She Was an Acrobat's Daughter
Encyclopedia
She Was an Acrobat's Daughter is an animated
short in the Merrie Melodies
series, released by Warner Brothers
in April 1937
and directed by Friz Freleng
.
switch seats before the show and the show begins with a presentation of short subjects. This is followed by a community sing-along to the tune of "She Was an Acrobat's Daughter", with the lyrics projected using magic lantern
slides. There is a gag during the singing involving the wrong slide being shown, so the audience sings "please do not spit on the floor". Afterwards, the main feature is presented, with a parody of the MGM lion logo who crows like a rooster instead of roaring at the start. A parody of The Petrified Forest
(1936) entitled The Petrified Florist is then shown featuring Bette Savis (Bette Davis
) and Lester Coward (Leslie Howard
), with rather long cast credits. During the show, a donkey sells refreshments in the middle of the picture--and gets thrown out. An inquisitive goose curiously goes to the projection room and screws up the soundtrack of the movie by speeding it forward and backward. The goose ultimately gets his beak caught in the projector and is tangled up in the film reel. As he falls to the floor, loops of film dangle at him.
was released in 1946. It basically contains the same plot as this cartoon, and even reuses some animation.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
short in the Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
series, released by Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Animation
Warner Bros. Animation is the animation division of Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Time Warner. The studio is closely associated with the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters, among others. The studio is the successor to Warner Bros...
in April 1937
1937 in film
The year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
and directed by Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
.
Plot
The story is set at a local movie theater. Cartoon animalsFunny animal
Funny animal is a cartooning term for the genre of comics and animated cartoons in which the main characters are humanoid or talking animals, with anthropomorphic personality traits. The characters themselves may also be called funny animals...
switch seats before the show and the show begins with a presentation of short subjects. This is followed by a community sing-along to the tune of "She Was an Acrobat's Daughter", with the lyrics projected using magic lantern
Magic lantern
The magic lantern or Laterna Magica is an early type of image projector developed in the 17th century.-Operation:The magic lantern has a concave mirror in front of a light source that gathers light and projects it through a slide with an image scanned onto it. The light rays cross an aperture , and...
slides. There is a gag during the singing involving the wrong slide being shown, so the audience sings "please do not spit on the floor". Afterwards, the main feature is presented, with a parody of the MGM lion logo who crows like a rooster instead of roaring at the start. A parody of The Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest
The Petrified Forest is a 1936 American film, starring Leslie Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart. A precursor of film noir, it was adapted from Robert E. Sherwood's 1936 stage play of the same name...
(1936) entitled The Petrified Florist is then shown featuring Bette Savis (Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
) and Lester Coward (Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
), with rather long cast credits. During the show, a donkey sells refreshments in the middle of the picture--and gets thrown out. An inquisitive goose curiously goes to the projection room and screws up the soundtrack of the movie by speeding it forward and backward. The goose ultimately gets his beak caught in the projector and is tangled up in the film reel. As he falls to the floor, loops of film dangle at him.
DVD release
- She Was an Acrobat's Daughter is presented on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 is a DVD box set from Warner Home Video that was released on October 25, 2005. It contains 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical short subject cartoons, 9 documentaries, 32 commentary tracks from animators and historians, 11 "vintage treasures from...
.
Sequel/Semi-remake
A follow-up to this cartoon, Bacall to ArmsBacall to Arms
Bacall to Arms is a 1946 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett, in his second-to-last cartoon at Warner Bros. . Neither Clampett nor voice characterizations are credited...
was released in 1946. It basically contains the same plot as this cartoon, and even reuses some animation.