โThe Crystal Gazerโ (1941)
Columbia really made some bizarre cartoons! This weekโs selection in no exception.
But first โ in brief Thunderbean news:
This is โreviewsโ week at CCS, the College for Creative Studies, where I teach. Itโs a crazy busy week where we look at every students work, in teams of professors. My brain in generally mush afterwords, but watching a Columbia cartoon and talking a little about it was a nice break.
I canโt wait to get some quality time over some days just concentrating on Thunderbean things. โCartoons for Victoryโ is the title getting the most attention at the moment here as we get it closer to finish. Weโll be talking about that title more in the coming weeks, along with some other projects that are coming together.
The last of a big batch of special discs just went out today, and the next ones are getting prepared. Iโm especially happy with this batch of stuff, and the next ones are pretty enjoyable too. Weโve launched two new ones today, but Iโm not sure how much longer weโll do them. Weโve also opened โThe Vaultโ of the older special discs for a week. Itโs been a lot of fun doing them.
Nowโ this weekโs cartoon!
The Crystal Gazer (1941) is a Columbia I hadnโt seen before scanning a print. Itโs a spoof of live โPsychicโ prediction shows, with Mel Blanc lending his voice (and some sound effects). The plot of cartoon consists of a show featuring โFamous Astrologist Professor Ja Ja Rajahโ, who is almost the same character in design and demeanor that stars in the all time classic Columbia Cartoon The Cuckoo I.Q. My favorite summery of *that* cartoon comes from a review in the old Mindrot โzine that said a better title for it would be โSeven Minutes of Color Filmโ.
An audience member asks the question โShould I put Whipped Cream in My Potato Salad?โ prompting the professor to go through a series of fairly uninspired convulsions until he gazes into a Crystal Ball, leading to a vision that is a much more interesting cartoon that it looked like it would be.
For some reason, his vision starts with him riding a camel in Egypt. They arrive at a tomb where mummies sing, play checkers, dance and make telephone calls. Mummies are hard to screw up, and this section of the cartoon makes the whole venture worth while, or at least makes it close to worth while. Please let me know if you agree or disagree!
Sadly, after that vision we return back to the original plot of the cartoon- but knowing Columbia it wouldnโt have been unlikely that they didnโt return to it.
All of that said, Iโm glad Columbia kept making cartoons, even if theyโre not on anyoneโs favorite list. Heck, maybe this one is someoneโs favorite.
Have a good week all!