History Creator / ColumbiaCartoons

* BittersweetEnding: "The Little Match Girl" ends with [[spoiler:the girl freezing to death in the street, but her soul is carried off to Heaven by an angel]].

Of all the classic theatrical animated cartoons, those released by ColumbiaPictures during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfAnimation and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation are perhaps the most overlooked by the general public today. This is unfortunate because some of the most significant endeavors in the medium's history emerged from the collective works of Charles Mintz, Screen Gems and UPA. It is difficult, for example, for one to think of the history of animation without films like "The Little Match Girl", "The Fox and the Grapes", "WesternAnimation/GeraldMcBoingBoing" or "WesternAnimation/RootyTootToot" that, in so many ways, redefined what a cartoon was. The only short they did that's still somewhat famous today is their adaptation of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'', which is often played in English classes.

* {{Remake}}: UbIwerks did a semi-remake of his earlier Disney work "WesternAnimation/TheSkeletonDance", called "Skeleton Frolic", for Columbia's "Color Rhapsodies" series.

The Screen Gems name would later be reused by Columbia in several fields- it was the name of their TV production firm from 1948 to 1974; their 1965 logo became infamously known as the "S from Hell". Columbia revived the name again in 1999 for genre films and continues in that capacity. The studio itself would later receive several SpiritualSuccessor firms, including Adelaide Productions (which mainly handled 2D animated series, often based around Columbia and Creator/TriStarPictures movies), and Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation, which mainly makes 3D animated movies.

* WhamEpisode: "The Little Match Girl" is a very distinctive short of the Mintz era cartoons; it adapts the Hans Christian Andersen story and plays it completely straight, with all that entails, with no gags or usual musical romps of his shorts.

The Screen Gems name would later be reused by Columbia in several fields- it was the name of their TV production firm from 1954 to 1974; their 1965 logo became infamously known as the "S from Hell". Columbia revived the name again in 1999 for genre films and continues in that capacity. The studio itself would later receive several SpiritualSuccessor firms, including Adelaide Productions (which mainly handled 2D animated series, often based around Columbia and Creator/TriStarPictures movies), and Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation, which mainly makes 3D animated movies.

While the history of Columbia's animation output is marked by hits and misses, experimentation always seems to be a constant. It was the early Charles Mintz/Screen Gems studio that produced some of the most groundbreaking cartoons of the 1930s, outside the [[ClassicDisneyShorts Disney]] and Creator/FleischerStudios. The Scrappy series, for example, employed exaggerated, abstract character designs and stories that involved unique personalities. The character of Scrappy, created by Dick Huemer, became an overnight success with a popularity surpassed only by Mickey Mouse.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: United Productions of America barely lasted more than a decade as a theatrical cartoon studio, during which time their stylized approach to the medium profoundly changed the way cartoons looked for the next few decades (for better or worse). Even today, their influence, direct or indirect, is felt in shows as diverse as ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead'', ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.

Two new DVD sets, containting the {{UPA}} oneshots and WesternAnimation/MrMagoo theatrical shorts. were eventually released; "UPA Jolly Frolics Collection" is now available exclusively on the Creator/TurnerClassicMovies online shop [[http://shop.tcm.com/upa-jolly-frolics-dvd/detail.php?p=364906 here]], and a definitive history of the studio was compiled into a book in 2012.

While the history of Columbia's animation output is marked by hits and misses, experimentation always seems to be a constant. It was the early Charles Mintz/Screen Gems studio that produced some of the most groundbreaking cartoons of the 1930s, outside the [[ClassicDisneyShorts Disney]] and FleischerStudios. The Scrappy series, for example, employed exaggerated, abstract character designs and stories that involved unique personalities. The character of Scrappy, created by Dick Huemer, became an overnight success with a popularity surpassed only by Mickey Mouse.

When Mintz died in 1940, his production manager, Jimmy Bronis, became his successor. After Bronis came Mintz's brother-in-law, George Winkler. Later Columbia got rid of Winkler and brought in former Disney storyman and Warner Bros. cartoon director, Creator/FrankTashlin. Under Tashlin, the studio experienced a considerable talent boom. Many of the studio staffers were former Disney employees, fresh off the picket line from the 1941 strike at that studio. The drive to experiment and employ new, innovative ideas was strong and led to the emergence of a handful of highly-stylized cartoons as well as the successful ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheCrow'' series, pitting a refined, sophisticated Fox against a chiseling, street-wise Crow. Unfortunately, Tashlin's stay was short-lived and he was replaced by [[FleischerStudios Dave Fleischer]]. Later Fleischer too would depart and his other successors would make little impact on the studio. The quality of the cartoons, meanwhile, began to deteriorate and finally, in 1946, Screen Gems closed.

* BittersweetEnding: "The Little Match Girl" ends with the girl freezing to death in the street, but her soul is carried off to Heaven by an angel.
* {{Bowdlerize}}: The tv airing of "The Little Match Girl" completely removed the entire sequence where the girl's dream falls apart and she freezes to death on-screen, completely ruining the stories tragic emotional impact.

Of all the classic theatrical animated cartoons, those released by ColumbiaPictures during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation and TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation are perhaps the most overlooked by the general public today. This is unfortunate because some of the most significant endeavors in the medium's history emerged from the collective works of Charles Mintz, Screen Gems and UPA. It is difficult, for example, for one to think of the history of animation without films like "The Little Match Girl", "The Fox and the Grapes", "WesternAnimation/GeraldMcBoingBoing" or "WesternAnimation/RootyTootToot" that, in so many ways, redefined what a cartoon was. The only short they did that's still somewhat famous today is their adaptation of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'', which is often played in English classes.

The Screen Gems name would later be reused by Columbia in several fields- it was the name of their TV production firm from 1954 to 1974; their 1965 logo became infamously known as the "S from Hell". Columbia revived the name again in 1999 for genre films and continues in that capacity. The studio itself would later receive several SpiritualSuccessor firms, including Australia based Adelaide Productions (which mainly handled 2D animated series, often based around Columbia and TriStar movies), and Creator/SonyPicturesAnimation, which mainly makes 3D animated movies.

Of all the classic theatrical animated cartoons, those released by ColumbiaPictures during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation and TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation are perhaps the most overlooked by the general public today. This is unfortunate because some of the most significant endeavors in the medium's history emerged from the collective works of Charles Mintz, Screen Gems and UPA. It is difficult, for example, for one to think of the history of animation without films like "The Little Match Girl", "The Fox and the Grapes", "GeraldMcBoingBoing" or "RootyTootToot" that, in so many ways, redefined what a cartoon was. The only short they did that's still somewhat famous today is their adaptation of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'', which is often played in English classes.

* {{Remake}}: UbIwerks did a semi-remake of his earlier Disney work "TheSkeletonDance", called "Skeleton Frolic", for Columbia's "Color Rhapsodies" series.

When Mintz died in 1940, his production manager, Jimmy Bronis, became his successor. After Bronis came Mintz's brother-in-law, George Winkler. Later Columbia got rid of Winkler and brought in former Disney storyman and Warner Bros. cartoon director, FrankTashlin. Under Tashlin, the studio experienced a considerable talent boom. Many of the studio staffers were former Disney employees, fresh off the picket line from the 1941 strike at that studio. The drive to experiment and employ new, innovative ideas was strong and led to the emergence of a handful of highly-stylized cartoons as well as the successful ''TheFoxAndTheCrow'' series, pitting a refined, sophisticated Fox against a chiseling, street-wise Crow. Unfortunately, Tashlin's stay was short-lived and he was replaced by [[FleischerStudios Dave Fleischer]]. Later Fleischer too would depart and his other successors would make little impact on the studio. The quality of the cartoons, meanwhile, began to deteriorate and finally, in 1946, Screen Gems closed.

The void left by the closure of Screen Gems was filled by "United Productions of America" or UPA. This occurred when Steve Bosustow and his creative staff, including many alumni of Tashlin's avant-garde ensemble at Screen Gems, approached the studio. In 1948, Columbia tentatively agreed to distribute UPA's theatrical shorts, a decision that would quickly prove to be the studio's wisest, animation-wise. Throughout the late 1940s and the 1950s, UPA would earn several Academy Awards and nominations for the fruits of their efforts. In the process, they brought to the screen such endearing characters as the nearsighted WesternAnimation/MrMagoo (voiced by Jim Backus) and GeraldMcBoingBoing. In 1959, however, UPA ceased production of theatrical cartoon shorts and Bosustow ended up selling the studio to Henry G. Saperstein, ending the era of classic animation at Columbia.

* LimitedAnimation: Not just UPA, which was one of the {{Trope Maker}}s, but some of the cartoons of the Tashlin regime experimented with stylized designs. Not surprising, since most of the Tashlin animators later went on to help found UPA. [[Literature/TheTellTaleHeart The Tell-Tale Heart]] adaptation takes this to the level of having ''no animation at all''.

** Even within UPA's remarkably diverse output, their adaptation of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'' stands out.

* WhamEpisode: Even within UPA's remarkably diverse output, their adaptation of Creator/EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'' stands out.

* LimitedAnimation: Not just UPA, which was one of the {{Trope Maker}}s, but some of the cartoons of the Tashlin regime experimented with stylized designs. Not surprising, since most of the Tashlin animators later went on to help found UPA. The Tell-Tale Heart adaptation takes this to the level of having ''no animation at all''.

Two new DVD sets, containting the {{UPA}} oneshots and WesternAnimation/MrMagoo shorts. were eventually released; "UPA Jolly Frolics Collection" is now available exclusively on the Creator/TurnerClassicMovies online shop [[http://shop.tcm.com/upa-jolly-frolics-dvd/detail.php?p=364906 here]], and a definitive history of the studio was compiled into a book in 2012.

Blog/CartoonBrew has recently announced two new DVD sets, which will release many {{UPA}} oneshots and WesternAnimation/MrMagoo shorts. The "UPA Jolly Frolics Collection" is now available exclusively on the Creator/TurnerClassicMovies online shop [[http://shop.tcm.com/upa-jolly-frolics-dvd/detail.php?p=364906 here]], and a definitive history of the studio was compiled into a book in 2012.

* LimitedAnimation: Not just UPA, which was one of the {{Trope Maker}}s, but some of the cartoons of the Tashlin regime experimented with stylized designs. Not surprising, since most of the Tashlin animators later went on to help found UPA.

For a History and Filmography of these films, feel free to visit the fan site [[http://columbia.goldenagecartoons.com/ "The Columbia Crow's Nest"]], which this page cites its description from.

Of all the classic theatrical animated cartoons, those released by ColumbiaPictures during TheSilentAgeOfAnimation and TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation are perhaps the most overlooked by the general public today. This is unfortunate because some of the most significant endeavors in the medium's history emerged from the collective works of Charles Mintz, Screen Gems and UPA. It is difficult, for example, for one to think of the history of animation without films like "The Little Match Girl", "The Fox and the Grapes", "GeraldMcBoingBoing" or "RootyTootToot" that, in so many ways, redefined what a cartoon was. The only short they did that's still somewhat famous today is their adaptation of EdgarAllanPoe's ''The Tell-Tale Heart'', which is often played in English classes.

Blog/CartoonBrew has recently announced two new DVD sets, which will release many {{UPA}} oneshots and WesternAnimation/MrMagoo shorts. The "UPA Jolly Frolics Collection" is now available exclusively on the TurnerClassicMovies online shop [[http://shop.tcm.com/upa-jolly-frolics-dvd/detail.php?p=364906 here]], and a definitive history of the studio was compiled into a book in 2012.