Felix the Cat: Early Cartoon Classics, Volume 1 (DVD)

Before Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat was the first world-famous cartoon star. Created by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer in 1919, the Felix shorts delighted moviegoers with their surreal and often topical humor. Now Long Island-based film historian John K. Carpenter ("The Movie Man") digs into his vast archives to present some of Felix's best moments. "As a nationally-known film historian and 16mm collector I have always been fascinated by the unbridled imagination on display in the silent era. These vintage cartoons demonstrate just how quickly animation techniques developed and improved during that time. We also see how much Felix's look and characterization changed from the original silent shorts to when synchronized music and sound effects started being added. Felix did what no human actor could do, and Otto Messmer and Pat Sullivan's wild ideas kept audiences in rapt attention, wondering what crazy scenario they would come up with next."

Featuring 10 cartoons from the silent era and the early sync-sound period:

• Felix Minds the Kid (1922)
• Felix Revolts (1923)
• Felix With the Cowboys (1925)
• Polly-Tics (1928)
• Outdoor Indore (1928)
• The Oily Bird (1928)
• False Vases (1929)
• Forty Winks (1929)
• Oceantics (1930)
• Tee Time (1930)

• silent