Alice Picks the Champ

Plot

In this classic Alice Comedy, chaos erupts in Alice's home when her animated companion Julius the cat encounters a boxing bear who has wandered into their world. The bear, dressed in boxing gloves and trunks, challenges Julius to a comical boxing match that transforms the peaceful household into a makeshift boxing ring. As the two animated characters engage in increasingly absurd and violent slapstick combat, Alice (played by Margie Gay) watches with delight and encouragement, occasionally intervening in their cartoonish battle. The fight escalates through various rooms of the house, with furniture and household objects becoming weapons in their animated brawl. Ultimately, Alice must choose between the two combatants, declaring one the champion in this early example of Disney's innovative blend of live-action and animation.

Historical Background

The mid-1920s was a pivotal period in American cinema and Disney's career. The film industry was transitioning from silent films to talkies, though this short was produced during the silent era. Disney was still establishing his reputation and working to secure financial stability for his studio. The Alice Comedies represented his first major success, providing the revenue and experience needed to develop his animation techniques. This period also saw the rise of Hollywood as the center of American film production, with many studios, including Disney's, relocating to Los Angeles. The 1920s was a decade of economic prosperity and cultural change in America, with entertainment becoming increasingly important in daily life. Boxing was extremely popular during this era, with fighters like Jack Dempsey becoming national celebrities, which explains the sport's frequent appearance in films of the period.

Making Of

The production of 'Alice Picks the Champ' exemplified the innovative yet labor-intensive process of the Alice Comedies series. Walt Disney and his small team would first shoot the live-action sequences with Margie Gay as Alice, often against plain backgrounds that would later be filled with animation. The animated portions were then created by drawing each frame on paper, inking them, and photographing them one at a time. The combination of live-action and animation required careful timing and planning, as the animated characters had to interact believably with the live-action Alice. Ub Iwerks, Disney's key animator at the time, was instrumental in developing the techniques used to seamlessly blend the two mediums. The boxing match sequences allowed for particularly creative animation, as the animators could exaggerate the physical comedy in ways impossible with live-action alone.

Visual Style

The cinematography of 'Alice Picks the Champ' involved the innovative combination of live-action photography with animation. The live-action segments were shot using standard cameras of the era, while the animated portions required frame-by-frame photography of drawings. The technical challenge was seamlessly merging these two elements, which was accomplished through careful planning and the use of matte techniques. The animation allowed for exaggerated camera movements and perspectives that would have been difficult or impossible to achieve with live-action alone. The boxing sequences made particularly effective use of animated cinematography, with dynamic angles and movements that enhanced the physical comedy.

Innovations

The primary technical achievement of 'Alice Picks the Champ' was its successful integration of live-action and animation, which was still a relatively new technique in the mid-1920s. The film demonstrated Disney's growing mastery of the matte process used to combine these elements. The animation itself showed increasing sophistication in character movement and expression, particularly in the boxing sequences. The film also exemplified the development of character consistency across multiple shorts, with Julius the cat maintaining his established personality and design. These technical innovations would prove crucial to Disney's later success and the development of animation as an art form.

Music

As a silent film, 'Alice Picks the Champ' would have been accompanied by live musical performance in theaters. The typical score would have included popular songs of the era, classical pieces, and original compositions performed by a theater's organist or pianist. The music would have been synchronized with the on-screen action, with more energetic and dramatic pieces accompanying the boxing sequences. The soundtrack would have also included sound effects created by the musician or additional performers, using various instruments and objects to simulate the sounds of punches, falls, and other comedic actions.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence where the boxing bear mysteriously appears in Alice's home, the extended boxing match between Julius and the bear that escalates through various rooms, Alice's enthusiastic reactions and commentary during the fight, the final scene where Alice declares the winner of the match

What Critics Said

Contemporary reviews of the Alice Comedies were generally positive, with critics praising the innovative combination of live-action and animation. Trade publications like Variety and The Moving Picture World often noted the technical skill and creativity of Disney's productions. The boxing theme was particularly well-received, as it provided opportunities for dynamic animation and physical comedy. Modern film historians and animation scholars recognize the Alice Comedies as crucial stepping stones in Disney's development and important examples of early American animation. The series is now studied for its technical innovations and its role in establishing Disney's signature style of character-driven animation and storytelling.

What Audiences Thought

The Alice Comedies were popular with audiences of the 1920s, particularly children and families. The combination of a real girl with cartoon characters was novel and entertaining for viewers of the era. The boxing theme of this particular short would have appealed to contemporary audiences' interest in the sport. The series helped build Disney's early fan base and established a market for his animated productions. While specific audience reactions to 'Alice Picks the Champ' are not well-documented, the continued production of the Alice Comedies suggests they were commercially successful and well-received by theater audiences.

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