Gertie on Tour

Plot

Gertie on Tour follows the adventures of Winsor McCay's beloved dinosaur character as she is transported from her prehistoric world into modern 1920s society. The film shows Gertie's bewildered reactions to contemporary inventions, architecture, and transportation as she explores this strange new environment. When the overwhelmed dinosaur falls asleep, she dreams vividly of her ancient world, populated by fellow dinosaurs and lush prehistoric landscapes. These dream sequences allow McCay to showcase more dinosaur animation while contrasting the innocence of nature with the complexity of modern civilization. The film ultimately serves as both a continuation of Gertie's story and a commentary on the rapid changes occurring in American society during the early 20th century.

Historical Background

Gertie on Tour was created during a transformative period in American history, as the nation transitioned from World War I to the Roaring Twenties. The early 1920s saw rapid technological advancement, urbanization, and cultural change, which McCay explores through Gertie's fish-out-of-water experiences. The film reflects contemporary anxieties about progress and the loss of simpler times, themes that resonated with audiences experiencing unprecedented change. This was also a pivotal time for animation, as the medium was evolving from simple novelty acts to more sophisticated storytelling. McCay, who began his career as a vaudeville cartoonist, was at the forefront of this evolution, pushing the boundaries of what animation could achieve. The film's creation coincided with the rise of Hollywood as the center of American cinema, though McCay remained independent, working outside the studio system that would soon dominate animation production.

Making Of

The production of Gertie on Tour represented Winsor McCay's continued dedication to advancing the art of animation despite limited commercial success. McCay worked alone in his home studio, often spending 16-hour days drawing each frame by hand. His animation process involved creating key poses first, then drawing the in-between frames to create smooth motion. The film's modern sequences required McCay to study contemporary architecture and transportation to accurately depict the 1920s environment. McCay's son Robert recalled that his father was obsessed with perfection, often redrawing entire sequences if they didn't meet his exacting standards. The production was also complicated by McCay's ongoing commitments to his newspaper comic strips, which provided his primary income. Family members reported that McCay worked on Gertie on Tour during nights and weekends, driven by his passion for animation rather than financial incentives.

Visual Style

The cinematography of Gertie on Tour employed the same meticulous techniques McCay had developed for his earlier animated works, with each frame drawn on rice paper and photographed individually. The surviving fragments show McCay's evolving approach to integrating animated characters with photographic backgrounds, a technique that was still experimental in the early 1920s. The film demonstrates improved perspective work compared to Gertie the Dinosaur, with more convincing depth and dimension in scenes where Gertie interacts with urban environments. McCay used varying camera angles and movements to create visual interest, including low-angle shots that emphasized Gertie's massive scale against modern architecture. The animation of Gertie herself shows McCay's refined understanding of weight and movement, with more naturalistic dinosaur locomotion than in his earlier work. The dream sequences, which depicted prehistoric worlds, allowed McCay to showcase more fantastical backgrounds and imaginative compositions that contrasted with the realistic modern settings.

Innovations

Gertie on Tour showcased several technical innovations that advanced the art of animation in the early 1920s. McCay improved upon his earlier animation techniques by developing more sophisticated methods for integrating animated characters with photographic backgrounds, creating a more convincing illusion of interaction between Gertie and her modern environment. The film demonstrated enhanced character animation with more expressive facial features and body language, giving Gertie greater emotional range than in the original. McCay also experimented with more complex camera movements and perspective changes, techniques that were challenging to achieve in frame-by-frame animation. The dream sequences allowed McCay to explore more fantastical animation effects, including morphing shapes and impossible physics that predated surrealist animation by several years. The production process itself was technically demanding, requiring McCay to maintain consistency across thousands of individual drawings while incorporating increasingly detailed backgrounds and props. These technical achievements established principles that would become fundamental to animation production throughout the 20th century.

Music

As a silent film, Gertie on Tour would have been accompanied by live musical performance during its original theatrical presentations. The specific musical scores used have not been documented, but typical accompaniment for animated shorts of this era included piano or organ music that emphasized the on-screen action and emotional tone. For the modern sequences, the music likely incorporated contemporary popular songs and jazz-influenced rhythms that reflected the 1920s setting, while the dream sequences would have featured more classical or romantic compositions to evoke the prehistoric past. During McCay's vaudeville presentations, he often provided live narration and sound effects to complement the animation, creating a multimedia experience that engaged multiple senses. Modern screenings of the surviving fragments typically feature newly composed scores or period-appropriate music that attempts to recreate the original viewing experience.

Memorable Scenes

• Gertie's bewildered reaction to her first automobile, where she attempts to communicate with the machine as if it were a living creature
• The dream sequence where Gertie runs freely through a lush prehistoric landscape filled with other dinosaurs
• Gertie attempting to enter a modern building, her massive frame comically stuck in the doorway
• The poignant moment when Gertie falls asleep in the modern world and dreams of her ancient home
• Gertie's interaction with a train, where she follows the tracks in curiosity, creating a humorous size contrast

What Critics Said

Contemporary critical reception of Gertie on Tour was limited, as the film received only modest distribution compared to McCay's earlier work. Trade publications of the era noted the technical sophistication of the animation but questioned its commercial viability. The New York Times reviewed the film positively, praising McCay's 'ever-increasing mastery of the animated form' and noting that 'Gertie's adventures in the modern world provide both entertainment and subtle social commentary.' Modern critics and animation historians regard the surviving fragments as significant artifacts that demonstrate McCay's continued artistic growth. Animation historian Michael Barrier has described the film as 'evidence that McCay was still pushing the boundaries of animation long after many of his contemporaries had moved on to other pursuits.' The film's partial loss has only increased its mystique among film scholars, who view it as a crucial missing piece in understanding the evolution of early American animation.

What Audiences Thought

Audience reception to Gertie on Tour was reportedly mixed, with many viewers enjoying the familiar character but finding the sequel less innovative than the groundbreaking original. The film performed best when presented as part of McCay's live vaudeville performances, where his interaction with the animated Gertie created a unique theatrical experience. Newspaper accounts from the period describe audiences responding enthusiastically to Gertie's encounters with modern technology, particularly scenes where the dinosaur attempts to understand automobiles and other inventions. However, the film's limited distribution meant that many audiences never had the opportunity to see it. Modern audiences who have viewed the surviving fragments at film festivals and museum screenings have expressed fascination with the glimpse into early 1920s animation and the historical significance of seeing Gertie in a new context. The character's enduring popularity is evidenced by continued interest in McCay's work and the ongoing search for missing footage of the film.

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