"Dancing on the Moon" - Fleischer Color Classic 1935

[gnikcohs]

Incredible animation in an equally incredibly imaginative setting. Fleischer developed the stereoptical process to give the amazing 3D depth and full-bodied spatial effects that look so cool, esp. on the moon. But the flat painting, like that rocket, look good too.

This kind of storyline is straight from the Busby Berkley style hits like Footlight Parade and 42nd Street and audiences at the time loved that kind of thing. Depression was on and it was pure escape like flying to the moon.

[heldog1974]

im here bc RADEO sent me here!!

[metalcorefiend]

@heldog1974 i clicked me and you on her tumblr lol



[dede07gee]

i watch this cartoon when i was 5 years old and know iam 18 and i still rember it :D

[raspberrycuttlefish]

Oh my goodness, I haven't seen this since I was little!

[jbell89097]

an absolutely great, classic Fleischer Studios cartoon.

btw at $1 per couple, they grossed like $9 on this trip. must have been operated by NASA, lol!

[NyanKittyKatt]

My Satellite cartoon <3

[drchhana]

OMG i miss my childhood

....

[MrCosmo132]

this rocks

[looneytunes9000]

When was this played on A&E?

[wanderhead]

pre marital dancing on the moon is a serious sin.

[kae4466]

boy, to get to the moon and back in one nite , the rocket must have been going full tilt boogy( or at least warp 1)

[TVGirl96]

i remember i used to have this on a vha tape somewhere but it got lost, im sooo glad its in youtube :D best cartoons of my childhood

[LongForgottenMe]

So cute and adorable but the story line is so sad.....it went great with My Satellite's song ..love these old shows :)

[qed100]

Watching this cartoon is like opening a can of happiness.

[harriettsplace]

Animals take a romantic rocket trip in this lovely Max Fleischer cartoon from 1935.

[googtubesucksanus]

6:14 moonwalk

[GooglFascists]

The tune at 3:33 is "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", theme song of

Kate Smith, whose face appears in the moon at 3:44.

The giraffe girl says "Why don't you come up and see me sometime?" at 4:50,

famous line of 1930s Hollywood sex symbol Mae West.

These old cartoons could be risque', like the storks bringing each couple a

baby at the end leaves no doubt that "whoopie" was going on big time in the

rocket ship on the return trip, (except for the cat, of course!).

What a treat!

[disneyrangerblue02]

Great animation; the storyline... is another story.

[TheTestaccount33]

I only recently found some of these older cartoons but I have to say I'm hooked. It's really interesting to see what the 1930's vision of space travel was, especially since it wouldn't come for decades. A lot of cartoons from that time period were really optimistic about the future, despite being in a depression. Really cool.

[yellowvespa04]

congrats on your $7 mr. lion. i'm sure it payed for all the rocket fuel.

[DawnJacquelyn]

Really brings back memories!

[stevediraddo]

the first run of futurama played a piece of a classic cartoon in every opening sequence. this was one of them

[ZipporahIrie]

Aw, my parents used to play this for me on the tapes. Loved this! 

[King1N]

Dude needs a new girl.

[Pygar2]

@King1N Too late. He called her "wifey",

Am I the only one to notice he was sitting on the moon doing a "Cat's Cradle" with string?

If they can 3Dize "Nightmare Before Christmas", why can't someone 3Dize this? It's a natural!

[SenhordoBonfim]

That wasn´t the ending I was expecting, but most enjoyable nonetheless! Thanks

[Huneiyue]

only ONE DOLLAR per couple?? :o

I would like to travel to the moon for this price!!

poor cat... :(

[TommyStudios10]

This is probably the saddest and cutest cartoon ever made.

[TommyStudios10]

Poor kitty kitty, poor kitty kitty.

[Setebos]

I can't even count the number of years it's been since I've seen this cartoon (and, for the record, I'm 54). Thanks for uploading this.

[fromthesidelines]

Originally released in July 1935. The music was scored and conducted by Sammy Timberg.

[avidal7]

truly a Masterpiece, the background in some instances looks almost 3D.

[Rlotpir1972]

@avidal7 Fleischer cartoons were known to use this early process without the need of 3-D glasses. Paramount Pictures gave the green light. Check out 1937's "Popeye meets Ali-Baba and his 40 Thieves".

[avidal7]

@Rlotpir1972 wow! The desert looks spectacular ...thanks for the recommendation.

[NeptsLaze]

the work put into these older cartoons is HUGE . . . the smoothness and the style in which they danced and moved . . . the ending scene with the rocket pulling back onto the ramp is really impressive . . . you look at the cartoons today like family guy and futurama . . . to get that kinda of smooth movement they need computers . . . hand drawn animation is truly a dying art . . . Ralph Bakshi and Will Vinton are sick . . .

they dont em like they used to . . . thanks for this post . .

[StopFear]

seriously! 5.58 Michael Jackson MoonWalk complete!

[JeanLouisBarrault]

This is a wonder Max Fleischer cartoon. I had searched for years for this after seeing it on TCM one day. Now I own Somewhere in Dreamland, and it' s a true gem and a testament to Fleischer's genius.

[frytechnician]

So the cat gets separated from his wife, has to spend the whole holiday looking at other happy couples making out whilst trying to not feel incredibly lonely, gets back and is effectively point-blank denied fatherhood before being beaten by his woman. Damn...

[PandaMishima]

@frytechnician

Sad, but maybe it's the way cartoon cats end up having kittens anyway.

ever notice that if you're a cat in a cartoon you can never win? might as well get them broken in straight off.

[ITalkTheTruth]

Michael Jacksons MoonwalK lol 5:58

[ibitron1]

Poor Tom cat :-(

[idioticlisa]

...... D:

[Homero4real]

What a tune...

Orgasmic tunes

...lol

[vistavision2]

She's smacking him because every Bride wants her nightly Honeymoon.

[loufalce]

Gotta love that art-deco Flash Gordon rocketship.

[WingedMushroomOfDoom]

I got so upset over this cartoon when I was little, I felt so badly for the poor cat! Aww, who am I kidding, I still do! I mean LOOK AT HIM!! He's SO miserable! And his lady friend just yells at him!!

[TiniNormi]

I had a girlfriend like that. It could be an accident I was remorseful over and she'd still smack me around.

[theshadow1932]

@WingedMushroomOfDoom I had a completely different reaction. He got to see the truth of the spoiled little brat before she had the chance to completely louse up his life. Talk about being in Gods' pocket!

Norm

[GS336]

7:12

GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE GIMMIE

[beatlesfan1972]

@GS336 mwoah no.... caw!

[LT1HILLINGHOE]

So this is where the moon walk came from.

[55ANVIL]

mqx and dave fleischer have to be the greatest animators of the twentieth century

[aikicinema]

I have thought so for a very long time.

[AndaleyAndaley]

wtf -.- dude

wtf-.-

[PandaMishima]

@doddsino

How?

[doddsino]

Dude...I don't even know what the comment said. Some fucknaut hacked my account a while back put a bunch of nasty comments all over a lot of videos.

Sorry for the inconvience.

[babydaddyhgr]

The cat is absolutely doing the moonwalk! Look at 6:14! If it didn't originate here, why else would they name it the "Moon" walk?

[kpadmirer]

At 5:52 is the cat doing a moonwalk? If so, is this the first time it was done?

[F15pilots]

I saw this on TV many years ago, and not since then. Fantastic! Thanks for posting!

[graypnutz]

THE BEST!!!!!!

[toygirafe]

does anyone know the name of the band

yes it's may Questel but who else?

sounds a bit like one of the orchestras on those brown paper hit of the week records Vicent lopez of someone good through out and hot at the end..

[talatsmum]

the spaceship looks like a submarine ^^

[problem49]

Who does she suppose he left her behind in order to make out with? The penguin? The elephant?

[PandaMishima]

I don't think she cares who, she's just mad!

[glawsny]

A TRUE STORY!

[DiscoOnArrival]

We watched this in History class...

hahahahaahhahahaaha.

(:

[FrankLJ]

OK, so a lot of animals dressed in wedding clothes go on a trip labeled 'honeymoon', engage in strange activities, then end up with babies at the end of it all. Very straightforward, why does everyone keep seeing sex in it? :)

Seriously, how'd they get this one past the Hays office? The marriage motif, probably.

Note: when the ship lands, the tune is 'When the Moon Comes Over the Mountains', the theme song of radio singer Kate Smith, who started her show by saying 'Hello, everybody'.

[darmokthegreen]

In the world of this cartoon, I think dancing on the moon is a form of procreation. :)

[Geostrum2]

I just love this little cartoon. The animals are so cute. To think someday people will really be going to the moon for their honeymoon. It was funny and sad.

[cosmotcat]

I have always been amazed with all of the Max Fleischer '3D effect' productions. Beautiful, even by today's standards. When I think of the work that had to go into them, definitely a labor of love.

[lcooke]

aww i was hoping for a happy ending :c

[glawsny]

Haven't seen this cartoon since 1960! Thanks a heep for posting.

[FatalNoogie]

I like slightly raspy the sound of the lion's voice.  I wish he had a longer singing role.

I feel sorry for the black cat. He looks so terribly lonely, especially at 5:10. :'(

[FilmTraum2]

This is so nice! Thanks for posting!

[tyla140]

I am afraid of claymation and old cartoons like this.0_o

[babes21009]

@tyla140 so am i!

[totopos05]

my favorite part is when the moon greets everyone and says "HELLO EVERYBODY"

me and my sister watched this when we were smaller and still know the song and what the moon says,priceless!!!

thank you for posting this :)

[waterpokemonmaster01]

i know! i lost my dvd and i'm so happy i found it!

[fiftiesflashback1953]

The moon saying "HELLO EVERYBODY" is a little comedic clowning by the Fleshier Studio. The moon is a caricature of Kate Smith's and her radio show opening. Her theme song was "WHEN THE MOON COMES OVER THE MOUNTAIN" which can be heard playing in the background.

[michaelbeholder]

I cant believe this! I saw this only once when I was like 10, and never forgot the song! Wow, thank you so much for posting this! This made my day.

[dybbuk4640]

isn't it amazing how prescient art and artists can be? what was a fantasy is now feasible.

[BlueGalaxyOne]

Suppose at the end of the cartoon, it had the male beating on the female instead of the other way around. Would we think this is funny? No. Women would complain to YouTube and ask that the cartoon be taken off. Yes, yes "it's just a cartoon, lighten up" but perhaps early media like this taught women that it's okay for them to commit violence against men?

[PandaMishima]

You have a point, tho it is a pretty old idea. The two seals slapping each other at 4:28 are pretty equal, you have to admit.

Considering how much violence in real life is done to women, I suppose the cartoon universe is trying to redress the balance.

At the least, the two kitties deserve a kid!

[VickiO1963]

Love this show.

[milliemolluscs]

Some Fleischer stuff is a bit freaky but this is cute! although not overly cute - they couldn't resist having the girl cat walloping her guy when he arrives back to Earth. Stuff happy endings! leave that to Disney!

[soulierinvestments]

The chief charm of "Dancing on the Moon" is that it is completely berserk; there is not a sane, sensible moment in it anywhere. They should bottle the creativity that goes into this sort of cartoon.

[horarwgt]

Although I would have preferred a happy reunion of the cat couple art the end (after all, he did everything he could to get her on the ship), this is one of my all-time favorite cartoons -- a brilliant blend of a great song, Fleischer 3-D sets (one of several inventions his studio pioneered that Disney later claimed credit for), and a story/characters that are, at once, not just charming and amusing but also very moving.

[smurfswacker]

I've watched this cartoon a hundred times and still love it. Great song, great technical bits. It's funny to hear other "moon songs" interpolated into the background music...e.g. "When the Moon Comes over the Mountain" and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon." And that was definitely Mae Questal doing most of the female characters.

[Treemeadow]

i love fleischer films!

This one ROCKED!!!

I also loved the one with the boy and the bird he killed...hwo they birds cried (and Mama bird developed an afro and started getting all soulful)

[jsl151850b]

Ha!

Space Tourism, 1930s style!

Take that, Virgin Galactic!

[TheWolf09]

I watched this show when i was a kid which was oh so long ago, i cant belive all the stuff they had on tv back that for kids...these cartoons, Pee Wee Herman, all that random crazyness... needless to say this show kicks ass.

[marcomorabiosfera]

what a creative style Feischler shows the planets and the Milky Way!

Witty!!!

[MamaCakes]

I love Fleischer!

[cha5]

So the bit at the end with the storks,

I'm guessing this is a metaphor for post marriage sexual consumation and the children that follow,

The two cats were unable to consumate their marriage,

Heh or maybe I'm just reading too much into this little classic gem.

[PandaMishima]

A bit heavy, but not needlessly so. Poor cats, missing out on the "good" bits, the groom's lonely meows are so miserable, even as his bride yowls, "You left me on purpose!"

Still, the catfight at the end puts me in mind of the old saying, Cats may ever fight, but there's still plenty of kittens.

Cartoon cats seldom have an easy time of it, don't they?

[cha5]

LOL! So true.

[cha5]

This is one of my favorites,

I love the stereoptical effect that

no one but the Fleischers could do so well,

Plus the retro design of that rocket is sweet,

I'm guessing Mae Questal did some of the voices

in this toon.

[rabsmiff]

FLEISCHER'S 3-D 'tabletop' dimensional moving backgrounds still have brilliant charm, and are superior to DISNEY'S more unfairly-lauded MULTIPLANE system.

[APARTHIANSHOT]

One of my fav cartoons from childhood... I'm going to share it with your wife, too.

[PandaMishima]

^_^

[keymarcus]

One of my fav cartoons from childhood... going to share it with my wife in just a moment

[lylabean]

I bet that cat wishes he hadn't married her.

[PandaMishima]

The lady cat probably feels the same way!

[DaTomicat]

Yipee! I found that my copy of this is missing the last little piece. I needed to know! Did the cute lil' kitty-cats get a kitten? Yay! I feel so much better now. =:D

[NikoYasha]

Oh my god I remember watching this on VSH when I was about four years old. I have not seen this in about 12 years!! Thank you so much for posting this!!

[jewgirl952]

This certainly takes me back to early childhood!

[danwall88]

This is one of my favorite Fleischer cartoons, and indeed one of my favorite cartoons of all time.

Funny animals + squash&stretch + moon vacations + catchy song = WIN!!

[will630]

Note the early "3-D" background.  Pretty cool.

[will630]

The best part for me is seeing the cat "moonwalking" on the moon!

[horrormovieshows]

Thanks for posting this wonderfully inventive cartoon.

[placeourbets]

i could not resist putting a clip of this in my film.

Fleischer = Genius

[ivanradosevic]

the Fleischer brothers didn't know shit about rocketry.

and there were some serious rockets in those days!

[helgaleenas]

Don't talk like that. In cartoons, artists can do anything, it doesn't matter weither their stories make sense or not.

[gagaman]

I bought a DVD set with all these cartoons on it not too long ago. My favorite had to be the one with all the alley cats pausing time =D

[zootsmcgurn]

I like the one with the insane Humpty Dumpty who enslaves all of the fairy tale characters to build him a tower to the sun cause he thinks it's made of gold. Even after they tried to copy Disney, Fleischer cartoons were still twisted and a lot of times really mean and nasty.

[gagaman]

True that. Then there's also that one with all the fruit and veg characters, which gets pretty darn brutal.