How?s this for a collection?
Illustrator and graphic designer Stuart Hudgins owns more than 400 hours of rare film footage featuring the performances of black jazz musicians dating back to the early 1930s. Twenty hours are pure animation. And he?s ready to share his vintage jazzy cartoons with the public.
Cartoons That Swing is the first in a jazz film series premiering at An die Musik tonight.
Each short is approximately eight minutes long. In the editing process, Hudgins works to ensure a coherent transition, one into the other, with smooth musical segues.
So where did the cartoons originate? They were actually the creations of employees of the Screen Cartoonist Guild founded in 1938, followed later by United Productions of America in 1953. The outstanding animators, many of whom previously worked for Walt Disney, included John Hubley and Max and Dave Fleischer, who created “Popeye” and “Superman” cartoons.
Cartoons released as early as 1931 featured jazz performers either as the subjects of the shorts or providing the musical soundtracks. The new technology of the time enabled the animators to trace live film footage of the jazz artists to create animated characters.
“I remember when I first saw ?Minnie the Moocher,? one of Fleischer?s 1933 ?Betty Boop? creations,” Hudgins said. “The intro was live, then the curtain would open and Betty Boop would come out singing and dancing.”
She frolicked to the sounds of Cab Calloway and his orchestra, the rhythmic beat of Duke Ellington and the smooth intonations of Ella Fitzgerald. And, of course, the performers were larger-than-life animated characters.
Hudgins was hooked.
“When I found sources, I would buy one cartoon or feature at a time,” he said of his 35-year obsession.
His presentation tonight will begin with a short that features the “bouncing ball” to the lyrics of “Dinah” by the Mills Brothers. Three “Betty Boop” features will be included that star Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and Don Redman.
“We are honored and flattered that Stuart chose our venue to present these wonderful, rare jazz films,” said Henry Wong of An die Musik.
IF YOU GO
Cartoons that Swing
» Venue: An die Musik LIVE!, 409 N. Charles St., Baltimore
» Time: 7 p.m. today
» Tickets: $8
» More info: 410-385-2638
