Felix the Cat - Called Felix (for "felicity") this black cat had
more than nine lives worth of luck. Whenever Felix the Cat got
into trouble (or fix) he reached into his carpetbagger-style Bag
of Tricks or used his magical tail which changed into assorted
objects to help him out of a jam. Felix the Cat was first
introduced in Feline Follies (1919), produced for Paramount by
Pat Sullivan (born 1888 died 2/5/63), an Australian cartoonist
who came to the United States in 1914. The spunky cartoon
character (initially inspired by "The Cat That Walked By Itself"
from the "Just So Stories" (1902) by Rudyard Kipling) later
inspired the popular song "Felix Kept Walking" (1925).
Felix the Cat was the first picture and animal character to be
televised. In 1930, a papier-mâché statue of this popular feline
rotated on a turnstile as a focal point for an experimental
NBC-RCA camera reception tests which picked-up the reflections
on a battery of photo-electric cells and sent a video likeness
of Felix from a studio in Manhattan to Kansas. Due to constant
re-patching and re-painting of the statue Felix was retired in
favor of Mickey Mouse.
The Felix the Cat character was revived by Joe Oriolo, who
created new color episodes produced for television. from
1958-1960. The new Felix encountered such villains as the
Abominable Snowman, General Clang, the Leprechaun, Martin the
Martian, The Professor and his assistant Rock Bottom, Redbeard
the Pirate and the Sea Monster. He was assisted by Poindexter,
the Professor's nephew. Felix later surfaced on the half-hour
Saturday morning animated series THE TWISTED TALES OF FELIX THE
CAT/CBS/1995-96.
The book "Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat"
by John Casemaker (Pantheon Books, 1991) revealed Felix was
actually conceived in 1919 by animator Otto Messmer, a
"neurotically reticent man" who allowed himself to be ripped off
by Pat Sullivan who took full credit from the self-effacing
creator. Messmer originally developed Felix for Paramount's
Screen Magazine, a weekly one-reel cartoon package. He died in
1983.
TRIVIA NOTE:
Paramount producer John King gave Felix
his name. Felix the Cat was the lucky 1922 mascot for the New
York Yankees; a Felix doll flew with aviator Charles Lindbergh
on his flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927; and Felix is
the name of a popular pet food in Great Britain.
THEME SONG
Felix the Cat
The wonderful, wonderful cat
Whenever he gets in a fix
He reaches into his bag of tricks
Felix the cat
The wonderful, wonderful cat
You'll laugh so hard your sides will ache
Your heart will go pitter pat
Watching Felix, the wonderful cat
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