Felix in Hollywood

A so-so Felix the Cat cartoon which is primarily of interest for the parodies of stars of the day such as Charlie Chaplin and Ben Turpin rather than its humour.

A clever black and white Felix the Cat cartoon from 1923. While things are minimalist, the drawing is excellent. Felix is a versatile character. He is able to adapt to anything. He is with a movie director who is broke. Felix uses his wit to help ad depressed shoe store owner get his shop back. Later, in Hollywood, he works like crazy to get a role in the movies. We meet some of the stars of the silent screen at the time. Felix generally finds himself in a world that is unfair. When he tries to do good, he isn't respected. Here, he does battle with mosquitos. Once again, his ingenuity and self reliance reign supreme. I think the pen and ink drawing here is really startlingly bright and works quite well. Being a black and white cat helps Felix pull it off.

Felix in Hollywood (1923)

** (out of 4)

Felix and his owner need to get to Hollywood but without any money the cat must get a job first. He starts working at a shoe store where he plans on bringing people in by making them step in bubble gum. This here is certainly a step up from some of the shorts I've seen in the series but I still wouldn't go all the way and call it a good movie. The best gag comes when Felix must disguise himself in order to travel with his owner. The rest of the film doesn't contain too many laughs but Felix's personality at least shines through some rather poor writing.

Felix in Hollywood is a great film. The version I viewed was very well restored, which is sometimes a problem with these silent era animated films. It has some of Hollywood's most famous stars making cameo animated appearances. A must for any silent film or animation enthusiast.

A gem of a cartoon from the silent era---it was re-discovered by CARTOON NETWORK, and was broadcast for likely the first time in decades, if ever.

What makes this so enjoyable are the varied cameos...Douglas Fairbanks is attacked by giant mosquitos; Will Hays pays a visit as 'boss' of Static Studios; as well as appearances by Chaplin, Keaton, and William S. Hart. The image of chewing gum decimating the shoes of the populace (a money-making idea for Felix's near-bankrupt shoe-=salesman boss) cannot be described--it must be viewed. A terrific cultural gem.