Fiddlesticks (1930 film)

Fiddlesticks is a 1930 Celebrity Pictures theatrical cartoon short directed and animated by Ub Iwerks, in his first cartoon since he departed from Walt Disney's studio. The short features Iwerks' character Flip the Frog.[2] It is the first complete sound cartoon to be photographed in color.[3] The film went into the public domain after the copyright owner failed to renew the copyright after the film's 28 year term.[4]

For the Harry Langdon film, see Fiddlesticks (1927 film).

Fiddlesticks
Directed byUb Iwerks[1]
Produced byUb Iwerks
Music byCarl Stalling
Animation byDrawn by:
Ub Iwerks
Fred Kopietz
Tony Pabian
Backgrounds byFred Kopietz
Color processHarriscolor
Distributed byCelebrity Pictures
Release date
  • August 16, 1930 (1930-08-16)
Running time
6 minutes 12 seconds
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film was simultaneously released with King of Jazz, a musical revue, and was released with a cartoon depicting how Paul Whiteman, the music director of the film, "became the King of Jazz".

Plot synopsis

Flip is seen dancing on lilypads until he reaches land and dries himself off. He walks to a party, where he performs a dance for the audience, accidentally climbing to a spider web. He also performs a duet, playing piano alongside a mouse (who bears a striking resemblance to Mickey Mouse, which Iwerks co-created with Walt Disney during his days at Disney's company) playing the violin. They perform two songs. In the first song, the mouse starts crying, and so do Flip and the piano. The second song makes Flip start hugging the piano, which then kicks Flip. The cartoon ends with Flip beating on the piano; he kicks all the piano keys into the air, and they drop onto him.

Significance

Fiddlesticks was the first in the Flip the Frog series. The sound system was Powers Cinephone, the same system used for Disney's Steamboat Willie (1928).[5]

The unnamed mouse in the cartoon bears a striking resemblance to Mortimer Mouse, the original concept behind Mickey Mouse, both of whom were first animated by Ub Iwerks.[6][7]

The cartoon appeared on a television set in the music video for Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", which the viewer laughs at.

References
  1. Bradley, Edwin M. The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926–1931. p. 225.
  2. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 80. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. Robertson, Patrick (2011). Robertson's Book of Firsts. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781608197385. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  4. Catalog of Copyright Entries 1958 Motion Pictures And Filmstrips Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 12 Pts 12-13. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. 1958. p. 49.
  5. Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its golden age. Oxford University Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-19-503759-6.
  6. Mortimer Mouse - D23
  7. Esberg, Dan (January 14, 2018). "It's About Time Ub Iwerks Got His Credit". Retrieved May 28, 2022.
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