Any other fans of vintage cartoons out there?
Here, from 1935, Krazy Kat is seduced by the Devil into claiming ownership of Robert Schumann’s “Träumerei.”
The stage is set from the beginning, as we witness various anthropomorphized Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths, desperate for a hit, ruthlessly plagiarizing from one another. Krazy, however, has higher standards. Clearly he’s a fan of the classics, as a bust of Schumann is seen perched on a cabinet in the background. His superior attitude makes him a perfect mark for Mephisto. Frustration builds, as he paces a hole in the floor, racking his brain for inspiration.
“Good artists borrow, great ones steal” is a maxim often attributed to Igor Stravinsky (who would have stolen it from Picasso). Who needs inspiration, when the Devil gets the best tunes? The Deceiver tempts Krazy to pilfer from his idol. To this end, he corrupts “Träumerei” into “The Hot Cha Melody.”
Schumann’s spirit becomes so indignant that it returns like Mozart’s Commendatore, only to discover a veritable Pottersville, garish and decadent, in which the Devil’s appropriation has become the number one hit of the day. Schumanngeist determines to exact his revenge on Krazy.
This Krazy Kat is not anything like the George Herriman creation I remember. However, there are some fun caricatures of popular singers of the time.
If the cartoon theme music sounds familiar, it too was cribbed – from the aria “M’appari” from Friedrich von Flotow’s opera “Martha!”
Watch here:
You’ll find a more detailed analysis on this blog page:
Happy birthday, Robert Schumann!
Leave a Reply