A Pool Plunge (1920)

Series: Burr's Novelty Review

Year Published: 1920

Description:

As one of the only surviving sequences from "Burr's Novelty Review," a silent comedy series produced by distributor Charles C. Burr in 1922, "A Pool Plunge" is an interesting oddity. John (J.J.) McManus and R.E. Donahue created the amusing combination of live action and animation not unlike the sort of thing Max Fleischer had already established. The technique required filming the live action first, then making large photographic blow-ups of each 35mm frame. The animators would draw the cartoon character on a paper overlay for each photograph. The drawings would be transferred by ink and paint to celluloid sheets (cels), then re-photographed under the camera, cels on top of the photographs, one frame at a time. It's a very effective, low-budget way to create amazing special effects. Six "Novelty Reviews" were made in 1922. Burr originally released these shorts through his own distribution company, Mastodon Films.

Preservation note:
Originally part of a one-reel magazine format short subject in UCLA's collection, this is the only section of it that was relatively intact or not badly decomposed. Some of the other sections (all non-animated) made use of stencil-coloring, like in "Bob's Electric Theater," and combined tinting and toning to create a two-color effect. This sort of complex and costly coloring was rarely used in animated subjects.

Music © Michael D. Mortilla (BMI); MIDILifeCrisis.com.

Complete Record: As one of the only surviving sequences from "Burr's Novelty Review," a silent comedy series produced by distributor Charles C. Burr in 1922, "A Pool Plunge" is an interesting oddity. John (J.J.) McManus and R.E. Donahue created the amusing combination of live action and animation not unlike the sort of thing Max Fleischer had already established. The technique required filming the live action first, then making large photographic blow-ups of each 35mm frame. The animators would draw the cartoon character on a paper overlay for each photograph. The drawings would be transferred by ink and paint to celluloid sheets (cels), then re-photographed under the camera, cels on top of the photographs, one frame at a time. It's a very effective, low-budget way to create amazing special effects. Six "Novelty Reviews" were made in 1922. Burr originally released these shorts through his own distribution company, Mastodon Films. Preservation note: Originally part of a one-reel magazine format short subject in UCLA's collection, this is the only section of it that was relatively intact or not badly decomposed. Some of the other sections (all non-animated) made use of stencil-coloring, like in "Bob's Electric Theater," and combined tinting and toning to create a two-color effect. This sort of complex and costly coloring was rarely used in animated subjects. Music © Michael D. Mortilla (BMI); MIDILifeCrisis.com.