Felix the Cat: The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg (1936) - Classic Cartoon
Christineharrand52
2016-02-29
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Classic episode of Felix the Cat from 1936 - The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg. Felix is helping townspeople with his goose that lays a golden egg but when Captain Kidd kidnaps his goose things get crazy!\r
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With the advent of The Jazz Singer in 1927, Educational Pictures, who distributed the Felix shorts at the time, urged Pat Sullivan to make the leap to talkie cartoons, but Sullivan refused. Further disputes led to a break between Educational and Sullivan. Only when Walt Disneys Steamboat Willie made cinematic history as the first talking cartoon with a synchronized soundtrack (My Old Kentucky Home from Max and Dave Fleischers Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes preceded Willie, but did not gain the same recognition) did Sullivan see the possibilities of sound. He managed to secure a contract with First National Pictures in 1928. However, for reasons unknown, this did not last, so Sullivan sought out Jacques Kopfstein and Copley Pictures to distribute his new sound Felix cartoons. On 16 October 1929, an advertisement appeared in Film Daily with Felix announcing, Jolson-like, You aint heard nothin yet!\r
Unfortunately, Felixs transition to sound was not a smooth one. Sullivan did not carefully prepare for Felixs transition to sound, and added sound effects into the sound cartoons as a post-animation process. The results were disastrous. More than ever, it seemed as though Disneys mouse was drawing audiences away from Sullivans silent star. Not even entries such as the off-beat Felix Woos Whoopee (1931) or the Silly Symphony-esque April Maze (both 1930) could regain the franchises audience. Kopfstein finally canceled Sullivans contract. Subsequently, he announced plans to start a new studio in California, but such ideas never materialized. Things went from bad to worse when Sullivans wife, Marjorie, died in March 1932. After this, Sullivan completely fell apart. He slumped into an alcoholic depression, his health rapidly declined, and his memory began to fade. He could not even cash checks to Messmer because his signature was reduced to a mere scribble. He died in 1933. Messmer recalled, He left everything a mess, no books, no nothing. So when he died the place had to close down, at the height of popularity, when everybody, RKO and all of them, for years they tried to get hold of Felix . I didnt have that permission [to continue the character] cause I didnt have legal ownership of it.\r
In 1935, Amadee J. Van Beuren of the Van Beuren Studios called Messmer and asked him if he could return Felix to the screen. Van Beuren even stated that Messmer would be provided with a full staff and all of the necessary utilities. However, Messmer declined his offer and instead recommended Burt Gillett, a former Sullivan staffer who was now heading the Van Beuren staff. So, in 1936, Van Beuren obtained approval from Sullivans brother to license Felix to his studio with the intention of producing new shorts both in color and with sound. With Gillett at the helm, now with a heavy Disney influence, he did away with Felixs established personality and made him just another funny-animal character of the type popular in the day. The new shorts were unsuccessful, and after only three outings Van Beuren discontinued the series.
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With the advent of The Jazz Singer in 1927, Educational Pictures, who distributed the Felix shorts at the time, urged Pat Sullivan to make the leap to talkie cartoons, but Sullivan refused. Further disputes led to a break between Educational and Sullivan. Only when Walt Disneys Steamboat Willie made cinematic history as the first talking cartoon with a synchronized soundtrack (My Old Kentucky Home from Max and Dave Fleischers Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes preceded Willie, but did not gain the same recognition) did Sullivan see the possibilities of sound. He managed to secure a contract with First National Pictures in 1928. However, for reasons unknown, this did not last, so Sullivan sought out Jacques Kopfstein and Copley Pictures to distribute his new sound Felix cartoons. On 16 October 1929, an advertisement appeared in Film Daily with Felix announcing, Jolson-like, You aint heard nothin yet!\r
Unfortunately, Felixs transition to sound was not a smooth one. Sullivan did not carefully prepare for Felixs transition to sound, and added sound effects into the sound cartoons as a post-animation process. The results were disastrous. More than ever, it seemed as though Disneys mouse was drawing audiences away from Sullivans silent star. Not even entries such as the off-beat Felix Woos Whoopee (1931) or the Silly Symphony-esque April Maze (both 1930) could regain the franchises audience. Kopfstein finally canceled Sullivans contract. Subsequently, he announced plans to start a new studio in California, but such ideas never materialized. Things went from bad to worse when Sullivans wife, Marjorie, died in March 1932. After this, Sullivan completely fell apart. He slumped into an alcoholic depression, his health rapidly declined, and his memory began to fade. He could not even cash checks to Messmer because his signature was reduced to a mere scribble. He died in 1933. Messmer recalled, He left everything a mess, no books, no nothing. So when he died the place had to close down, at the height of popularity, when everybody, RKO and all of them, for years they tried to get hold of Felix . I didnt have that permission [to continue the character] cause I didnt have legal ownership of it.\r
In 1935, Amadee J. Van Beuren of the Van Beuren Studios called Messmer and asked him if he could return Felix to the screen. Van Beuren even stated that Messmer would be provided with a full staff and all of the necessary utilities. However, Messmer declined his offer and instead recommended Burt Gillett, a former Sullivan staffer who was now heading the Van Beuren staff. So, in 1936, Van Beuren obtained approval from Sullivans brother to license Felix to his studio with the intention of producing new shorts both in color and with sound. With Gillett at the helm, now with a heavy Disney influence, he did away with Felixs established personality and made him just another funny-animal character of the type popular in the day. The new shorts were unsuccessful, and after only three outings Van Beuren discontinued the series.
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