Antique Antics

So many early cartoons depend on a sort of surrealism. In this one, Krazy seems to be living at and running an antique shop. In it are representations of all sorts of historical periods. Exhausted, he goes to bed at midnight. At that point, all kinds of figures come to life, sort of like "Night at the Museum." Skeletons are dancing with empty armor. Two figures from the French dance a minuet. And so on. There is an old man who starts the whole thing, turning his long beard into a turban. All the figures gather around a table and sing "Auld Lang Syne." Why? Who knows. There is lots of dancing once again in these old films. I guess it is to show as much movement as possible.

It's late at night and the sounds of the town are a bit unsettling. In the antique store, Krazy Kat turns out the lights and head upstairs for bed. Down in the shop, all the merchandise comes alive in this excellent cartoon.

This cartoon is an engaging mix of spookiness and comedy, as good as anything done in the period. It is also an early example of the genre of cartoons in which items in a shop or on a billboard come alive. In most of them, the point is recognition of and playing with well-known brands. this early in the evolution of the idea, it's a mixture of scariness and sight gags.

In addition, the coordination of action and music have moved beyond simple synchronization. The music shapes the story. Heretofore, only the Fleischers had achieved this regularly with their Screen Songs. Perhaps animators Al Eugster and Preston Blair can be credited for that achievement.