When LIVE-ACTION movies had ANIMATED Opening Credits

In the olden days of CINEMA,

Some Live-Action Movies who have OPENING CREDITS would often have a form of 2D ANIMATION to set the mood in.

Why do movies do this?

To allow people a level of CREATIVITY.

But at the same time, allow it to AT LEAST HAVE SOME LIFE TO IT.

In the past, 

movies often had their credits at the start:

Back in the GOOD-OLD DAYS of CINEMA,

There were no END-CREDITS..... 

Unless the production wanted them......

Some productions felt that a movie opening with just words super imposed on a BG or PHOTO or even a moving pictures weren't gonna cut it

So to entertain the audience, them productions decided the best way to achieve what the artist wants is to provide some MOVING ANIMATIONS:

Though the one I embed above ain't what you call the best example.

I call it experimental as it's the first to use CG.... sort of.

I'll touch on that in another post in the future but essentially what that above video shows is that you can do animations to liven up the OPENING CREDITS without letting your production resort to still paintings or a camera pan.

And yes, most of the time, these art often used in LIVE ACTION films because who'd want to see something like that in a PURELY ANIMATED CARTOON when you've already got loving animation to boot?

Here are some other examples:

THE ORIGINAL PINK PANTHER(1963):

IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD(1963):

CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE(1968):

GREASE(1978):

TROOP BEVERLY HILLS(1989):

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION(1989):

Truly a BYGONE ERA that's becoming less and less common what with COMPUTERS and all regardless if the animator is willing to use a WACOM CINTIQ alongside TOONBOOM HARMONY.

Maybe I should do something like these OPENINGS if a company hires me to create an animated opening for their upcoming LIVE-ACTION feature...

Now that would be fun.

And Animated OPENINGS are not just limited to CHARACTERS.

They can also be just abstract colors and shapes.

For example:

DR. NO(1962)

It's excuse is to replicate the indicator lights seen on older VACUUM TUBE computers' Control Panels to let people know that everything is A-OK.

Though I don't know what to make of the scene with people dancing since that's just some LIVE-ACTION silhouette trickery.

The VERTIGO example from above this BLOGPOST as animated with A COMPUTER SPINNER and SPIROGRAPHES as animated by both JOHN WHINEY SR. & SAUL BASS is meant to invoke some level of suspense to show our character is not feeling right in the POV......

ALFRED HITCHCOCK's PSYCHO(1960)

It uses SCANLINES to represent the chaotic mental state of the characters through out the film while also foreshadowing the violent deaths of the characters.

Bernard Hermann's score for PSYCHO would later be used.....

Re-orchestrated that is..... in the 1985 movie RE-ANIMATOR

Though it's just still photos of MUSCLE DIAGRAMS of human patients to represent how CORONORS study DEAD CADAVERS.....

But I like the backlighting used here because it allows the audience to know the character's profession.

Before you go on your COMPUTERS or SMARTPHONES and type on your Mechanical keyboards or Touch Screens a DIATRIBE about how Studios robbed us of ANIMATED OPENINGS in our movies,

The trope is not dead.... NOT YET.... and hopefully will never cease.....

It's just that STUDIOS have preferred to move them animations in LIVE-ACTION films to the END CREDITS.

As for why CG animation isn't used for these LIVE-ACTION Openings even in the 21st Century?

Because the studios figured that since people who worked on these films are competing for who's raytracing tech can look hyper realistic enough kind of defeats the purpose to make animations in live-action openings due to RAY-TRACING.

This is PRE-RENDERED RAYTRACING.

Not the real-time ones you see in Games generated through your

NVIDIA RTX, AMD RADEON, or INTEL ARC cards.

So they figured that some CGI MOVIES can have the same treatment to have 2D animations in the opening

such as the OPENING CREDITS in ASTERIX & the MANSION OF THE GODS 

or 

The end credits in HOTEL TRANSYLVANNIA or DESPICABLE ME 3.

Sorry but no EMBEDs this time for the CG examples.

You must find them yourselves.

So what spurred me to suddenly make this post in such a fashion that it's almost like I'm doing my MAVERICK QUICKIES without actually classifying it as such?

I read this CARTOON BREW article from MAY 17 2024 touching on the Subject.

And I was mesmerized by all the EMBED Twitter....er..... X.com VIDEO EXAMPLES that writer VINCENT ALEXANDER has done 

When "THE WABBIT" decides to subvert the Classic Fable-Little Red Riding Rabbit

Now this cartoon is a real CLASSIC.

I actually saw this cartoon back in 2017 at a CINEPLEX Community Screening.

My fellow readers(and Looney Tunes fans) this is

This cartoon was released to cinemas on December 18 1943 and it was created by the unit of none other than FRIZ FRELENG.

I usually prefer BOB CLAMPETT, TEX AVERY, or BOB MICKIMSON when it comes to animators from TERMITE TERRACE but this cartoon is downright hilarious if not for it's merits, that and I saw it at a CINEMA during a community event...

SO...... Let's get started:

We hear a loud grating singing voice. 

Now who Voice does that belong too?

Why it's none other than RED RIDING HOOD.....

Wait......WHAT? WHY DOES RED HAVE SUCH A GRATING VOICE?

Well, the idea was to portray RED as a BOBBYSOXER.

And despite the TITLE CARD,

It's not a retelling of RED RIDING HOOD with BUGS BUNNY dressed as the character.

Rather, it's BUGS......wanting to mess with the tale.

"Ehhh.... What ya got in the basket GORGEOUS?"

Ok so here's what RED has to say about the predicament.

"IIIIiiiiiii"

"GOT A LITTLE BUNNY RABBIT WHICH I'M TAKING TO MY 

GRANDMA's TO HAVE!.... "

"SEE!"

Looks like BUGS really did take a wrong turn at ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO which resulted in him getting captured by BOBBYSOXER RED here.

And now he has to put up with RED's GRATING SING VOICE....

SUFFERING SUCOTASH..... Indeed.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, 

There's one LONE WOLF who has yet to allow his part of the tale be subverted...

Looks like Mr. BIG BAD WOLF has found a shortcut to the house....

No need to worry about that.

Now that the WOLF has diverted RED's path, what's he planning now?

Well.... Now we know why he did that to RED. 

He's at GRANDMA's door.

But what's on the door?

A Note....... Read that above if you will.

Looks like due to the WAR still in effect that time (This was 1943 mind you.)

GRANDMA is needed at the LOCKHEED Factory so she has to work overtime.

But the WOLF sees that GRANDMA has had it all planned from the beginning so he enters the door that's somehow unlocked.

Nobody home but WOLF knows how this is going.

Time to put on the NIGHT GOWN

And go to.......

SLEEP?.......

"COME ON!!! COME ONE!!!

TAKE A POWDER!!!

THIS IS MY RACKET!!!!"

Looks like them other wolves aren't taking their eviction very well.

Just when WOLF feels like he's settle in his role....

"!!!!"

 

A little MIDG....... er..... Tiny....Height deficient WOLF also hasn't got the memo that this is BIG BAD WOLF's Turf.

But DUTY CALLS. 

TINY WOLF skedaddles the hell out of there.

"I signed my WARNER BROS. CONTRACT with LEON SCHLESINGER for this?"

Several Hours pass.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

This wakes up the WOLF from his nap.

"COME IN!!!"

*CRAP!!! SHOULDN'T HAVE USED MY MASCULINE WOLFY VOICE.....

err......*

"(In a fake grandmotherly voice) COME IN...."

"GRANDMA! 

I BROUGHT A LITTLE BUNNY RABBIT FOR YA. 

TO HAVE!!!"

"RABBIT!? MMMMMMM!!!"

Well.... MR. BIG BAD WOLF seems elated.

After all. WOLVES are the natural predator of LAGOMORPHS.

But RED is not about to let this story derail into a mockery of her career.

"GRANDMA! I almost forgot....."

"GRANDMA WHAT BIG EYES YOU GOT!?"

However, WOLFY here isn't all that interested with sticking with the SOURCE MATERIAL....

Or TEX AVERY's take on RED RIDING HOOD.

But look who decided to show up to finish her lines....

"Hey GRANDMA! 

THAT'S AN AWFULLY BIG NOSE YOU GOT!"

You can tell from his facial transitions

That WOLF can hardly contain himself from 

SNACKING on a RABBIT for SUPPER.

"?????"

"He's gone!!!"

Where did the rabbit go?

Oh.... I'm sorry. What I meant to say was...

WHERE DID THAT WASCALLY WABBIT GO?

BUGS has most definitely outwitted the WOLF..... 

"Ehhh....Did you look in the other side DOC?"

WOLF has been had.....

And thus begins the a good old chase between 

A CANINE and a LAGOMOPRH.

OR SO I THOUGHT.....

BUGS WITH A PADDLE?

Oh this is starting to get good here.

*WHACK!!!!*

Now this is how you do ANIMATION SLAPSTICK BREAKDOWNS my friends.....

"THERE HE GOES! GO AFTER HIM!

QUICK BEFORE HE GETS AWAY!!!"

And here's where the chase starts.....

(Long before the SOVIETS made their cartoon about a Wolf chasing a Hare...)

But then the chase gets interrupted....

BY WHOM?

"What big ears you got!?"

In this scene..... WOLF speaks some bits of what I think is ITALIAN just to impress RED.....

but I can tell the WOLF is losing patience with RED.

"GET OUT!!!"

But while WOLF is escorting RED out of there.....

Looks like BUGS really wants some peace and relaxation after having to do them

instructional films for WB during the WAR.....

Until both PRIVATE SNAFU

and HOOK

stole his thunder.

Sweet bejesus.... Where have I got myself into?

Let's get back into topic

See this is what happens when I get into different topics.

Cartoon Characters are bickering behind my back.

Or when they decide to get into a DANCE ROUTINE.

OH PUT A SOCK IN IT BUGS! YOU'RE NOT MR. COYOTE.

Especially since He does this to you many years late

So don't steal his signs.........

Ok. Who's a knocking through that door?

"WHAT SHARP TEETH YOU GOT GRANDMA?"

Looks like Mr. WOLF has had enough of RED's bullcrap for this cartoon......

HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY!!!!!

I'M NOT DONE YET!!!!

DON'T PUT UP THAT "THAT'S ALL FOLKS CARD YET!!!!"

Say.... Where's BUGS?

OH.......

What's he doing with that thing?

I hope he doesn't plan on.......

"YEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!"

I think BUGS may have overdid that but......

The WABBIT knows he ain't gonna quit.....

He just decides to ESCALATE just to have more fun..

"HEY GRANDMA!!!!"

BUGS is not amused that he has to hear RED again.

You can tell by the look on his face that he's about to snap.....

"OH!"

"I'LL DO IT!!!"

"But I'll probably hate myself in the morning."

With that settled in.....

BUGS and MR. BIG BAD WOLF have made bygones be bygones....

And yes, Sharing one's Carrot does count.

And yes, I'm not kidding around when I said I watched this at my local CINEPLEX back in 2017 during a FREE COMMUNITY Event.

And why does SKYDANCE now appear in the TAGs?

Because we've all read the news that the PARAMOUNT SKYDANCE-WARNER BROS merger has been approved and the merger took place earlier this month.

CONTROVERSIAL? Yes, it is controversial the merger....

But I find it ironic that people raise a stink about the SKYDANCE-WB merger when nobody raised a stink about DISNEY acquiring 20th CENTURY FOX back between 2017 to 2019.

But for me, adding a TAG makes no difference. 

What makes a difference for me is that I hope ELLISON handles the WB property much better than that ass ZASLAV would ever have...

Seriously!!! I'm just glad I don't have to hear more about ZASLAV and that I can be thankful for.

And yes, 

this Cartoon is from my good pal SR. BULLET BILL of ARCHIVE.ORG so give thanks to him as well since He kindly provides the cartoon for my SCREENSHOTS.

Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this blogpost and stay tuned for more....