You may remember these from TV past or that random dollar DVD sitting on your shelf, but they are some of the best little classics to watch and very catchy. Max Fleischer was also responsible for the classic you may remember like Popeye and Superman, but healso holds this accomplishment:
"Fleischer invented the "follow the bouncing ball" technique for his Song Car-Tunes series of animated singalong shorts beginning in May 1924. After a few films with unsynchronized sound (music and sound effects only), Fleischer added synchronized sound to this series, with My Old Kentucky Home (released April 13, 1926) with a dog-like character saying "Follow the ball, and join in, everybody." The sound entries in the Song Car-Tunes series — roughly 19 out of 36 short films — used the Phonofilm sound-on-film process developed by Lee DeForest. The Song Car-Tunes series would last until early 1927, just a few months before the actual start of the sound era. This was before Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie
(1928), which is often mistakenly cited as the first cartoon to
synchronize sound with animation. However, by late 1926, both the
DeForest Phonofilm Corp. and Red Seal Pictures had filed for bankruptcy,
and the Song Car-Tunes series came to an end." - Wikipedia
Christmas Comes But Once a Year
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Monday, December 3, 2012
Frosty the Snow Man
For those who like some Christmas fun, I found this. The original Christmas Frosty cartoon. The black and white 1954 short.
"In 1954, the UPA studio brought "Frosty" to life in a three-minute animated short which appears regularly on WGN-TV. This production included a bouncy, jazzy a cappella version of the song and a limited animation style reminiscent of UPA's Gerald McBoing-Boing. The short, filmed entirely in black-and-white, has been a perennial WGN-TV Christmas classic, and was broadcast on December 24 and 25, 2005, and every year since, as part of a WGN-TV children's programming retrospective, along with their two other short Christmas classics, "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco and Joe."
The three cartoons are also a tradition on WJAC-TV in Johnstown, PA, which not only broadcasts the cartoons on their station, but also make it available on their website." Wikipedia
Frosty the Snow Man
"In 1954, the UPA studio brought "Frosty" to life in a three-minute animated short which appears regularly on WGN-TV. This production included a bouncy, jazzy a cappella version of the song and a limited animation style reminiscent of UPA's Gerald McBoing-Boing. The short, filmed entirely in black-and-white, has been a perennial WGN-TV Christmas classic, and was broadcast on December 24 and 25, 2005, and every year since, as part of a WGN-TV children's programming retrospective, along with their two other short Christmas classics, "Suzy Snowflake" and "Hardrock, Coco and Joe."
The three cartoons are also a tradition on WJAC-TV in Johnstown, PA, which not only broadcasts the cartoons on their station, but also make it available on their website." Wikipedia
Frosty the Snow Man
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Preparing for Advent
This year we have a special opportunity as we are preparing for advent to start.This year we have an extra week after Thanksgiving to allow ourselves to, in a sense, prepare for our preparations. To prepare and get our heart ready and open to grow.
Now if your asking yourself..."what is advent?" we will talk about that also.
Advent is a a time of reconnection and heart preparations for the birth of Jesus. Remember John 1:5 (KJV) "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it", in John, he writes about this darkness, in Isaiah he also speaks about a darkness, this darkness is the same darkness that dwells within the depths of the human heart. Do we understand what we are preparing for during this season?
It was dark time when Jesus stepped into this world, but it was the perfect time! As we come around each year and begin the calendar year again the true time of renewal is not New Years, but Christmas. There's a lot of darkness in this world and sometimes it feels as if it gets darker and darker and more powerful and that could be true of this world.
It's interesting to see the development of Christmas movies over the past twenty years and the continual need to come back to the loss of the Christmas spirit. There's this profound emphasis of the dwindling of the Spirit of Christmas, like our hearts are lacking more every year of this Spirit of Christmas that for at least one day brings all mankind into a form of unity, but that seems to be breaking down. Like the movies imply, perhaps it is the consumerism, the want and greed for stuff that will most literally trample others down in the process.
Advent is a time, that even the church has begun to forget, that allows us to slow life down and re-focus so we can re-connect with ourselves and examine our own hearts. If we want the darkness to be removed, we must first recognize it. Darkness is tricky that way.
I know too often enough that the deadness of the darkness in our hearts will hide itself so well that we can fool ourselves to not realize how dry and wasted our spirits are. One of the reasons I attempt to attend one conference each year is so that I can immerse myself for a few days and see the darkness emerge, so that I might recognize truthfully the deadness dwelling within. Only the light can reveal that darkness.
Each Sunday of advent we light a candle of the wreath as a symbol of the light igniting inside of us and the darkness being overtaken, its a powerful time.
Don't worry about the "right way", just begin the journey, do some research online, pick up a book of advent readings or download possibly for free on your mobile device or Kindle from Amazon.
I can't vouch for everything on this site, but I have found a few articles of worth:
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/index.html
Now if your asking yourself..."what is advent?" we will talk about that also.
Advent is a a time of reconnection and heart preparations for the birth of Jesus. Remember John 1:5 (KJV) "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it", in John, he writes about this darkness, in Isaiah he also speaks about a darkness, this darkness is the same darkness that dwells within the depths of the human heart. Do we understand what we are preparing for during this season?
It was dark time when Jesus stepped into this world, but it was the perfect time! As we come around each year and begin the calendar year again the true time of renewal is not New Years, but Christmas. There's a lot of darkness in this world and sometimes it feels as if it gets darker and darker and more powerful and that could be true of this world.
It's interesting to see the development of Christmas movies over the past twenty years and the continual need to come back to the loss of the Christmas spirit. There's this profound emphasis of the dwindling of the Spirit of Christmas, like our hearts are lacking more every year of this Spirit of Christmas that for at least one day brings all mankind into a form of unity, but that seems to be breaking down. Like the movies imply, perhaps it is the consumerism, the want and greed for stuff that will most literally trample others down in the process.
Advent is a time, that even the church has begun to forget, that allows us to slow life down and re-focus so we can re-connect with ourselves and examine our own hearts. If we want the darkness to be removed, we must first recognize it. Darkness is tricky that way.
I know too often enough that the deadness of the darkness in our hearts will hide itself so well that we can fool ourselves to not realize how dry and wasted our spirits are. One of the reasons I attempt to attend one conference each year is so that I can immerse myself for a few days and see the darkness emerge, so that I might recognize truthfully the deadness dwelling within. Only the light can reveal that darkness.
Each Sunday of advent we light a candle of the wreath as a symbol of the light igniting inside of us and the darkness being overtaken, its a powerful time.
Don't worry about the "right way", just begin the journey, do some research online, pick up a book of advent readings or download possibly for free on your mobile device or Kindle from Amazon.
I can't vouch for everything on this site, but I have found a few articles of worth:
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/index.html
Friday, October 26, 2012
A Biblical Christmas - Part One: O Christmas Tree
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84: 5-7, a Psalm of the Sons of Korah
As we prepare to Advent this year, I would like to share with you some scripture that has become apart of my preparations for Christmas each year, my advent celebrations.
The first, being that of Psalm 84. The Christmas tree plays a big part of my Advent celebration in my house with there being roughly 12-14 trees each year within my house. Why the Christmas tree? Yes, it is believed there are some ties to the "bringing in of the greens" and a hope for good luck for the new year (along with numerous other traditions depending on the culture and country you celebrate within) with the tradition of the Christmas tree, but I have a different aspect on the Christmas tree...let me explain.
The Psalm written by the Korahites is a great Psalm, as is the majority of their Psalms, but I greatly enjoy this Psalm because of its focus on the importance of the house of God. The joy found and the yearning to be at the house of God. Not meaning, the church building, but yet in a much broader and real sense, "the place where God dwells". We know that He does not dwell within walls built by men (as Solomon attested as he christened the temple) and Paul preached about as he spoke in Athens, but instead the true temple of God is within the human Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 6 also brings attention to this fact of our bodies being the temple of God)
Let's start from that point: that we are the house of God, where God dwells.
Second, let's move along to the verses quoted above. Those whose strength is found in God, those who set their heart on pilgrimage. To do what, you ask? To Worship God, but in fulfillment, to go home! To return home to the true Zion, to attain that which is pre-loaded into the human heart, eternity; eternity in the presence of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
So first, we in a sense are the very temple in which even the birds wish to dwell within. Second, the pilgrimage we are ultimately on is life itself as we head to the grave. Which also reminds me of the words of Scrooge's nephew Fred in regard to Christmas:
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
Charles Dickins, "A Christmas Carol"
It's a time like no other where we actually see each other as people, all on the same pilgrimage, all on the same journey and as we know life is, this journey always brings us to places of sorrow, place of tears, place of hardship and times of dry times. In the Psalms it says they pilgrim, they pass through the valley of Baka, which is the Valley of the Balsam trees. It was a symbol of a place of dryness and sorrow, a place of loneliness, a place of weeping. The Balsam was known as the "weeping tree".
As you know the Balsam is also the traditional American Christmas tree, in which is displayed in millions of homes. So very literally we travel each December through a forest of balsam trees and quite metaphorically for many December and the holidays are a time of loneliness, a time of remembering better days past and too often. Or with my favorite quote from "Mixed Nuts".
Christmas is a wonderful time and a wonderful opportunity. Use it and enjoy every single moment of it. This very weekend begins my preparations for Christmas, this weekend I begin decorating and November 1, Hallowmass begins my countdown till Christmas. Will you join me this year in the sacred journey toward the birth of the Messiah?
Will you reach out this year and consider others as perhaps more than just other creatures bound on other journey, but perhaps as people all on the same journey? Will you open up your shut up heart this year?
Make sure to join my blog and stayed tuned!
As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Psalm 84: 5-7, a Psalm of the Sons of Korah
As we prepare to Advent this year, I would like to share with you some scripture that has become apart of my preparations for Christmas each year, my advent celebrations.
The first, being that of Psalm 84. The Christmas tree plays a big part of my Advent celebration in my house with there being roughly 12-14 trees each year within my house. Why the Christmas tree? Yes, it is believed there are some ties to the "bringing in of the greens" and a hope for good luck for the new year (along with numerous other traditions depending on the culture and country you celebrate within) with the tradition of the Christmas tree, but I have a different aspect on the Christmas tree...let me explain.
The Psalm written by the Korahites is a great Psalm, as is the majority of their Psalms, but I greatly enjoy this Psalm because of its focus on the importance of the house of God. The joy found and the yearning to be at the house of God. Not meaning, the church building, but yet in a much broader and real sense, "the place where God dwells". We know that He does not dwell within walls built by men (as Solomon attested as he christened the temple) and Paul preached about as he spoke in Athens, but instead the true temple of God is within the human Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 6 also brings attention to this fact of our bodies being the temple of God)
Let's start from that point: that we are the house of God, where God dwells.
Second, let's move along to the verses quoted above. Those whose strength is found in God, those who set their heart on pilgrimage. To do what, you ask? To Worship God, but in fulfillment, to go home! To return home to the true Zion, to attain that which is pre-loaded into the human heart, eternity; eternity in the presence of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
So first, we in a sense are the very temple in which even the birds wish to dwell within. Second, the pilgrimage we are ultimately on is life itself as we head to the grave. Which also reminds me of the words of Scrooge's nephew Fred in regard to Christmas:
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say, Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
Charles Dickins, "A Christmas Carol"
It's a time like no other where we actually see each other as people, all on the same pilgrimage, all on the same journey and as we know life is, this journey always brings us to places of sorrow, place of tears, place of hardship and times of dry times. In the Psalms it says they pilgrim, they pass through the valley of Baka, which is the Valley of the Balsam trees. It was a symbol of a place of dryness and sorrow, a place of loneliness, a place of weeping. The Balsam was known as the "weeping tree".
As you know the Balsam is also the traditional American Christmas tree, in which is displayed in millions of homes. So very literally we travel each December through a forest of balsam trees and quite metaphorically for many December and the holidays are a time of loneliness, a time of remembering better days past and too often. Or with my favorite quote from "Mixed Nuts".
Christmas is a wonderful time and a wonderful opportunity. Use it and enjoy every single moment of it. This very weekend begins my preparations for Christmas, this weekend I begin decorating and November 1, Hallowmass begins my countdown till Christmas. Will you join me this year in the sacred journey toward the birth of the Messiah?
Will you reach out this year and consider others as perhaps more than just other creatures bound on other journey, but perhaps as people all on the same journey? Will you open up your shut up heart this year?
Make sure to join my blog and stayed tuned!
Friday, October 12, 2012
A Christmas Carol - The Faces of Bob Cratchit
So let's rev up part two with some of my favorite Cratchit's from the history of film.
So let's kick it back off by returning to 1938 with the familiar face of Gene Lockhart. You may also recognize him as the kindly Judge from "Miracle on 31st Street".
Mervyn Johns played in the 1951 version along side of Alistair Sim.
In 1962 came Jack Cassidy in Mr. Magoo's version.
Remember this great song?
In 1970 came David Collings in the musical version.
1971 brought Melvyn Hayes to the role as the voice for Bob Cratchit.
Part One: A Christmas Carol 1971
Mickey plays the role of Cratchit in his version from 1983.
David Warner in the 1984 version. A great job well done.
Kermit brings his own hoppiness to character of Cratchit with the 1992 Muppet version.
and finally comes Richard Grant, who brings a frailty to the role, an even more humble and gently spoken Cratchit. TNT's A Christmas Carol from 1999.
Remember this great song?
Part One: A Christmas Carol 1971
Thursday, October 11, 2012
A Christmas Carol - Ebenezer Scrooges
No fictional Christmas story is perhaps more renown and famous than that of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" so for your viewing enjoyment, begins several posts of a short collection of photos accounting "A Christmas Carol" through the years, this is not an exhaustive list, but simply an account of some of the good stuff. This post specifically will focus on who else, but the very man, "Ebenezer Scrooge". To start it all off first of all I need to share this photo:
This photo is my favorite of all Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, themed photos. If you know where this photo originated please let me know.
< Reginald Owen, 1938
Alastair Sim,1951 >
Mr. Magoo (Voiced by Jim Backus/ Gilligan's Island) as the stingy old Scrooge in the 1963 made-for-TV version of "A Christmas Carol".
The 1970 musical version, starring Albert Finney
The reprisal by Alastair Sim of Scrooge but this time is cartoon. This 1971 version was made-for-TV and has been rarely seen till its limited release on DVD. This version was created by the great Chuck Jones.
Disney's, 1983 "Mickey's Christmas Carol", starring Uncle Scrooge as
Ebenezer Scrooge. Voiced by Allen Young (All Young Show/ Wilbur of Mr,
Ed)
George C Scott, 1984 version & on my top 3 list.
In 1992 came a classic from the Jim Henson family with Michael Caine playing the human counterpart of Scrooge while most of the cast is played by Muppets.
TNT, 1999,made-for-TV film of "A Christmas Carol" starring Patrick Stewart. Of big screen quality and easily on my top three list
< Reginald Owen, 1938
Alastair Sim,1951 >
The 1970 musical version, starring Albert Finney
The reprisal by Alastair Sim of Scrooge but this time is cartoon. This 1971 version was made-for-TV and has been rarely seen till its limited release on DVD. This version was created by the great Chuck Jones.
George C Scott, 1984 version & on my top 3 list.
TNT, 1999,made-for-TV film of "A Christmas Carol" starring Patrick Stewart. Of big screen quality and easily on my top three list
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Christmas Goodies 1 - Pictures
Here's some Early Christmas goodies. Just some simple fun. Enjoy.
This first pic here was the inside of a Ruth Lyons Christmas Album.
From JRR Tolkien's "The Father Christmas Letters"
This is believed to be the earliest Christmas Card.
This first pic here was the inside of a Ruth Lyons Christmas Album.
From JRR Tolkien's "The Father Christmas Letters"
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Bring on the Christmas
I love Christmas. Which doesn't seem to fully express the affection I have for Christmas time.
I have more Christmas decoration than any other type of decoration or item type in my house. Christmas is a multi-month season in my house. It technically starts before Halloween even hits, but usually we hold off decoration at least until our fall party is over which is near the end of October. Fall then by default starts in early August at our house with the brown and orange leaves decorating the fireplace mantle and tables.
Christmas is very important to me. Easter is centrally important too, in no way am I downplaying the importance of the Resurrection, because it's central to all that we do, but without Christmas, we would have no Resurrection. Christmas still holds a power to bring unity amongst people, even if it gets cloudy in the consumerism of our culture. The American movie industry still produces numerous films with the central point that family is important at Christmas and is kind of the point. Though we hold that Christmas has a higher point than even family.
Through the next few months I will be posting my Christmas preparation, from the fun stuff, to some serious stuff. I get a bit overboard on Christmas, but I do all things with a purpose and a reason and will share with you this journey that we call Advent.
So far this "fall season" I have enjoyed some great "fall" related items. I have pulled out and listened to Vivald's "Four Seasons", particularly the movement related to this season of course and also fall related beverages and soon fall related foods.
As I rev up for our Christmas season, which technically is till about two months away, I have pulled out some of my favorite Christmas music from Ruth Lyons to Linda Russell in preparation.
"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all out kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us." C. Dickens (A Christmas Carol)
I have more Christmas decoration than any other type of decoration or item type in my house. Christmas is a multi-month season in my house. It technically starts before Halloween even hits, but usually we hold off decoration at least until our fall party is over which is near the end of October. Fall then by default starts in early August at our house with the brown and orange leaves decorating the fireplace mantle and tables.
Christmas is very important to me. Easter is centrally important too, in no way am I downplaying the importance of the Resurrection, because it's central to all that we do, but without Christmas, we would have no Resurrection. Christmas still holds a power to bring unity amongst people, even if it gets cloudy in the consumerism of our culture. The American movie industry still produces numerous films with the central point that family is important at Christmas and is kind of the point. Though we hold that Christmas has a higher point than even family.
Through the next few months I will be posting my Christmas preparation, from the fun stuff, to some serious stuff. I get a bit overboard on Christmas, but I do all things with a purpose and a reason and will share with you this journey that we call Advent.
So far this "fall season" I have enjoyed some great "fall" related items. I have pulled out and listened to Vivald's "Four Seasons", particularly the movement related to this season of course and also fall related beverages and soon fall related foods.
As I rev up for our Christmas season, which technically is till about two months away, I have pulled out some of my favorite Christmas music from Ruth Lyons to Linda Russell in preparation.
"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all out kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us." C. Dickens (A Christmas Carol)
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