Fair Enough
Retro future stuff today. “All’s Fair at the Fair” was Max Fleischer’s animated anticipation to the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Looking back, this cartoon version of the world of tomorrow was only a tad more ridiculous than the straight faced predictions at the real deal.
The good news is this is one of those Max Fleischer cartoons full of crazy inventions — there are plenty of robots, “instant” things and environmentally challenged contraptions to amaze and delight. Our protagonists, Elmer and Mirandy, are plum dang tickled about the whole she-bang and eventually end up in some sort of art deco extreme make-over night club! I love the way the film takes a few seconds from all the astounding sights to let us hear those ‘candid’ comments as folks leave the futuristic dance floor.
Not every toon vision of technology run amuck is so darn cheery. SciFi looks a little bleaker tomorrow as we zoom forward with Science Friction Week.
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On July 25th, 2006 at 12:00 am
I feel a slight twinge of sadness watching this (and other later Fleischer cartoons) knowing that this technical style and quality weren’t going to continue into the forties. The plot of the cartoon couldn’t be weaker, with neither tension nor gags, but the animation of the dancing scene is fantastic.
The buildings of the World’s Fair remind me strongly of Metropolis. I think it was also fairly daring for the background artist to use Modern and Art Deco styles so easily.
On July 26th, 2006 at 12:00 am
The dancing sequences ARE terrific, and I particularly like the stuff when Elmer and Mirandy finally dance together. I’m one of those people who find almost everything having to do with the 1939 World’s Fair oddly poignant — everything’s so optimistic (right on the brink of WW II!)