One of the worker baloons warns the little boy baloon, "Beware the Pincushion man!" The little boy baloon blows off the advice and him and a little girl baloon venture out of the safety of baloon city, "I'm not afraid of the pincushion man!", the little boy baloon proudly states!
The pincusion man appears, taking great delight in popping numerous baloon trees, rocks and such and, hearing the little boy, the baloon man (voiced by Billy Bletcher, the voice of the big bad wolf as well as Peg leg Pete from Disney films) sings his little song as he chases the two to the city.
Pincusion man convinces a very VERY STUPID baloon guard to let him in, and he starts to raise hell on baloonland, sadisticly popping baloons left and right. The baloon solgiers put the rubber tree into overtime, and after a little struggle, send the rubber sticky Pincusion man off a cliff. Once again, all is well!
This cartoon has a well realized world. At times the background and the character style is reminiscent of a number of almost abstract comic strips of thier day (such as "Polly and her Pals), and this kind of 1930's design really lends itself to this kind of character and story. Like almost all Ub Iwerks cartoons, the whole cartoon is set to a bouncy rhythm. This is the kind of cartoon, (and world) that you actually enjoy visiting again and again.
The print I have is a later Castle films copy, with it being called "Pincushion Man". I would personally love to get a copy of it with the original "Baloonland" titles. If I'm correct, I believe that a number of super 8 suppliers put this cartoon out, as Ub Iwerks cartoons long ago ran out, copyright wise, which allowed thier public domain status to lend itself to many super 8 suppliers supplying it.
I see this title pop up occasionally on ebay and a few other lists. beware a number of Castle films copies printed on Eastman stock. Most of those have faded long ago. I would be interested if anyone knows as to whether Blackhawk put out this particular title, as they released quite a few of the Ub Iwerks and Van Buren cartoons.
Certianly a worthy cartoon for your collection!
UPDATE!!!!
I just had the luck to acquire a standard 8mm "Castle Color" edition of "Pincushion Man". This was made from the direct Cinecolor original prints, and the color saturation is absolutely GORGOEOUS! I have never seen this film look this ood!
as always ... LONG LIVE SUPER 8!!!
[ September 08, 2013, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: Osi Osgood ]
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
