I showed Betty Boop's "Crazy Town" in class the week as an example of Fleischer animation from the early 1930s.
I explained a little about Grim Natwick, and the evolution of Ms. Boop and vesitigial dog boyfriend, Bimbo.
The film is full of Fleischerisms (just not the train track in the background), and I really liked Bimbo's walk in it.
I'm guessing it's by pre-Shamus Culhane.
Click to enlarge.
This is a 14 frame walk.
It's possible that the generations of pulldowns and transfers have caused me to miss a drawing -but I doubt that I'd miss two. Not even the same one twice.
Oh, and on ones (except where the pulldown adds a frame).
So right off the bat, we're dealing with a 14 frame walk.
Not 16 frames.
So maybe that's why it's compelling.
#6 is sort of a sneak, but in the rubber-hosey version of a leg, the sneak is a slide.
And with #7 the slide becomes a pop.
His knee is in the same position, but his foot tilts north -allowing for #8: the contact drawing.
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The second half of his walk is slightly different from the first.
#9 is faster than #2 (the distance between 8 & 9 is greater than the distance between 1 & 2). So #10 is farther as well.
This time/distance is "made up" in drawing #11 which "settles" for a frame at the "passing point" -Bimbo's tallest moment.
This sneaky rubber hose shuffle reminds me of a confession by Tony Eastman. It took him a few weeks to figure out how to make "Kids Next Door" walk because of their outsized feet.
Bimbo has similar deformities -but his bone/muscular disorder that allows his joints to bend in inconceivable manners compensates for that.
Here's the clip (the full walk scene).
And in other news (and in an effort to keep up with our visitors log -sorry to those I've missed), Maciek Albrecht stopped by yesterday on a social call. Strangely enough, I (not pictured) was also wearing a yellow shirt.
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