Tropical Breezes

1930
Sound
11m

A British Steamboat Willie? This early British sound cartoon might not have been the first, but it's a cracker

Is this the British Steamboat Willie? A comic duo are left stranded on an unusual deserted island, where lions roam and the kangaroos play 'Swanee River' on their banjos. The adventures of Hite and Mite (named after a competition in the News of the World) are synchronised to the musical soundtrack in variety of ways, and the human characters are a nice change from anthropomorphic animals.

Hite and Mite were caricatures of their creators, perhaps helping explain their engaging personalities, but sadly this appears to be their sole outing. Sid Griffiths had produced the Jerry The Troublesome Tyke series for Pathe in the mid-1920s, assisted by Brian White who went on to create the popular Daily Mail comic strip 'The Nipper' which ran between 1933 and 1947.

Early Animation

The dawn of a new celluloid art: Britain's animation pioneers at peace and war

When you're creating a new art form, everything is experimental. The pioneers of animation in Britain cast a range of subjects as the stars of their films - the toys of an Edwardian child; insects and animals; Kaiser Bill and John Bull. But even the richest of fantasies on display here offer a window into the turbulent era in which they were made. When the nation went to war, animation was conscripted to meet its propaganda needs. In peacetime, the industry sought success as an entertainer, but found a career in sales.