Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics (1911)

Cartoon figures announce, via comic strip balloons, that they will move - and move they do, in a wildly exaggerated style.

Directors:

Winsor McCay, J. Stuart Blackton

Writers:

Winsor McCay (comic strip "Little Nemo in Slumberland"), Winsor McCay (screenplay)

Stars:

John Bunny, Winsor McCay, George McManus

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
John Bunny
Winsor McCay	...	Himself
George McManus

Storyline

Cartoonist Winsor McCay agrees to create a large set of drawings that will be photographed and made into a motion picture. The job requires plenty of drawing supplies, and the cartoonist must also overcome some mishaps caused by an assistant. Finally, the work is done, and everyone can see the resulting animated picture.

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Plot Keywords:

state in title | artist | surrealism | animator | based on comic | 

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Genres:

Short | Animation | Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1911 (USA)

Also Known As:

Little Nemo

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vitagraph Company of America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min 10 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White Color (hand-colored) Black and White (tinted) (some sequences)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Winsor McCay worked four years, made four-thousand drawings, and hand-colored the 35mm frames.

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Connections

Version of Little Nemo: The Dream Master (1990)

User Reviews

charming little cartoon

Winsor McCay says to an incredulous John Bunny (the jovial comedy Vitagraph star) he will use four thousand drawings for a moving cartoon, and we see some of this process through the live action bit of this short: the best of course is the sequence where we watch the animated characters take on their own personalities, in turn disturbing, hilarious, poignant, and boisterous.

There have of course been many advances in animation over the years, but we can also learn from and appreciate what has gone before. If you only know 'Gertie the Dinosaur' you'll like 'Little Nemo'; if you're not familiar with McCay but like animation, give it a go. I reckon you'll be surprised how far techniques had progressed even ninety-plus years ago.