OSCAR NIGHT 2024...

Each passing year, I find less and less things to enjoy about the Academy Awards ceremony. 

On the bright side, there are many alternate ways to enjoy the evening...like watching Bugs Bunny cartoons on my tablet...or DVD player!

TODAY IS INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY!

From Wikipedia:

This day commemorates the first public performance of Charles-Émile Reynaud's Théâtre Optique at the Grevin Museum in Paris, 1892. In 1895, the Cinematograph of the Lumière brothers outshone Reynaud's invention, driving Émile to bankruptcy. However, his public performance of animation entered the history of optical entertainments as shortly predating the camera-made movies. In recent years, the event has been observed in more than 50 countries with more than 1000 events, on every continent, all over the world. IAD was initiated by ASIFA, International Animated Film Association, a member of UNESCO. During International Animation Day cultural institutions are also invited to join in by screening animated films, organizing workshops, exhibiting artwork and stills, providing technical demonstrations, and organizing other events helping to promote the art of animation. Such a celebration is an outstanding opportunity of putting animated films in the limelight, making this art more accessible to the public.

IN LIKE FLYNN!

 ERROL FLYNN, born June 20, 1909 in Tasmania, Australia, was one of my first heroes from the silver screen. He is mostly remembered for being the best Robin Hood in films but his career spanned many other worthwhile performances.

 CAPTAIN BLOOD, THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, DAWN PATROL, THE SEA HAWK, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON, GENTLEMAN JIM, VIRGINIA CITY, OBJECTIVE, BURMA!, DESPERATE JOURNEY, THE ADVENTURES OF DON JUAN and THE MASTER OF BALLANTRAE  are just a few of his better and most fondly remembered films.

Because most of his performances were portraying heroic figures, he was admired by moviegoers as the ultimate swashbuckler. His career began to wane in the late forties and, except from a few memorable  appearances during the fifties, Flynn could never regain the top star status he had achieved during the thirties and early forties.
But still, his reputation as a movie icon has not tarnished. He still remains the template for all screen swashbucklers.

Long Live Errol Flynn!

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck paid homage to Flynn in two cartoons directed by Chuck Jones:
RABBIT HOOD (1949) and ROBIN HOOD DAFFY (1958)

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20z63h

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3be23d

THE GREAT MOVIE CARTOON PARADE!

This is an excellent (and long out of print) book about cartoons and cartoon characters, written by John Halas and David Rider. It was first published in 1976 by Triune Books in the UK and Bounty Books in the USA and I don't think there were any further editions. The text is quite informative and the BIG sized pages (14.75" x 10.25") are beautifully illustrated with some truly nice pictures of many cartoon characters, some of which are really obscure but nevertheless worthy of a glance. From Mickey Mouse to the Pink Panther, it covers many studios and eras and the sheer size of the images alone make it an attractive addition to any cartoon collector's library.

The book's price back in 1976 was $9.95!

                        

                            

    Due to its large size, the only real problem for me was finding a good fitting place for it in my bookshelf!