Not So Dumb

Year Published: 1930s

Description: This short "Not So Dumb" (1930s) provides a playful behind-the-scenes look at Major Herbet M. Dawley's marionette puppetry. A humorous puppet character introduces the subject before the presentation demonstrates how individual strings and handheld controllers allow operators to make marionettes raise their arms, bow, turn their heads, and kneel. The film then shows a larger chorus of puppets controlled through a multiple controller worn by the operator, and invented by Dawley. He shows how the puppeteer's own movements contribute to the rhythm and lifelike motion of the performance. Major Herbert M. Dawley was a painter, sculptor, inventor and engineer for the Pierce-Arrow Motorcar Company, a photographer, theater and film producer/director, screenwriter, actor, puppeteer, author, and animator. In addition to directing over 400 plays, his work in motion pictures resulted in a series of silent era live action films for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a series of religious films, along with many silhouette animation short subjects. He was an innovator of stop-motion model animation. 0:03 – Opening music introduces a lighthearted theatrical presentation featuring a marionette character who jokes about being one of the world's oldest performers, claiming to have entertained audiences since ancient Egypt. 0:34 – The marionette introduces himself with comic dialogue, breaking the illusion of the puppet show and searching for his “boss,” Major Dawley, while interacting with other puppet characters including Mr. Bones and Mabel. 1:31 – An explanation of how marionettes are operated. Dawley explains that the puppet's movements are controlled by 18 individual strings, each serving a specific function. 1:47 – Dawley demonstrates the handheld controller used to manipulate the strings, showing how individual strings can raise the puppet's arms and how coordinated movements produce different actions. 2:08 – The controller is tilted and twisted to demonstrate how the puppet can bow and turn its head, followed by an example of making the marionette kneel. 2:48 – Music accompanies a transition to a larger puppet performance involving an entire chorus of marionettes. 2:54 – The film explains that the chorus is suspended from a larger multiple controller strapped to the operator's back, leaving both hands free to control the puppets. 3:09 – The movements of the puppets are shown in performance, with the narrator pointing out that the operator's own body movements help establish the rhythm and coordinated motion of the marionettes. 3:18 – A musical marionette performance continues, showcasing the coordinated movement of the puppet chorus.

Online Copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmoPyv577pM

Metadata Source:YouTube