"Start your day with a song
And sing the whole day through
Even while you're busy working
Do just like the birdies do!
Though the day may be long
You never will go wrong
Low key, high key, any old key
Just start your day with a song!"
—Opening to the Famous Studios Screen Song shorts.
Screen Songs is the name of a series of animated cartoons produced by the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1929 and 1938, serving as a sister series to Talkartoons. They were revived by Famous Studios in 1945 starting with the Noveltoons short "When G.I. Johnny Comes Home". It morphed into Kartunes by mid-1951 after Max Fleischer sued Paramount over the use of both the series name and the words "bouncing ball", and lasted to 1953—1954, if you count the Noveltoons short "Candy Cabaret", which follows the same format as the previous cartoons. The formula was tried one last time in the 1963 Noveltoon "Hobo's Holiday".
A quick history of the series can be found here.
Filmography
1929
- The Sidewalks of New York (East Side, West Side) February 5 1929
- Yankee Doodle Boy March 1 1929
- Old Black Joe April 5 1929
- Ye Olde Melodies May 3 1929
- Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built for Two) May 31 1929
- Mother, Pin a Rose on Me July 6 1929
- Chinatown, My Chinatown - Chinese - August 2 1929
- Dixie August 17 1929
- Goodbye My Lady Love August 31 1929
- My Pony Boy September 13 1929
- Smiles - Male Vocal Quartet - September 27 1929
- Oh You Beautiful Doll - Tommy Cat - October 14 1929
- After the Ball - Charles K. Harris - November 8 1929
- Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet - Animal Quartet - November 22 1929
- I've Got Rings on My Fingers - Irish Traffic Cop - December 17 1929
1930
- Bedelia January 3 1930
- In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree - Bears - January 18 1930
- I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark - Bimbo - February 1 1930
- The Prisoner's Song Prisoners March 1 1930
- I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles Mice March 15 1930
- La Paloma Dog April 12 1930
- Yes, We Have No Bananas April 26 1930
- Come Take a Trip in My Airship Kitty April 26 1930
- In the Good Old Summertime Cats June 6 1930
- A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight Drunken Mice August 1 1930
- The Glow Worm August 23 1930
- The Stein Song Hot Dog Vendor September 6 1930
- Strike Up the Band (Here Comes a Sailor) September 27 1930
- My Gal Sal Chubby Dog October 18 1930
- Mariutch November 15 1930: First Screen Song that Grim Natwick worked on.
- On a Sunday Afternoon Dog Woman November 29 1930
- Row, Row, Row Bad Dog December 20 1930
1931
- Please Go 'Way and Let Me Sleep Sheriff January 10 1931
- By the Beautiful Sea Mouse January 24 1931
- I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now White Boy Cat February 14 1931
- I'd Climb the Highest Mountain Boy Dog March 7 1931
- Somebody Stole My Gal Boy Dog March 20 1931
- Any Little Girl That's a Nice Little Girl Tommy Cat and Betty Boop prototype April 18 1931
- Alexander's Ragtime Band Dog May 9 1931
- And the Green Grass Grew All Around Boy Fly 1931 May 30
- My Wife's Gone to the Country Bimbo and (briefly) Betty Boop May 31 1931
- That Old Gang of Mine Lady Alley Cat July 11 1931
- Betty Co-ed Rudy Vallee and Betty Boop prototype August 1 1931
- Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean Gallagher and Shean August 29 1931
- You're Driving Me Crazy Jungle Animals September 19 1931
- Little Annie Rooney (1931) October 10 1931
- Kitty from Kansas City Rudy Vallee and Betty Boop October 31
- By the Light of the Silvery Moon Eddie Cantor November 14 1931
- My Baby Just Cares for Me Eddie Cantor December 5 1931
- Russian Lullaby Arthur Tracy December 26 1931
1932
- Sweet Jennie Lee Jean Harlow January 9 1932
- Show Me the Way to Go Home Eddie Cantor January 30 1932
- When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along Joan Crawford February 19 1932
- Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie The Round Towners Quartet, Betty Boop March 4 1932
- Just One More Chance Betty Boop April 1 1932
- Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning Les Reis and Artie Dunn, Betty Boop April 22 1932
- Shine On Harvest Moon Alice Joy May 6 1932
- Let Me Call You Sweetheart Ethel Merman and Betty Boop May 20 1932
- I Ain't Got Nobody The Mills Brothers June 17 1932
- You Try Somebody Else Ethel Merman and Betty Boop July 29 1932
- Rudy Vallee Melodies Rudy Vallee and Betty Boop August 5 1932
- Down Among the Sugar Cane Lillian Roth August 26 1932
- Just a Gigolo Irene Bordoni and Betty Boop September 9 1932
- School Days Gus Edwards September 30 1932
- Romantic Melodies Arthur Tracy and Betty Boop October 21 1932
- When It's Sleepy Time Down South The Boswell Sisters November 11 1932
- Sing a Song James Melton December 2 1932
- Time on My Hands Ethel Merman and Betty Boop December 23 1932
1933
- Dinah Mills Brothers January 13 1933
- Ain't She Sweet? Lillian Roth February 3 1933
- Reaching for the Moon Arthur Tracy February 23 1933
- Aloha Oe Royal Samoans March 17 1933
- Popular Melodies Arthur Jarrett and Betty Boop April 7 1933
- The Peanut Vendor Armida April 28 1933
- Song Shopping Ethel Merman and Johnny Green May 19
- Boilesk The Watson Sisters June 9 1933
- Sing, Sisters, Sing Three X Sisters June 3 1933
- Down by the Old Mill Stream The Eton Boys July 21 1933
- Stoopnocracy Stoopnagle and Budd August 18 1933
- When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba The Mills Brothers September 15 1933
- Boo Boo Theme Song Funnyboners October 13 1933
- I Like Mountain Music The Eton Boys November 10 1933
- Sing, Babies, Sing Baby Rose Marie December 15 1933
1934
- Keeps Rainin' All The Time Gertrude Niesen January 12 1934
- Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing Les Reis and Artie Dunn February 9 1934
- Tune Up and Sing Lanny Ross March 9 1934
- Lazy Bones Borrah Minnevitch and His Harmonica Rascals April 13 1934
- This Little Piggie Went to Market Singin' Sam May 25 1934
- She Reminds Me of You The Eton Boys June 22 1934
- Love Thy Neighbor Mary Small July 20 1934
- Let's Sing with Popeye: (Billy Costello) Produced for Saturday morning matinee "Popeye Club". Later re-released by Official Films in the 1950s.
1935
- I Wished on the Moon - Abe Lyman and his Orchestra - September 20 1935
- It's Easy to Remember - Richard Himber and his Orchestra - November 29 1935
1936
- No Other One Hal Kemp and His Orchestra / Skinnay Ennis January 24 1936
- I Feel Like a Feather in the Breeze Jack Denny and his Orchestra March 27 1936
- I Don't Want to Make History Vincent Lopez and his Orchestra May 22 1936
- The Hills of Wyomin The Westerners / Curt Massey July 31 1936
- I Can't Escape From You Billie Bailey / Joe Reichman and His Orchestra September 25 1936
- Talking Through My Heart Dick Stabile and his Orchestra November 27 1936
1937
- Never Should Have Told You - Nat Brandwynne and His Orchestra - January 29 1937
- Twilight On the Trail - The Westerners / Curt Massey - March 26 1937
- Please Keep Me in Your Dreams - Barbara Blake / Henry King and his Orchestra - May 28 1937
- You Came to My Rescue - Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm Orchestra - July 30 1937
- Whispers in the Dark - June Robbins / Gus Arnheim and his Orchestra - September 24 1937
- Magic on Broadway - Jay Freeman - November 26 1937
1938
- You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart January 28 1938
- Thanks for the Memory March 25 1938
- You Leave Me Breathless May 27 1938
- Beside a Moonlit Stream - Eddie Cantor - July 29 1938
1947
- The Circus Comes to Clown - Circus - Song: "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" December 26 1947
1948
- Base Brawl - Tommy Tortoise - Song: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" January 23 1948
- Little Brown Jug - Animals - February 20 1948: Final theatrical cartoon Orestes Calpini worked on.
- The Golden State, Song: "California, Here I Come" March 12 1948
- Winter Draws On - Buzzy - Song: "Alabamy Bound" March 19 1948
- Sing or Swim - Animals - Song: "By the Beautiful Sea" June 16 1948
- Camp Town Races - Farm Animals - July 30 1948
- The Lone Star State - Cowboys - Song: "Deep in the Heart of Texas" August 20 1948
- Readin', Ritin' and Rhythematic, Song: "School Daze" October 22 1948
1949
- The Funshine State, Song: "Tallahassee" January 7 1949
- The Emerald Isle - Lephechauns - Song: "Mac Namara's Band" February 25 1949
- Comin' Round the Mountain - Hillbilly Cats - March 11 1949
- The Stork Market - Storks - Song: "Pretty Baby" April 8 1949
- Spring Song - Flowers - June 3 1949
- The Ski's the Limit, Song: "I Miss My Swiss, My Swiss Miss Misses Me" June 24 1949
- Toys Will Be Toys - Toys - Song: "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" July 15 1949
- Farm Foolery - Farm Animals - Song: "Shine on Harvest Moon" August 5 1949
- Our Funny Finny Friends - Fish - Song: "Three Little Fishies" August 26 1949
- Marriage Wows - Wedding - Song: "For Me and My Gal" September 16 1949
- The Big Flame-Up - Tim Turtle - Song: "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" September 30 1949
- Strolling Thru the Park November 4 1949
- The Big Drip - Buzzy the Crow - Song: "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo" November 25 1949
- Snow Foolin' - Animals - Song: "Jingle Bells" December 16 1949
1950
- Blue Hawaii - Hawaiians - January 13 1950
- Detouring Thru Maine, Song: "The Maine Stein Song" February 17 1950
- Short'nin' Bread - Bakery - March 24 1950
- Win, Place and Showboat - Riverboat - Song: "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" April 28 1950
- Jingle Jangle Jungle - Africa - Song: Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo) May 19 1950
- Heap Hep Injuns - Indians - Song: "My Pony Boy" June 30 1950
- Gobs of Fun - Herman the Mouse - Song: Strike Up the Band (Here Comes a Sailor) July 28 1950
- Helter Swelter - Animals - Song: "In the Good Old Summer Time" August 25 1950
- Boos in the Nite - Ghosts - Song: "Pack Up Your Troubles" September 22, 1950
- Fiesta Time - Mexicans - Song: "El Rancho Grande" October 20 1950
- Fresh Yeggs - Wolfie - Song: "Give My Regards to Broadway" November 17 1950
1951
- Tweet Music - Birds - Song: "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing" February 9 1951
- Drippy Mississippi - Mississippi - Song: "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I" April 13 1951
- Miners Forty Niners - Gold Miners - Song: "Clementine" May 18 1951
- Sing Again of Michigan - Buzzy the Crow - Song: "I Want to Go Back to Michigan Down on the Farm" June 29 1951: Last of the Screen Songs.
- Vegetable Vaudeville (1951): Series changes into "Kartunes" from here on out. Song: "Yes! We Have No Bananas"
- Snooze Reel (1951) Song: "I Got Spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle"
- Off We Glow (1951) Song: "The Glow Worm"
1952
- Fun At the Fair (1952) Song: "Wait 'Till the Sun Shines, Nellie"
- Dizzy Dinosaurs (1952) Song: "Sweet Adeline"
- Gag and Baggage (1952) Song: "I've Been Working on the Railroad"
- Forest Fantasy (1952) Song: "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"
1953
- Hysterical History (1953) Song: "Yankee Doodle Boy"
- Philharmaniacs (1953) Song: Alexander's Ragtime Band"
- Aero-Nutics (1953) Song: Come Josephine in my Flying Machine"
- Invention Convention (1953) Song: "Let Me Call You Sweetheart"
- No Place Like Rome (1953): Last Kartune. Song: "Oh Ma-Ma (The Butcher Boy)"
1954
- Candy Cabaret (1954): Technically a Noveltoons short, but follows the same format as the previous shorts. Song: "Ain't She Sweet?"
Tropes:
- Animated Music Video: The whole reason for the series existence.
- "Bang!" Flag Gun: "Toys Will be Toys" features a toy cannon that fires a "BANG" flag.
- Biting-the-Hand Humor: In “Toys Will be Toys” During the parade a wind-up Popeye toy rolls out watering a can of spinach, which produces a boxing glove and socks the sailor in the face. This was probably an outlet from those on the Famous Studios Staff who weren’t happy with the quality of the Popeye shorts being made...
- Cuckoo Clock Gag: In I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark, a large clocktower has a cuckoo bird emerge when the clock strikes 3:00 in the morning. The bird gets caught in the door before it backs all the way in, and it then reemerges with a bandage on its neck.
- Dogs Love Fire Hydrants: One of the wind-up toys in "Toys Will be Toys" is of a dog trying to run to a fire hydrant.
- Follow the Bouncing Ball: A hallmark of the series. Indeed, it is the Trope Maker.
- Medium Blending: While animated, the Fleischer Screen Songs would often include live-action footage of many popular orchestras and singers of the day, some of which interacted with regular characters, like Betty Boop and later on, Wiffle Piffle, a short, bald man.
- Public Domain Animation: Many of the Famous Studios Screen Songs have expired copyrights, allowing them to appear on "bargain-bin" Public Domain collections.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: In addition to using licensed songs (often featured on then-current Paramount films), the shorts often employed traditional music cues (i.e. in "My Baby Just Cares For Me", when the protagonist finds a horse, a snippet of "The Old Gray Mare" plays).
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Spiritual Successor: The "Kartunes" shorts were just Screen Songs with a new name attached to them.- The Screen Songs themselves are a successor to the Song Car-Tunes that Fleischer had made in the late 1920's, notable for experimenting with sound a couple of years before the premiere of Steamboat Willie.
- Disney Sing-Along Songs successfully brought the "follow the bouncing ball" concept to a new generation from 1986-2006, (generally) culling songs from existing Disney films. Screen Songs weren't foreign to Disney, either, as a segment of the "Jingle Bells" sequence from Snow Foolin' (by then in the public domain) was used in Very Merry Christmas Songs (1988).
