The Whites of His Eyes
Oooooooo! Who’s that buggy eyed fella staring agape at the escaped ape?
Well, actually — it’s Superman!
In most of his Max Fleischer films, the Man of Steel has a squint tighter than Napoleon Dynamite, but this split second close-up is just one of the surprises in today’s toon “Terror on the Midway.” All the Paramount Superman cartoons distinguished themselves with dynamic design and creative direction, but this one is particularly nutzo with crazy camera angles and eccentric staging. And, man, I love the bit where an entire three ring circus (and standing-room-only audience) stops in DEAD SILENCE when an unshackled gorilla makes his entrance!
Lead animator Orestes Calpini probably deserves much of the credit for the great look and P.O.V. Alas, this is supposedly the last Fleicsher/Paramount cartoon release. They certainly ended on a suitably shrill note!
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