90 Years of Felix the Cat

[veemonjosh]

Ninety years ago today, a cartoon was released called Feline Follies, following the story of a black cat named Master Tom, who later came to be known as Felix the Cat.

Felix the Cat became the first real cartoon celebrity and the first with a real personality. Before this, there were few actual characters, and most shorts were just experimental stuff (such as Gertie the Dinosaur), but Felix broke the mold and put theatrical shorts on the map.

He was everywhere in the early 20's, appearing as the first licensed Macy's balloon character, getting his own comic strip...heck, he even appeared alongside Charlie Chaplin.

When the sound era rolled along, Felix's silly silent antics were quickly overshadowed by Mickey Mouse's noise and he faded into obscurity...

Then, in the era of 50's television, Felix was brought back with full force in arguably his most remembered incarnation, as a hero with a magic "bag of tricks" at his disposal. He was now up against the Professor, a mad scientist who was determined to get the bag of tricks no matter what.

Once more, Felix disappeared, and wouldn't be revived again until 1991, with a film version 30 years after the TV series ended. This was, as you can see, a continuation of that incarnation, setting Felix, alongside the Professor and his nephew Poindexter, up against an army of robots invading a kingdom.

Despite appearing in a mid-90's CBS cartoon and in an anime series as a baby, this movie was the last big Felix project. It's been apparent over the years that Felix isn't nearly as well respected as other theatrical cartoon characters, but he is still the original poster child for the short industry, the one who made animated cartoons popular to the public.

Thus, I'd like to wish a happy 90th birthday to Felix the Cat, with a wish that he may one day spring back into the spotlight as a star.

[OnePark]

I remember seeing the movie as a kid. Oh, how many times I watched it... In fact, I remember getting in trouble for drawing Felix on the wall. I think I drew it life size because I wanted to believe he was actually there.

[Kazuya Prower]

Happy 90th birthday to the world's first cartoon star!

[Old Guy]

I recall watching the `90s CBS series and perhaps some of the old shorts, but I never really got into the character. But...he is important...so happy anniversary.

[Rick Jones]

When I lived abroad as a kid, I watched alot of the older Felix tv stuff. It as fun to watch and pass the time. Felix's bag of tricks was probably my favorite thing about them, and I really liked the name Poindexter for some reason.

I remember seeing the Felix movie once on Disney in 1993, I think. Don't remember too much from it but I wasn't too big on the Felix rescuing princess storyline. It wasn't as fun or funny as I thought the show was.

[JasonFox]

I grew up not knowing about him maybe checking him on CBS now and then but when the movie came out I was like Felix Fanatic.

Happy Birthday Felix! Dont die before you make it to 100

[aalong64]

As a kid I really loved the movie. I don't remember too much about it other than it being one of my favourite movies, and how he had to save some princess whose uncle had turned himself into a robot or something and taken over her kingdom.
I also had a Felix "Animated Talking Comic Book" CD-ROM, which I enjoyed a lot as well. Among other things, it had a history of Felix on it, as well as a couple of his old shorts, which I enjoyed.

And recently I've seen the amazing short "Felix Woos Whoopee." If you haven't seen it, you need to watch it. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Anyway, happy 90th birthday, Felix.

[judyindisguise]

Last night I watched a Felix the Cat silent cartoon on TNT. It was a really early one, apparently, because Felix looked very different from the way he looks now. Looked rather more like a dog - long muzzle, skinny upright ears. Kinda looked like a long-tailed Doberman.

I liked it. It was even funny in parts. If Roger Rabbit does get a sequel, I hope Felix makes a cameo in it. It'd be pretty funny if he, Oswald and Mickey share a scene. I could see Oswald looking from Felix to Mickey and asking, "You sure we're not related?"

[rattis1]

Originally Posted by judyindisguise

Last night I watched a Felix the Cat silent cartoon on TNT. It was a really early one, apparently, because Felix looked very different from the way he looks now. Looked rather more like a dog - long muzzle, skinny upright ears. Kinda looked like a long-tailed Doberman.

I liked it. It was even funny in parts. If Roger Rabbit does get a sequel, I hope Felix makes a cameo in it. It'd be pretty funny if he, Oswald and Mickey share a scene. I could see Oswald looking from Felix to Mickey and asking, "You sure we're not related?"

How about having Oswald telling Mickey "You are nothing but a rip-off of me!", and then having Felix appear and say to Oswald "Well, you are nothing but a rip-off of me!"

Anyway, happy birth day Felix!

[veemonjosh]

Originally Posted by judyindisguise

It'd be pretty funny if he, Oswald and Mickey share a scene. I could see Oswald looking from Felix to Mickey and asking, "You sure we're not related?"

Actually, Disney (or, rather, his boss at the time Charles B. Mintz) did even worse copying before Oswald...



Julius the Cat (the cat in the middle of the picture) was the animated star of the Alice Comedies, and there's no doubt that he's a ripoff of Felix the Cat.

[Brainatra]

Originally Posted by judyindisguise

Last night I watched a Felix the Cat silent cartoon on TNT. It was a really early one, apparently, because Felix looked very different from the way he looks now. Looked rather more like a dog - long muzzle, skinny upright ears. Kinda looked like a long-tailed Doberman.

I liked it. It was even funny in parts. If Roger Rabbit does get a sequel, I hope Felix makes a cameo in it. It'd be pretty funny if he, Oswald and Mickey share a scene. I could see Oswald looking from Felix to Mickey and asking, "You sure we're not related?"

This cartoon was on *TNT*? You sure you don't mean "Turner Classic Movies" (a more likely home for anything animated----doubt TNT would wish to disrupt its "all-Law and Order, all-the-time" one-track mind... :-p ) ?

-B.

[SpaceCowboy]

Originally Posted by Brainatra

This cartoon was on *TNT*? You sure you don't mean "Turner Classic Movies" (a more likely home for anything animated----doubt TNT would wish to disrupt its "all-Law and Order, all-the-time" one-track mind... :-p ) ?

-B.

I think judyindisguise got the two channels mixed up.

[judyindisguise]

Originally Posted by Brainatra

This cartoon was on *TNT*? You sure you don't mean "Turner Classic Movies" (a more likely home for anything animated----doubt TNT would wish to disrupt its "all-Law and Order, all-the-time" one-track mind... :-p ) ?

-B.

Oh, right, sorry. TCM it was. Some old dude introduced the toon and remarked that, like many silent-movie stars, Felix didn't translate well to sound. And the name of the short was "Felix Saves The Day".

[Gonzales]

I made at thread about the Felix movie a while back. It is without a doubt one of the strangest movies I've ever seen. Kind of like a Saturday morning cartoon on crystal meth. Or something like that.

"Who is the boss?"

"The Duke of Zill of course!"

Best song ever.

[Tom Stathes]

There is a great video montage tribute to Felix's birthday here: http://ramapithblog.blogspot.com/

[David Gerstein]

Thanks for the tip of the hat, Tom!

[Tom Stathes]

Originally Posted by David Gerstein

Thanks for the tip of the hat, Tom!

Or the tip of cat ears, rather

[SetTheControls]

vermoonjosh wrote:

Despite appearing in a mid-90's CBS cartoon and in an anime series as a baby, this movie was the last big Felix project.

How was the mid-90's CBS Felix series not a "big Felix proejct"?