LACMA: Paramount Cartoons and Oskar Fischinger

Thursday and Friday this week, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is running two great evenings of animated art.

First, I’m presenting a mini survey of Paramount theatrical animation (1930-1967) this Thursday, April 26th. As part of the museum’s film series celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Paramount Pictures, there will be a double bill saluting the studio’s animated legacy. At 7:30pm South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut will screen – followed at 9pm by my tribute (introduced by yours truly, Jerry Beck); a full program of rare 35mm archival film prints, which will include Fleischer Betty Boop, George Pal Puppetoons, Famous Studios’ Baby Huey, Gene Deitch’s Munro and John Hubley’s Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass Double Feature. An incredible show that would be difficult to repeat. If you want to buy a separate admission ticket ($5) for just the Paramount shorts at 9pm, click here.

On Friday April 27th LACMA will host a double feature of experimental classics. First, at 7:30 Design In Motion: Oskar Fischinger and Abstract Animation a program of 35mm preserved prints of Fischinger’s visual music films: Allegretto, Motion Painting no. 1, Composition in Blue, Kreise, An American March, Radio Dynamics, Spirals, Spiritual Constructions, Studies 5,6,7 and 8, and more. At 9pm, a program of modernist animation by California artists (including 16mm films by Jordan Belson, Jules Engel, Harry Smith and others). These programs will introduced by Cindy Keefer of The Center for Visual Music.