Friday, September 26, 2008

CARICATURES OF HOLLYWOOD

I think that Jimmy Durante, W.C. Fields, and Laurel & Hardy are probably a few of the movie star personalities that are caricatured the most frequently in classic cartoons. That's just what I've observed, anyway, and I think that's who most audiences are used to seeing parodied the most.

BUT, there are so many classic cartoons from each studio that parodied so many other famous faces as well. And that's what today's post at my online land of wonderful cartoons is all about!

See how many movie stars YOU can name!



"Hollywood Steps Out", directed by Tex Avery, and Disney's "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood" are my two favorite cartoons about Hollywood caricatures. Just look at these for a second and take note as to how incredibly bold and solid these drawings are (especially "Steps Out")! If you ask me, these two cartoons are the ULTIMATE animated films about caricatures!!

















































































































Anyway this all got me thinking....... How come Hollywood celebrities of primarily the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s were so easy and fun to caricature? I mean sure, some of the most famous faces alive today are caricature-able as well; Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Robin Williams and the like. But those folks have been around for a good few movie-watching generations now. What about the celebrities of TODAY? Of course, we all get our share of Paris Hilton and Britney jabs every week online and in the magazines. But there isn't much caricaturing for fun's sake.

What if a cartoon were made today in Clampett's "Book Revue" style, with caricatures of today's big comedians? Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell, Sarah Silverman, etc. I dunno, the Napoleon Dynamite guy??

Why doesn't anyone do this anymore? Is the world a more sensitive place? Or would something like this not even work with today's celebs? Are today's stars simply not as interesting, entertaining, or defined as those of 1930s and 1940s Hollywood? Did the stars of yesteryear simply have more of a core to them, every star having something unique about them that separated them from every other star?

Hmm, I'm willing to bet that's it, but I still wonder. I'm not sure a cartoon featuring a Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston or Gwyneth Paltrow caricature could be as funny (compared to one with Bacall or Hepburn). All three of those women are the same person.

This is definitely something to think about! What do you guys think? Any theories, Eddie??

Well. G'night, everybody!