"A Cat's Life" Terrytoon with Farmer Gray

[professoratomic]

I remember these being shown on WABC in New York City at 7 AM as a kid in elementary school.

[MisterScott99]

@professoratomic That's where I saw them, too. I wrote to WABC after the show was cancelled to find out what became of the films, but they didn't know since they were licensed from Commonwealth. I found out later the reels were shipped (sold?) to Latin America (I got reports they were shown in Puerto Rico and Brazil in the 70s).

[1980Starchild1]

Some of the Farmer Gray cartoons became the furture Tom & Jerry and Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse cartoons.

[1980Starchild1]

I myself grew up on these wonderful cartoons, "Farmer Gray,Betty Boop,Bozo,Felix the Cat,Andy Devine,Sandy Becker, Sonny Fox,Mighty Mouse, and etc.There is nothing like the good old days. Early 1950's.

[lj3fpe3]

some of the old videos you can find on internet archive old cartoons silents movies most of this is in the public domain and they even give you a choice of download formats worth cgecking out!

[archtopp1]

I grew up watching these cartoons and i seem to remember Farmer Grey always having serious mice problems, and a slick character named Wiley Willie. He wore a derby and was so thin he could hide behind a thin pole.I watched them in NYC in the 40's and early 50's.

[alabamabregan]

Good exposure to classic music at very young ages.

[1Femme1Stud]

Hey i have been looking for an old cartoon I used to watch when I was younger it had a squirell that would shoot watermelon seeds out of his mouth up in the air. It had music. I am 22 yrs old now and it was my favorite. Please if you think you know please tell me the name of it.

[JulianPaulCarter]

Seeing as this is a Paul Terry creation, the animation is better than I expected. It's actually kind of decent. Definitely no Winsor McCay, though. :)

[ftsjr]

I LOVE animation in its infancy. I love the soundtrack to this cartoon, too.

[MsAngieGee]

My error the kids game show with Stubby Kaye was called Shennigans. My older sister loved these Farmer Grey cartoons. They were a big favortie of hers!

[blkshepherd]

omg..i had to be about four or five back when i saw this..that was in 1960 and 61

[auntym2]

I remember these! Hey 1952kid....remember Sonny Fox & the shows "Just for Fun" and "Wonderama"?

[1952kid]

@auntym2 IF you were from the nyc or surrounding area's in the late 1950's and 1960's ,we watched the same shows. Sandy Becker and all the rest ,a wonderful time to grow up. Tops and yoyos were big then too.

[budgienation]

@1952kid You are so right. Duncan yo-yos and tops, Matchbox cars, Lionel Trains, errector sets (stop laughing, you know what I mean) all that good stuff. A kid could build whole worlds in the den that would vanish at dinnertime only to be reconstructed the next rainy day. I feel sorry for today's kids. Where's my Bosco when I need it? Oh, yeah, it's right there on the shelf. Next to the CoCo Marsh and the box of vanilla Junket.....

[Juliaflo]

@auntym2 I certainly do. I suppose this gives away our ages, but I will only say I am 21-plus.

Here's wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.

[johnhrobiii]

Holy moly,I haven't seen these cartoons since I was about four years old! I remember they were called "Early Bird Cartoons". Wow...

[ramblergarage]

my brother and I used to get up at 6AM on sat morn to watch these cartoons back in the 1960s. I used to record the music on my tape recorder. Still have the tapes! LOL!

[reisen55]

I remembered watching some black and white cartoon when I was 5 or so, and of course back then notes were never taken. Never thought I would EVER know what those cartoons were until I found them on YOUTUBE. THANK YOU!!!!

[sdelchamps]

My brother and I always called these "un-talking cartoons." I am overjoyed to hear the music again. I seem to recall that some of it was quite modern-sounding, e.g., Prokoviev.

[1952kid]

Queens nyc.. I watched Farmer Grey,,then Sandy Becker then Topper . Other early memories are Colonel Bleep , Crusader Rabbit, Spunky and Tadpole, Couragous Cat, Mighty Mouse Playhouse, Matty's Funday Funnies, Huckleberry Hound, God do i miss those days!

[MisterScott99]

Haha yes! There are just a few clips of Sandy Becker online. We looked forward all week to seeing Topper, too. "Why Topper, that chair flew right out of the room!" "Of course it's flying, dear, it's a wing chair." I've seen Topper videos around. There are also some Felix the Cat's on YouTube. How about Clutch Cargo and those weird mouths?

[ghatoh4]

@MisterScott99 wow i wish i could have lived my childhood back then where it wasnt so corrupt and cartoon humor wasnt dry and oh so disturbing.

[Richard19551]

@MisterScott99 Oh yes, Topper! And that English actor seemed to be everywhere you turned!

[johnpressman]

Yeah, 1952kid, FHHS class of 1970 here. Did you forget Andy's Gang, and the late, grat Soupy Sales?

[1952kid]

Yes, i didnt mention those,i have a 1958 nyc tv gujde ,there where over a hundred childrens shows on in a week,to many to list. One that sticks in my head was TERRYTUNE CIRCUS, WOR 9 ,with Claude Kirchner and Clownie at 7;pm,. At the end of each show he said '' and now its time for most of you to go to bed '. He was on till 1960.

[johnpressman]

Of course I rememeber Claude Kirschner and Clownie! Didn't they advertise Cocomarsh? How about Sonny Fox and WONDERAMA? He became a bigtime TV executive.

[1952kid]

Soupys gone, the only ones alive are Zackerley ,Chuck McCann ,Sonny Fox as far as i know.  I watched them all in Bellerose/ GlenOaks ,Ps186 ,MS 172 from 1954 - 1965 Then we moved.

[johnpressman]

Clutch Cargo and those weird mouths moving gave me bad dreams!

[Juliaflo]

@1952kid Those are my memories, too. (Uh-uh, don't figure out my age, LOLOLOL).

Happy Thanksgiving.

[MsAngieGee]

@1952kid I am also a 1952 kid and watched those programs too. What happened to tv for kids? Do you remember that game show for kids called Serendipity where Stubby Kaye was the host? Now that was some game show and no one got "slimed".

[puck30]

@1952kid I remember seeing these weekday mornings on ABC7 out of New York along with Flip The Frog. Yeah, that's going back. Not as far back that I would remember 'Tommy Seven'. Great Sandy Becker blooper reel running around on youtube. Check it out if you can find it.

[Juliaflo]

@puck30 I remember Tommy Seven. (Uh-uh, don't figure out my age, although I just reached a milestone).

[chuggachuggawoowoo]

@1952kid I miss those days more than I can explain. I watched all the cartoons you mentioned. I'd love to go back and get out of this crap we live in now. It was a much better time. People were nicer and friendlier, and treated each other with respect and didn't use the "F" word in every sentence. Needless to say, television was superior. I hate the awful filth that is on today. We had comedies, dramas, cartoons, variety shows, music programs...all without cursing and today's garbage.

[bigchatter]

This music sounds vaguely familiar, but I seem to recall farmer grey with the music from American in Paris and he was on early Saturday mornings. I would go down to the "rec room" it was called and watch tv while the rest of the family slept.

[MisterScott99]

We had a rec room too! It is unlikely that American in Paris would have been used. It probably would have required royalty payments, and these were done as cheaply as possible.

[bigchatter]

thanks. I didn't even remember that they were silent. Just recall the bib overalls and I guess it is wrong but I always thought I heard gershwin. kathleen

[chalomirof63]

"bigchatter": I seem to remember the music of Bizet in these old Paul Terry cartoons. Could that have some connection to the "Paris" link??

[pete123pr]

I read somewhere that the television company "Perez Perry" in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico had acquired these cartoons.Perez Perry does not exist anymore.

[caa1000]

@pete123pr They where on Channel 11 during the 1970's. I do recall them. Telecadena Perez Perry, now Univision.

[1952kid]

Queens,NY mid to late 1950's,was there a farm report on before this,anyone remember? After watching these cartoons,off to school with my yellow raincoat, black rubber boots with the metal clamps,brownbag lunch,books with a rubber strap,and find the deepest puddles to walk in. It was great!

[dannnynieves]

Hi, If I remember correctly, it was called the Modern Farmer.

[Juliaflo]

It was the Modern Farmer, and I remember it.

(Uh-uh, don't figure out my age. LOL).

[dannnynieves]

OK, if you don't figure out mine. LOL

[pete6356]

WOW.....I watched these cartoons. What a great memory. Thank you so much for posting.

[pete123pr]

These cartoons really bring back many memories. I would like a ring tone with this music.

[pawneebuttes]

I was born and grew up in Japan in 50s.

I remember these cartoons showed on TV

every week.

The title was "Alfalfa Jiisan".

Jiisan = old man

[Bregenz73]

I grew up in the New York area in the 50's and remember this cartoon. I am in the Atlanta, GA area now and no one has ever heard of the cartoon. Glad to know someone remembers it!

[dannysquirrel]

I always thought that guy's name was Farmer Al Fa Fa. Or am I thinking of something else?

[MisterScott99]

His original name was Farmer Al Falfa. They started calling him Farmer Gray when his cartoons were released on TV.

[nitendowiidude]

dang thats old

[gnikcohs]

Although I turned off the music the discussion of it was very interesting. The cartoon was fun and well worth watching. I can't help comparing it to other cat and/or mouse materials like Krazy Kat and Ignatz and Felix, and it fills in and adds to all of those ancient media materials in my memory, but it's nice on a standalone basis too.

I think the Farmer Alfalfa's or Al Falfa or Farmer Gray were on Sheriff John in the 50's in LA.

[MisterRabbitEars]

Yes, Sheriff John showed Farmer Alfalfa cartoons among others. I remember that a lot of the characters were barnyard animals.

Thank you, Sheriff John: "Put another candle on my birthday cake..."

[143AC]

Dear WhatNxt, the title of that carton show that aired the reruns of

the silent Terrytunes movie cartoons onn WABC TV Ch.7

in NYC was"Early Bird Cartoons"

[Juliaflo]

I distinctly remember 'Early Bird Cartoons'.

Whoo-hoo!

[ghellogm]

That's great!!

By chance, have you got "Big Game Hunt"?

[whatnxt2]

I watched these cartoons every morning as a kid in the late 50's early 60's on WABC channel 7 in New York...... This is really great to see again... Thanks alot.....

[Bregenz73]

I'm glad someone else out there watched these like I did in the 50's and 60's- were they only in the NY area???

[JoaquinTall]

Yup! I was born in Newark; used to watch these before going to school. They used to be on WNJU-TV, I think it was Channel 13 on our old Admiral tv. Remember Flip The Frog?

[Juliaflo]

I remember Flip The Frog. It was brought to us by Ub Iweks, who gave us a significant member of the rodent persuasion. (Pop quiz--Who he?)

[budgienation]

@Juliaflo Ub Iwerks (yes, that's how it's spelled) worked for Disney for a while. He did some real quality animation. I remember his use of shading and depth of field, you don't get work like that anymore. I don't care what Pixar is doing. There's nothing that can replace pen, ink and celuloid...

[MsAngieGee]

@whatnxt2 Do your remember Miss Frances and Ding Dong School? That was fun to watch too. So many great memories here on youtube! I loved Howdy Doody, Andy's Gang, Ramar of the Jungle, Annie Oakley. Saturday morning tv was great. Let's not forget the original Mickey Mouse Club! I had a crush on Lonnie!

[fromthesidelines]

A "needle drop", 'PeppeRaskell', refers to music cues on a transcription disc, 78rpm or 33rpm long-playing record (as the Thomas J. Valentino stock music library was, right through the '80s), available to radio and TV stations, and independent movie producers {including Commonwealth}. Another famous music library on disc was Capitol's "Hi-Q" volumes, used extensively during the '50s and early '60s by Hanna-Barbera and other TV/movie producers...

[SteveCarras]

Both librries used on Clokey and HB shows. Also the Phil Green and Jack Shaindlin ones, whcih were absorbed to Capitol...and Sam Fox. (The Quick Draws among Hb were IMOP more enterprising in their selection contrasted with buck!)

[PeppeRaskell1]

Excuse me. What exactly is a "needle drop?"

[MisterScott99]

fromthesidelines is right -- before the 1940s (when magnetic tape was invented), all music was stored on records, which were played with a needle inserted into the record groove. Stock music was priced by the "needle drop" each time a contiguous piece of music was used. I made a film with stock music in the eighties, and even though the music was from tape, they still used the term "needle drop" for billing purposes.

[fromthesidelines]

Commonwealth distributed most of the silent Paul Terry "Terrytoons" for the 16mm "home movie" market [as they did the Van Beuren studio's library], and also leased them to TV in the '50s, using the Thomas J. Valentino music library as a "soundtrack" (the cue at 1:48 is familiar to anyone who listened to "Poisoned Arts" on WBAI-FM in New York in the '90s)..

[Pickinbuddy]

GREAT detective work, guys! Thanks for posting this--I haven't seen these since the early 60's! Also--thanks for all the commentary about the source music...that was very enlightening!

[adriennenajjar]

Shades of Junior Frolics with Uncle Fred Sayles on channel 13 in NY in the 50s.

[Juliaflo]

......When Channel 13 was WNTA-TV, right?

[conewells]

my god, the memories of a 50s-60s childhood...

[RayPointer]

I discovered some on tape while in college in 1970. Then I came across a number of 78 rpm records at a Thrift Shop. They were on a lable identified as Thomas J. Vanlentino, which also had a sound effects library that was used extensively in radio and television 50 years ago.

I used to use the Boosey &^ Hawkes and Sam Fox music libraries with a needle drop of $35. I am sure it was much less when these early Terrytoons were repackaged for television.

[RayPointer]

The music was from the Thomas J. Valentino library.

[MisterScott99]

I bet you are right, but how did you learn this? Do you know what needle drops cost in those years?

[luudnoma]

i went to Amazon to the Bizet pieces cited...i found similar but it not the same,..however i just could hear 1 minute for, so it can be too.I'll try hear the whole pieces.

[luudnoma]

(1:45 to 4:27)something near to Nino Rota ?

[luudnoma]

I think the music ( 0:15 to 1:43 )is from Musorgsky'school,the music (!:45 to 4:27) beautiful,a pearl, i don't find a clue..after comes a song that remember me Irving Berlin,and in 5:43 more a famous wonderful song (no clue) and ends with a Von Suppé school,indeed.Your friend must be right. All these compositions are from students and the musics were declared from public domain as anonymous.I am composer and i feel what bad is this.

[luudnoma]

interesting..i think 90% were created by unknowns composers never named (sad)and possibly students in that time. I read (lots years ago)a name called Lirio Pannicalli,mentioned as author for one of these soundtracks pieces.Anyway, some musics sound more contemporary than von Suppé, close to Stravinsky,or last works of Rossini( after Boutique fantastique )

[MisterScott99]

I just went to Amazon to look for Bizet and on "Bizet: The Complete Orchestral Works" I got the following hits: "Minuetto" "Galop-Le Bal" and perhaps "Allegro Vivace"

I'll check for Pannicalli.

[luudnoma]

i would like know who is the composer of this soundtrack ..Von Suppé? I was 4 and remember each note, it's in my mind.

[MisterScott99]

I think these are from a stock music library. It was done as cheaply as possible. Stock music libraries in New York in the 50s, were I think it was sounded, charged I guess five or ten dollars per "needle drop" (the library used records for mass storage). I think many of these are from little known classical repertoires or operetta scores c. 1900, and a few composed or covered for the stock music library. A friend ID'd one classical composer he believes was often used in these tunes. Stay tuned.

[MisterScott99]

My friend responds: The only ones I ever heard anywhere else are by Georges Bizet from the Arlesienne Suites 1 and 2. The Suites contain incidental music written for the Alphonse Daudet play of the same name (meaning "the woman/girl from Arles") which debuted at the Odéon in Paris in 1872; the music "had no success" in the play (Martin Cooper, liner notes, 1959), but the "Suites" were immediately popular in the

concert hall.

[MisterScott99]

I just listened to a number of Von Suppé pieces and none of them matched the cartoon pieces. My friend recently added "I do think the ones from Terrytoons were by obscure students during the 20th century, though; I used to listen to a lot of classical radio, and heard naught but the Bizet"