"A Cat's Life" Terrytoon with Farmer Gray

1920's silent cartoon by Paul Terry, starring Farmer Al Falfa (also known as Farmer Grey). A stock music soundtrack was added in the 1950s for television.

I'm sure the person who picked the needle drops for these cartoons' stock music had no idea how powerfully his work would affect so many children, now grown up.

In 1971 I wrote to WABC TV channel 7 in New York to inquire about these cartoons. This was their answer:

"The silent cartoons which were shown on WABC-TV some years ago were obtained at the time from a company known as Common Wealth Film and Television. Unfortunately, this company no longer exists and I have no idea who might now have the rights to those films.

The films were basically Paul Terry Cartoons and were handled by a number of different distributors in the early days of television. I expect that you might be able to get some by dealing with the camera stores which sell prints for home use such as the Peerless and Willouby Stores in New York.

Yours Truly,
Tak Kako
Assistant Director of Programming"

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Cat's
• Life
• Paul
• Terry
• Terrytoon
• Terrytoons
• silent
• Farmer
• Alfalfa
• Al
• Falfa
• Gray
• Grey
• Cartoon

[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).

[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?

[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.

[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.

[Richard19551]

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

[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.