Circa 1940s. The comic strip like tale follows Maisie, an office girl, as she tries to make her job at 8:30 AM after setting her alarm for 8:25 AM, leading to a hectic morning.
The film is a character-driven story that highlights Maisie’s struggles and antics.
A short, animated film created by Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems.
INYIM Did You Know?
- Release Date: The Mad Hatter was released on November 3, 1940.
- Director: The film was directed by Sid Marcus, a prominent animator and director known for his work with Screen Gems.
- Plot: The story follows Maisie, a secretary who spends her day at work dreaming about hats. She visits a hat shop and orders a special hat, which is crafted by a group of eccentric and seemingly insane hat designers.
- Animation Style: The Mad Hatter features vibrant, colorful animation typical of the Color Rhapsody series, showcasing the artistic style and creativity of Screen Gems during that era.
- Legacy: Despite being lesser-known compared to other animated shorts of the time, The Mad Hatter remains a unique and quirky example of early American animation.
Screen Gems Animated Films
- Early Beginnings: Screen Gems started as M.J. Winkler Productions in 1921, producing animated shorts like “Out of the Inkwell” and “Felix the Cat.”
- Disney Connection: Winkler partnered with Walt Disney to produce the Alice Comedies and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series.
- Transition to Screen Gems: In 1933, Columbia Pictures acquired a stake in Winkler Pictures, rebranding it as Screen Gems. The studio became a full-time animation studio in 1940.
- Color Rhapsody Series: Screen Gems produced the Color Rhapsody series, which included vibrant and colorful animated shorts like “The Mad Hatter.”
- Krazy Kat and Scrappy: Charles Mintz produced popular animated series like Krazy Kat and Scrappy during the 1930s and 1940s.
- Final Black-and-White Cartoons: Screen Gems was the last American animation studio to stop producing black-and-white cartoons, with its final black-and-white shorts appearing in 1946.
Have you seen this short film before? If not, you can watch it here. Press play on all the smiles and smirks below!
Reader Reactions
What’s Your Reaction?
Tap the response that fits.
