Felix in Hollywood

A so-so Felix the Cat cartoon which is primarily of interest for the parodies of stars of the day such as Charlie Chaplin and Ben Turpin rather than its humour.

When Leonard Maltin's book, "Of Mice and Magic" which was about the production of theatrical movie cartoons from the silent era to around the '60s, came out, during the chapter on silent cartoons, he especially wrote about the first animated star, Felix the Cat, and especially about this very short I'm reviewing right now. In this one, he helps an actor friend to go to Hollywood by trying to make money selling shoes for a bankrupt proprietor of such a store. Once they're there, Felix goes on his own encountering caricatures of various Hollywood celebs of which one of whom is Charlie Chaplin who says something amusing to Felix. I'll just now say that Felix in Hollywood is quite a funny cartoon that I recommend to any animation fans out there.

This short is one of the best of all time and is proof (just like most of Charlie Chaplin's work) that sound and color are not requirements for quality work. In fact, this cartoon uses (and may have started) some of the gags and devices that became standard in animation in later years, like caricatures of celebrities (including the afore-mentioned Chaplin. While the characters are silent, they do "speak", by use of word balloons, just like in the comics. Given that Felix started out in newspapers as a comic strip, this device is a natural. The atmosphere and style of the short is completely harmonious with that of the comic strip while adding another dimension (literally and figuratively) and makes this short a delight to watch. Well worth taking the time and effort to get. Most highly recommended.

Felix in Hollywood (1923)

** (out of 4)

Felix and his owner need to get to Hollywood but without any money the cat must get a job first. He starts working at a shoe store where he plans on bringing people in by making them step in bubble gum. This here is certainly a step up from some of the shorts I've seen in the series but I still wouldn't go all the way and call it a good movie. The best gag comes when Felix must disguise himself in order to travel with his owner. The rest of the film doesn't contain too many laughs but Felix's personality at least shines through some rather poor writing.

Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivan's Felix the Cat was the first widely popular cartoon character in film history. In this one, there's a gag involving gum and shoes at the beginning, and Felix transforms himself into the likeness of a handbag to travel to Hollywood, which is rather representative of the fantastic nature of the Felix cartoons. In Hollywood, Felix meets his peers, including Charlie Chaplin, who some say is the basis for much of Felix, and whom Messmer caricatured in another animation series. Felix also meets caricatures of Ben Turpin, William S. Hart, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille and President of the Motion Picture Association of America, Will Hays, who others say was the basis for the next big cartoon star, Mickey Mouse. "Felix in Hollywood" is one of the earliest screen efforts at caricaturing live-action movie stars, something Looney Tunes later became famous for. Additionally, as Disney would similarly capitalize on later creations, the image of Felix was marketed extensively, appearing on merchandise and in newspaper comic strips.