Felix in Hollywood (1923)

Director:

Otto Messmer

Writers:

Pat Sullivan (character creator)
Otto Messmer (story)

Release Date:

15 July 1923 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

A starving actor, reduced to trying his luck in the movies, travels to Hollywood. His cat, Felix, poses as a travel bag and comes along.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Money | Caricature | Travel | Charlie Chaplin

Runtime:

9 min | 8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Pat Sullivan Cartoons

Trivia:

Ben Turpin, Will Hays, Charles Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and William S. Hart are caricatured.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Felix's Master: A ham! A ham! My kingdom for a ham sandwich!

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999)

Before cartoons had sound or color, but they still did brilliant work-like this short!

This short is one of the best of all time and is proof (just like most of Charlie Chaplin's work) that sound and color are not requirements for quality work. In fact, this cartoon uses (and may have started) some of the gags and devices that became standard in animation in later years, like caricatures of celebrities (including the afore-mentioned Chaplin. While the characters are silent, they do "speak", by use of word balloons, just like in the comics. Given that Felix started out in newspapers as a comic strip, this device is a natural. The atmosphere and style of the short is completely harmonious with that of the comic strip while adding another dimension (literally and figuratively) and makes this short a delight to watch. Well worth taking the time and effort to get. Most highly recommended.