Midnight

Plot

In this early sound-era animated short, a group of alley cats form a barbershop quartet and perform musical numbers late at night, disturbing the peace. Their loud singing prompts nearby residents to call the pound, which sends a truck full of dogs to quiet the feline performers. The dogs attempt various methods to stop the cats' musical performance, but their efforts prove largely ineffective as the cats continue their harmonious singing. The film culminates in a chaotic musical showdown between the persistent feline quartet and the increasingly frustrated canine enforcers, showcasing the early synchronization challenges between animation and sound that characterized this transitional period in animation history.

Historical Background

This film was created in 1930, during the early years of the Great Depression, a time when entertainment served as both escape and reflection of societal struggles. The animation industry was undergoing massive technological changes with the transition from silent to sound pictures, which had begun just two years earlier with Disney's 'Steamboat Willie.' Van Beuren Studios was one of several animation houses trying to establish themselves in this new sound era, competing with industry giants. The year 1930 also saw the rise of talkies dominating cinema, with silent films rapidly becoming obsolete. This period represented both tremendous opportunity and significant risk for animation studios, as the expensive conversion to sound technology proved financially devastating for many smaller companies.

Making Of

The production of 'Midnight' took place during a pivotal moment in animation history when studios were rapidly adapting to sound technology. Van Beuren Studios, operating in New York rather than Hollywood, had to compete with larger studios like Disney and Fleischer. The animation team likely worked under tight deadlines with limited resources, typical of the era's production constraints. The musical arrangements would have been recorded first, with animators then timing their drawings to match the soundtrack - a reverse process from modern animation. The barbershop quartet format was chosen specifically to demonstrate the new sound technology's ability to capture multiple harmonies simultaneously. The simple character designs allowed for faster production while still being expressive enough for musical performance.

Visual Style

The visual style of 'Midnight' reflects the early cel animation techniques of the period, characterized by simple character designs with limited movement and relatively static backgrounds. The animation likely used the standard 12 frames per second common for theatrical cartoons of the era to save production costs. The black and white photography would have been shot on 35mm film, with the soundtrack printed optically alongside the images. The visual gags, while described as simple and old-fashioned, would have utilized the exaggerated physics and surreal transformations typical of early animation. The camera work would have been straightforward, focusing on medium shots and close-ups of the characters, with limited camera movement due to the technical constraints of the period.

Innovations

While not groundbreaking in terms of technical innovation, 'Midnight' represents the early adoption of sound synchronization in animation. The film demonstrates the challenges animators faced in matching movement to prerecorded music, a technique that would become standard practice in later years. The production would have used the Vitaphone or Movietone sound systems that were becoming standard in theaters by 1930. The animation team's ability to create musical performances that, while imperfectly synchronized, still conveyed the essence of barbershop harmony was an achievement for the period. The film also showcases early experiments in using music as a narrative device in animation, a technique that would become more sophisticated in later animated musicals.

Music

The soundtrack of 'Midnight' features barbershop quartet arrangements performed by the cat characters, representing the popular musical style of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The music would have been recorded using early sound-on-film technology, likely with live musicians performing the arrangements. The synchronization between the animated characters' mouth movements and the musical performance would have been rudimentary by modern standards, but cutting-edge for its time. The sound effects, including the dogs' barking and various comedic noises, would have been created live during the recording session using props and voice artists. The musical score probably consisted of popular songs of the era arranged in barbershop style, possibly including standards like 'Sweet Adeline' or similar harmony-focused pieces that were popular at the time.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence where the alley cats assemble and begin their barbershop quartet performance under moonlight, showcasing the early sound synchronization techniques
• The arrival of the pound truck filled with dogs, creating a visual contrast between the sleek cats and the comically varied canine characters
• The climactic musical confrontation where the cats continue singing despite the dogs' increasingly frantic attempts to silence them

What Critics Said

Contemporary reviews of Van Beuren cartoons like 'Midnight' were generally mixed, with critics often noting the technical achievements in sound synchronization while criticizing the crude animation compared to Disney's polished output. Modern animation historians recognize these films as important transitional works, though they acknowledge their limitations. The film is often cited in animation histories as an example of the experimental phase of sound animation, with scholars noting its primitive charm despite technical shortcomings. Retrospective analysis tends to focus on its historical value rather than its artistic merits, viewing it as a stepping stone toward more sophisticated animated musicals that would follow later in the decade.

What Audiences Thought

Audiences in 1930 likely found 'Midnight' entertaining as part of a theater program, though it wouldn't have been the main attraction. The novelty of sound animation was still fresh to moviegoers, and even technically imperfect cartoons drew interest. The musical elements and simple humor would have appealed to general audiences of the era. However, the film probably didn't leave a lasting impression on most viewers, as it was one of many similar shorts playing in theaters during this period. Modern audiences encountering the film through animation archives or festivals typically view it with historical interest, appreciating it as a window into early animation techniques rather than as entertainment on its own terms.

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