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Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy (1941) Director: Dave Fleischer. In the wake of the successful animated feature releases by Walt Disney (Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs) and Max Fleischer (Gulliver’s Travels) in 1937 and 1939, respectively, Paramount immediately authorized the production a pair of extra-length two-reel cartoon subjects from Fleischer Studios. The first one, released in April 1941, was produced at Fleischer’s lavish new animation studio in Miami, Florida, where the production of Gulliver’s Travels took place, alongside the popular Popeye shorts and pre-production on their second feature, Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941). Based on the classic books by Johnny Gruelle, Fleischer fashioned Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy as a musical taking place in the imagination of a little girl. The studio changed the relationship of Ann and Andy from brother and sister to boyfriend and girlfriend to give the story more drama. The book’s popular Camel with the Wrinkled Knees makes an appearance, voiced by Pinto Colvig (better known as Disney’s Goofy). Al J. Neiburg, Dave Fleischer and Sammy Timberg wrote four catchy original songs. It’s a delightful film — and the Paramount animation department (known after 1942 as Famous Studios) made two sequels in 1944 and 1947. —Jerry Beck, animation historian. More on our blog: Note: This short was restored photochemically and meant to be shown with a Academy aspect ratio, matted in projection and with additional masking in the theater. This digitization of the restoration is shown in true which means more information is visible at the top of the screen than would traditionally be seen in the theater. Although not accurate to how it would be projected, this does give us a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the animation process, primarily in the panning sequence beginning at 9:10.
