Screen Songs (formerly known as KoKo Song Car-Tunes) are a series of animated cartoons produced at the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1929 and 1938.[1] Paramount brought back the sing-along cartoons in 1945, now in color, and released them regularly through 1951. Two of Paramount's one-shot cartoons quietly revived the format later: Candy Cabaret (1954) and Hobo's Holiday (1963).
The Screen Songs are a continuation of the earlier Fleischer series Song Car-Tunes in color. They are sing-along shorts featuring the famous "bouncing ball", a sort of precursor to modern karaoke videos.[2] They often featured popular melodies of the day. The early Song Car-Tunes were among the earliest sound films, produced two years before The Jazz Singer. They were largely unknown at the time because their release was limited to the chain of 36 theaters operated by The Red Seal Pictures Company, which was equipped with the early Lee DeForest Phonofilm sound reproduction equipment. The Red Seal theater chain—formed by the Fleischers, DeForest, Edwin Miles Fadiman, and Hugo Riesenfeld—went from the East Coast to Columbus, Ohio.
Between May 1924 and September 1926, the Fleischers released 36 Song Car-Tunes series, with 19 using the Phonofilm sound-on-film process. The films included Oh Mabel, Come Take a Trip in My Airship, Darling Nelly Gray, Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?, and By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Beginning with My Old Kentucky Home (1926), the cartoons featured the "follow the bouncing ball" gimmick, that lead the audience singing along with the film. The other 17 films in the Song Car-Tunes series were silent, designed to be shown with live music in movie theaters.
The Fleischers were ahead of the sound revolution, and just missed the actual change when Red Seal Pictures filed for bankruptcy in the fall of 1926.
In 1928, the Weiss Brothers reissued through their Artclass Pictures company and other independent distributors a number of the silent "Ko-Ko Song Car-tunes" with new animation created for the beginnings, removing the original titles and opening original footage.
The Fleischers signed a new contract with Paramount Pictures in late 1928. Beginning in February 1929, the song cartoons returned under a new name, Screen Songs, using the Western Electric sound-on-film process. The first was The Sidewalks of New York (East Side, West Side) released on 5 February 1929. In the 1930s, the shorts began to feature such musical guest stars as Lillian Roth, Ethel Merman, Cab Calloway, Rudy Vallée, The Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters, and others. The series, which eventually focused on many of the "Big Bands" of "The Swing Era" continued until 1938. In 1945, Famous Studios, successors to the Fleischers, revived the Screen Songs as an all animated series. The earliest Screen Song released as part of the Noveltoons series, When G.I. Johnny Comes Home, was released on February 2, 1945.[3]
1929[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Sidewalks of New York | February 5, 1929 | ||
| Yankee Doodle Boy | March 1, 1929 | ||
| Old Black Joe | April 5, 1929 | ||
| Ye Olde Melodies | May 3, 1929 | ||
| Daisy Bell | May 31, 1929 | ||
| Mother, Pin a Rose on Me | July 6, 1929 | ||
| Dixie | August 17, 1929 | ||
| Chinatown, My Chinatown | One-shot Chinese characters | August 29, 1929 | |
| Goodbye My Lady Love | August 31, 1929 | ||
| My Pony Boy | September 13, 1929 | ||
| Smiles | One-shot human quartet | September 27, 1929 | |
| Oh, You Beautiful Doll | Tommy and Mariah Cat | October 14, 1929 | |
| After the Ball | Charles K. Harris and Fitz the dog | November 8, 1929 | |
| Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet | One-shot animal characters | November 22, 1929 | |
| I've Got Rings on My Fingers | One-shot animal characters and (human) Irish cop | December 17, 1929 | |
1930[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Bedelia | Fitz | January 3, 1930 | |
| In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree | One-shot bear characters | January 18, 1930 | |
| I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark | Fitz | January 30, 1930 | |
| The Prisoner's Song | Fitz and prisoners | March 1, 1930 | |
| I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles | One-shot mouse characters | March 15, 1930 | |
| La Paloma | Bimbo | April 12, 1930 | |
| Yes! We Have No Bananas | One-shot animal characters | April 26, 1930 | |
| Come Take a Trip in My Airship | Mariah Cat (here called "Kitty") | April 26, 1930 | |
| In the Good Old Summer Time | One-shot animal characters | June 6, 1930 | |
| A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight | One-shot mouse characters | Seymour Kneitel | August 1, 1930 |
| The Glow-Worm | Special bilingual entry Song sung first in German, then in English. |
Rudy Zamora | August 23, 1930 |
| The Stein Song | One-shot animal characters | Rudy Zamora Shamus Culhane |
September 6, 1930 |
| Strike Up the Band | One-shot dog sailors | Al Eugster | September 27, 1930 |
| My Gal Sal | Bimbo | Willard Bowsky Rudolph Eggeman |
October 18, 1930 |
| Mariutch | Bimbo (in Italian lead role) | Grim Natwick George Cannata |
November 15, 1930 |
| On a Sunday Afternoon | One-shot dog characters and (briefly) Bimbo | Rudy Zamora Shamus Culhane |
November 29, 1930 |
| Row, Row, Row | Bimbo (in villainous lead role) and Betty Boop prototype | Seymour Kneitel Rudolph Eggeman |
December 20, 1930 |
1931[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Please Go 'Way and Let Me Sleep | Bimbo and (briefly) Betty Boop prototype | Grim Natwick George Cannata |
January 10, 1931 |
| By the Beautiful Sea | One-shot mouse characters | Willard Bowsky R. Timinsky |
January 24, 1931 |
| I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now | Tommy and Mariah Cat | Al Eugster George Cannata |
February 14, 1931 |
| I'd Climb the Highest Mountain | Bimbo | Seymour Kneitel R. Timinsky |
March 7, 1931 |
| Somebody Stole My Gal | Bimbo | George Cannata R. Timinsky |
March 20, 1931 |
| Any Little Girl That's a Nice Little Girl | Tommy Cat and Betty Boop prototype | Seymour Kneitel | April 18, 1931 |
| Alexander's Ragtime Band | Bimbo | Rudy Zamora Shamus Culhane |
May 9, 1931 |
| And the Green Grass Grew All Around | One-shot bug characters | May 30, 1931 | |
| My Wife's Gone to the Country | Bimbo and (briefly) Betty Boop | May 31, 1931 | |
| That Old Gang of Mine | Mariah and (briefly) Tommy Cat | July 11, 1931 | |
| Betty Co-ed | Rudy Vallée, Betty Boop prototype | August 1, 1931 | |
| Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean | Gallagher and Shean | Al Eugster | August 29, 1931 |
| You're Driving Me Crazy | Harriet Lee, vocalist (Radio Queen of 1931-32) Snooks and his Memphis Ramblers |
September 19, 1931 | |
| Little Annie Rooney | Bimbo (in "Joe" role of song) | Seymour Kneitel
Bernard Wolf |
October 10, 1931 |
| Kitty from Kansas City | Rudy Vallée, Betty Boop | October 31, 1931 | |
| By the Light of the Silvery Moon | Bimbo and (briefly) Betty Boop | Seymour Kneitel Myron Waldman |
November 14, 1931 |
| My Baby Just Cares for Me | Eddie Cantor, Bimbo (monkeylike design) | December 5, 1931 | |
| Russian Lullaby | Arthur Tracy, Aloysius | December 26, 1931 | |
1932[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Sweet Jennie Lee | One-shot animal characters | January 9, 1932 | |
| Show Me the Way to Go Home | One-shot animal characters | January 30, 1932 | |
| When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along | One-shot bird characters | February 19, 1932 | |
| Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie | The Round Towners Quartet, Betty Boop and Bimbo | Seymour Kneitel Myron Waldman |
March 4, 1932 |
| Just One More Chance | Arthur Jarrett, Betty Boop | Shamus Culhane
Dave Tendlar |
April 1, 1932 |
| Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning | Les Reis and Artie Dunn, Betty Boop | Seymour Kneitel
Bernard Wolf |
April 22, 1932 |
| Shine On Harvest Moon | Alice Joy, one-shot animal characters | Shamus Culhane
Reuben Timinsky |
May 6, 1932 |
| Let Me Call You Sweetheart | Ethel Merman, Betty Boop | Shamus Culhane
Dave Tendlar |
May 20, 1932 |
| I Ain't Got Nobody | The Mills Brothers, one-shot animal characters | Willard Bowsky
Tom Bonfiglio |
June 17, 1932 |
| You Try Somebody Else | Ethel Merman, Betty Boop | July 29, 1932 | |
| Rudy Vallee Melodies | Rudy Vallee, Betty Boop | August 5, 1932 | |
| Down Among the Sugar Cane | Lillian Roth, one-shot animal characters | Shamus Culhane
William Henning |
August 26, 1932 |
| Just a Gigolo | Irene Bordoni, Betty Boop | Shamus Culhane
Reuben Timinsky |
September 9, 1932 |
| School Days | Gus Edwards, one-shot animal characters | William Henning
Dave Tendlar |
September 30, 1932 |
| Romantic Melodies | Arthur Tracy, Betty Boop and Bimbo | Seymour Kneitel Bernie Wolf |
October 21, 1932 |
| Sleepy Time Down South | The Boswell Sisters, one-shot animal characters | Seymour Kneitel Bernie Wolf |
November 11, 1932 |
| Sing a Song | James Melton, one-shot animal characters | Seymour Kneitel Myron Waldman |
December 2, 1932 |
| Time on My Hands | Ethel Merman, Betty Boop | Willard Bowsky Thomas Goodson |
December 23, 1932 |
1933[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Dinah | Mills Brothers, one-shot animal characters | Dave Tendlar William Henning |
January 13, 1933 |
| Ain't She Sweet? | Lillian Roth, Tommy and Mariah Cat | Seymour Kneitel Tom Johnson |
February 3, 1933 |
| Reaching for the Moon | Arthur Tracy, one-shot space alien characters | Willard Bowsky Ugo D'Orsi |
February 23, 1933 |
| Aloha Oe | Royal Samoans, one-shot jungle animal characters | Bernie Wolf Dave Tendlar |
March 17, 1933 |
| Popular Melodies | Arthur Jarrett | Willard Bowsky Myron Waldman |
April 7, 1933 |
| The Peanut Vendor | Armida, one-shot animal characters | Seymour Kneitel Tom Johnson |
April 28, 1933 |
| Song Shopping | Ethel Merman and Johnny Green, one-shot animal characters | Willard Bowsky Dave Tendlar |
May 19, 1933 |
| Boilesk | The Watson Sisters, one-shot animal characters | Willard Bowsky Myron Waldman |
June 9, 1933 |
| Sing, Sisters, Sing | Three X Sisters, one-shot animal characters | Bernie Wolf Dave Tendlar |
June 3, 1933 |
| Down by the Old Mill Stream | The Eton Boys, one-shot animal characters | Willard Bowsky William Sturm |
July 21, 1933 |
| Stoopnocracy | Stoopnagle and Budd, one-shot animal characters | Seymour Kneitel William Henning |
August 18, 1933 |
| When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba | The Mills Brothers | Bernie Wolf Tom Johnson |
September 15, 1933 |
| Boo Boo Theme Song | Funnyboners | Willard Bowsky Myron Waldman |
October 13, 1933 |
| I Like Mountain Music | The Eton Boys | Willard Bowsky Myron Waldman |
November 10, 1933 |
| Sing, Babies, Sing | Baby Rose Marie | Seymour Kneitel Dave Tendlar |
December 15, 1933 |
1934[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Keeps Rainin' All the Time | Gertrude Niesen | Seymour Kneitel William Henning |
January 12, 1934 |
| Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing | Les Reis and Artie Dunn, one-shot cat and bird characters | Myron Waldman Tom Johnson |
February 9, 1934 |
| Tune Up and Sing | Lanny Ross | Willard Bowsky Dave Tendlar |
March 9, 1934 |
| Lazy Bones | Borrah Minnevitch and His Harmonica Rascals | Willard Bowsky Dave Tendlar |
April 13, 1934 |
| This Little Piggie Went to Market | Singin' Sam | Hicks Lokey Paul Fennell |
May 25, 1934 |
| She Reminds Me of You | The Eton Boys | Willard Bowsky William Sturm |
June 22, 1934 |
| Love Thy Neighbor | Mary Small | Myron Waldman Edward Nolan |
July 20, 1934 |
| Let's Sing with Popeye | Popeye (Billy Costello) | Seymour Kneitel Roland Crandall (archival) |
Produced for Saturday morning matinee "Popeye Club". |
1935[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| I Wished on the Moon | Abe Lyman and his Orchestra, Wiffle Piffle | Tom Johnson | September 20, 1935 |
| It's Easy to Remember | Richard Himber and his Orchestra | Tom Johnson | November 29, 1935 |
1936[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| No Other One | Hal Kemp and His Orchestra/Skinnay Ennis, Wiffle Piffle | Tom Johnson | January 24, 1936 |
| I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze | Jack Denny and his Orchestra, Wiffle Piffle | Tom Johnson Harold Walker |
March 27, 1936 |
| I Don't Want to Make History | Vincent Lopez and his Orchestra, Wiffle Piffle | Tom Johnson Harold Walker |
May 22, 1936 |
| The Hills of Wyomin | The Westerners / Curt Massey | Tom Johnson Harold Walker |
July 31, 1936 |
| I Can't Escape from You | Billie Bailey / Joe Reichman and His Orchestra | Tom Johnson David Hoffman |
September 25, 1936 |
| Talking Through My Heart | Dick Stabile and his Orchestra, Wiffle Piffle | Tom Johnson Harold Walker |
November 27, 1936 |
1937[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| Never Should Have Told You | Nat Brandwynne and His Orchestra, Wiffle Piffle | Roland Crandall | January 29, 1937 |
| Twilight on the Trail | The Westerners / Louise Massey | Roland Crandall | March 26, 1937 |
| Please Keep Me in Your Dreams | Barbara Blake / Henry King and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | May 28, 1937 |
| You Came to My Rescue | Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra | Roland Crandall | July 30, 1937 |
| Whispers in the Dark | June Robbins / Gus Arnheim and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | September 24, 1937 |
| Magic on Broadway | Jay Freeman / Jay Freeman and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | November 26, 1937 |
1938[edit] | |||
| Film | Characters / Musicians | Animation | Original release date |
| You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart | Phyllis Kenny / Jerry Blaine and his Streamline Rhythm Orchestra | Roland Crandall | January 28, 1938 |
| Thanks for the Memory | Bert Block and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | March 25, 1938 |
| You Leave Me Breathless | Bob Eberle / Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | May 27, 1938 |
| Beside a Moonlit Stream | Frank Dailey and his Orchestra | Roland Crandall | July 29, 1938 |
"Start your day with a song and sing the whole day through. Even while you're busy working, do just like the birdies do! Though the day may be long, you never will go wrong. Off-key, on-key, any old key, just start your day with a song!"
— Opening to the Famous Studios Screen Song shorts.
For all the shorts, the musical arrangements were made by Winston Sharples.
| Film | Theme | Song | Director | Story | Animation | Scenics | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Circus Comes to Clown[a] | Circus | "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" | I. Sparber | Bill Turner Larz Bourne |
Tom Johnson Frank Endres |
Anton Loeb | December 26, 1947 |
| Base Brawl | Baseball | "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" | Seymour Kneitel | Dave Tendlar Tom Golden |
Robert Connavale | January 23, 1948 | |
| Little Brown Jug | Cider | "Little Brown Jug" | Bill Turner Larry Riley |
Orestes Calpini Morey Reden Bill Hudson |
Tom Ford | February 20, 1948 | |
| The Golden State | California | "California, Here I Come" | Larz Bourne Larry Riley |
Dave Tendlar Bill Hudson |
Robert Little | March 12, 1948 | |
| Winter Draws On[b] | Bird Migration | "Alabamy Bound" | Larz Bourne Bill Turner |
Al Eugster Irving Spector |
Tom Ford | March 19, 1948 | |
| Sing or Swim | Beach | "By the Beautiful Sea" | I. Klein Larry Riley |
Robert Connavale | June 16, 1948 | ||
| Camptown Races | Blackface Acts | "Camptown Races" | Bill Turner Larry Riley |
Tom Ford | July 30, 1948 | ||
| The Lone Star State | Texas | "Deep in the Heart of Texas" | I. Sparber | Larz Bourne | Dave Tendlar Morey Reden |
Robert Connavale | August 20, 1948 |
| Readin', Ritin' and Rhythmetic | School | "School Daze" | Seymour Kneitel | I. Klein | Al Eugster Bill Hudson |
October 22, 1948 | |
| The Funshine State | Florida | "Tallahassee" | Larz Bourne | Dave Tendlar Morey Reden |
Shane Miller | January 7, 1949 | |
| The Emerald Isle | Ireland | "MacNamara's Band" | I. Klein | Al Eugster Bill Hudson |
Tom Ford Robert Owen |
February 25, 1949 | |
| Comin' Round the Mountain | Hillbillies | "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain" | I. Sparber | Bill Turner | Tom Johnson Frank Endres |
Anton Loeb | March 11, 1949 |
| The Stork Market | Newborn Babies | "Pretty Baby" | Seymour Kneitel | Bill Turner Larry Riley |
Al Eugster Wm. B. Pattengill |
Shane Miller | April 8, 1949 |
| Spring Song | Spring | "Spring Song" | I. Sparber | I. Klein | Myron Waldman Larry Silverman |
June 3, 1949 | |
| The Ski's the Limit | Switzerland | "I Miss My Swiss, My Swiss Miss Misses Me" | Bill Turner Larry Riley |
Dave Tendlar Tom Golden |
Robert Connavale | June 24, 1949 | |
| Toys Will Be Toys | Toys | "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" | Seymour Kneitel | I. Klein | Myron Waldman Gordon Whittier |
Robert Little | July 29, 1949 |
| Farm Foolery[c] | Autumn/Winter Harvest | "Shine On, Harvest Moon" | Larz Bourne | Al Eugster Bill Hudson |
Tom Ford | August 5, 1949 | |
| Our Funny Finny Friends[d] | Fishes | "Three Little Fishies" | Larz Bourne Larry Riley |
August 26, 1949 | |||
| Marriage Wows | Wedding | "For Me and My Gal" | I. Sparber | Bill Turner Larry Riley |
Myron Waldman Gordon Whittier |
September 16, 1949 | |
| The Big Flame Up[e] | Firefighting | "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" | I. Klein | Dave Tendlar Martin Taras |
September 30, 1949 | ||
| Strolling Thru the Park | 1890s Parks | "Strolling Thru the Park" | Seymour Kneitel | Myron Waldman Larry Silverman |
Robert Little | November 4, 1949 | |
| The Big Drip[b] | Noah's Ark | "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'" | I. Sparber | Larz Bourne Larry Riley |
Myron Waldman Nick Tafuri |
Tom Ford | November 25, 1949 |
| Snow Foolin' | Winter | "Jingle Bells" | I. Klein | Myron Waldman Gordon Whittier |
December 16, 1949 | ||
| Blue Hawaii | Hawaii | "Blue Hawaii" | Seymour Kneitel | Larz Bourne | Al Eugster Wm. B. Pattengill |
Lloyd Hallock Jr. | January 13, 1950 |
| Detouring Thru Maine | Maine | "The Maine Stein Song" | Al Eugster Bill Hudson |
Robert Connavale | February 17, 1950 | ||
| Short'nin' Bread | Baked Goods | "Shortenin' Bread" | I. Sparber | Larz Bourne Larry Riley |
Myron Waldman Gordon Whittier |
Anton Loeb | March 24, 1950 |
| Win, Place and Show Boat | Mississippi Riverboat | "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" | Al Eugster Wm. B. Pattengill |
Robert Connavale | April 28, 1950 | ||
| Jingle Jangle Jungle | Africa | "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)" | Seymour Kneitel | Joe Stultz Larry Riley |
Myron Waldman Larry Silverman |
Tom Ford | May 19, 1950 |
| Heap Hep Injuns | Native Americans | "My Pony Boy" | I. Sparber | Larz Bourne | Tom Johnson George Rufle |
Anton Loeb | June 30, 1950 |
| Gobs of Fun[f] | Sailors | "Strike Up the Band (Here Comes a Sailor)" | Larry Riley Joe Stultz |
Al Eugster Irving Spector |
Robert Owen | July 28, 1950 | |
| Helter Swelter | Summer | "In the Good Old Summer Time" | Seymour Kneitel | Larz Bourne Larry Riley |
Al Eugster Wm. B. Pattengill |
Tom Ford | August 25, 1950 |
| Boos in the Nite[g] | Halloween | "Pack Up Your Troubles" | I. Sparber | Joe Stultz Larry Riley |
Myron Waldman Nick Tafuri |
Anton Loeb | September 22, 1950 |
| Fiesta Time[h] | Mexico | "El Rancho Grande" | Seymour Kneitel | I. Klein | Myron Waldman Larry Silverman |
October 20, 1950 | |
| Fresh Yeggs[i] | Prisons | "Give My Regards to Broadway" | Larz Bourne | Myron Waldman Nick Tafuri |
Robert Owen | November 17, 1950 | |
| Tweet Music[j] | Birds | "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing" | I. Sparber | Joe Stultz | Al Eugster George Rufle |
February 9, 1951 | |
| Drippy Mississippi | Mississippi River | "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I" | Seymour Kneitel | Larz Bourne | Myron Waldman Gordon Whittier |
Anton Loeb | April 13, 1951 |
| Miners Forty-Niners | Miners | "Clementine" | I. Sparber | I. Klein | Myron Waldman Larry Silverman |
May 18, 1951 | |
| Sing Again of Michigan[k] | Michigan | "I Want to Go Back to Michigan Down on the Farm" | Larz Bourne | Al Eugster George Rufle |
Robert Owen | June 29, 1951 |