Funny Aminals

“After World War II started, the trickle of cartoons produced by German studios was not enough to cover the loss of Disney and other American product. To rectify the situation, in 1941 the Nazi government called for the establishment of a strong German animation industry capable of producing both color cartoons and animated features. Thus, all able animators were commanded to step up production and focus on theatrically viable cartoons. Among the filmmakers called into action was Hans Fischerkoesen, who was among the most distinguished animators remaining in Germany between 1933 and 1945, and whose work during the war years included a trio of remarkable films: Verwitterte Melodie (Weather-beaten Melody, 1942), Der Schneemann (The Snowman, 1943) and Das dumme Gänslein (The Silly Goose, 1944).”

Der Schneemann – The Snowman

“…The opening sequence, as in Weather-beaten Melody, establishes the filmmaker’s bravura mastery of creating the illusion of three-dimensional space. Behind the credits, we see layers of snowflakes, with their elaborate abstract patterns (including pure geometrical circles–all of which justify “degenerate” abstract art as a natural phenomenon!), falling down through the frame. As the credits finish, the viewer flies down over a snow-covered twilight village, around the steeple of a church (a stereo-optical model), down to a snowman in an open space–just as if seen from a snowflake’s point of view. This point of view is confirmed when snowflakes alight on the snowman in the pattern of a heart–suggesting that he is a creature of feelings, rather than a military/political figure (who would wear medals or insignia), or an ostracized victim (such as the Jews or gays who wore yellow stars and pink triangles). Unlike the opening of Weather-beaten Melody, which establishes the point of view as that of the protagonist bee, The Snowman’s opening sets us up as a visitor/observer.”

Here’s the dubbed American version which shows more of the film but the narration is really dumb.

And here’s the original German version but it’s missing the snowflake opening:

According to youtube commenter MacNjulia the lyrics are: “This is the summer of my life, how beautiful you are in your dress of flowers. Who ever saw you did not live in vain, my heart melts in sheer bliss — How beautiful you are …”

Das dumme Gänslein – The Silly Goose

“Fischerkoesen’s third wartime film, The Silly Goose (1944), provides another thought-provoking parable. Through the bars of a wooden cage on a cart going across town, a young goose glimpses the seemingly glamorous allures of city life: an exotic parrot, silhouettes in a dance hall, an elegant fox (stole) with feathers. Back at the farm, while her brothers and sisters receive their schooling in swimming, marching, laying eggs and such, she dreams narcissistically by a pond, swings on the gate like a parrot, uses the plough as a mirror, and creates for herself a pseudo-sophisticated costume by thieving and exploiting her neighbors: a caterpillar stole, a straw bottle-cover hat, pollen powder, a spider-web veil, cork high-heels, and pig-bristle eyelashes. Her sashay through the barnyard creates mixed anger and astonishment. The gander, however, chooses to woo her instead of her more modest sisters, although she rejects him and wanders off into the woods, where she is seduced by a fox. The fox’s sinister lair is run by slave labor–a weasel cranking a spit, a cat on a treadmill that makes xylophone music with dangling bones–and a cage full of geese waits for slaughter. She manages to escape, and the barnyard animals cooperate to drive the fox away and free his victims.”

Click here to watch The Silly Goose on Google Video.

All quoted text in this post is from awn.com, read the entire article here. There’s not tons of info on Fischerkoesen but if you’re interested you should do a google video or you tube search. After these cartoons he did several dozen animated ads that are worth checking out.

And if you didn’t see Weather Beaten Melody check out our first funny aminal post here.

B. Stone