Gerald McBoing-Boing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerald McBoing-Boing |
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A scene from UPA's Gerald McBoing-Boing.
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| Directed by | Main: Robert Cannon Supervising director: John Hubley |
| Produced by | Stephen Bosustow (executive producer) John Hubley (producer) |
| Story by | Dr. Seuss (original story) Phil Eastman Bill Scott |
| Narrated by | Marvin Miller |
| Music by | Gail Kubik |
| Studio | United Productions of America |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 2, 1950 (renewed 1978) |
| Running time | 7 min |
| Language | English |
Gerald McBoing-Boing is a classic animated short film about a unique little boy. Instead of talking with words, he speaks using only sound effects! This fun cartoon was made by UPA and released by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1950. It was based on a story by the famous writer Dr. Seuss, adapted by Phil Eastman and Bill Scott, and directed by Robert Cannon.
Gerald McBoing-Boing was a big hit! It won an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1950. Later, in 1994, it was voted #9 on a list of "The 50 Greatest Cartoons" ever made. In 1995, the United States Library of Congress chose it for the National Film Registry. This means it's considered an important film that should be saved because of its cultural, historical, or artistic value.
Contents
The Story of Gerald McBoing-Boing
The story of Gerald McBoing-Boing first appeared on a children's record. It was written by Dr. Seuss and featured music by Billy May.
A New Style of Animation
This film was very important for UPA. It was their first big success in theaters. UPA wanted to try a new way of making cartoons. Before this, many cartoons, especially those from Walt Disney, tried to look very realistic. But UPA believed cartoons didn't have to follow the rules of the real world. Think about how Tex Avery's cartoons often showed silly cartoon physics!
So, UPA experimented with a style that used simple drawings and shapes, like caricatures, instead of trying to make things look exactly real. This new style was a major step in developing what's called "limited animation." A cool bonus was that this style was also much cheaper to produce!
Gerald's Unique Way of Speaking
The story is about a two-year-old boy named Gerald McCloy. When he starts to "talk," his first "word" is "boing boing." His parents are worried and call the doctor, but the doctor says there's nothing wrong. As Gerald grows up, he learns to make many different sounds. He can communicate with gestures, but he still can't say a single word.
Even so, he goes to a regular school. But other kids tease him and call him "Gerald McBoing-Boing." One day, he accidentally scares his father with a loud sound. Feeling sad, Gerald decides to run away and jump on a train.
Gerald Becomes Famous
Just before he gets on the train, something amazing happens! A talent scout from the NBC Radio Network hears Gerald. The scout realizes Gerald's unique sound-making talent is perfect for radio. Gerald is hired as a foley artist. A foley artist makes all the sound effects for movies and radio shows. Gerald becomes very famous, making sounds for a part of NBC called "XYZ."
Sequels and TV Shows
The success of Gerald McBoing-Boing led to more adventures for Gerald.
More Short Films
UPA made three more short films about Gerald:
- Gerald McBoing Boing's Symphony (1953)
- How Now Boing Boing (1954)
- Gerald McBoing! Boing! on Planet Moo (1956)
Planet Moo was even nominated for an Academy Award! The first two sequels kept the rhyming narration style of Dr. Seuss, but they weren't based on his original stories. The last film, Planet Moo, changed the style and didn't use rhyming narration.
Gerald on Television
Gerald McBoing-Boing also appeared on TV!
The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show (1956–1957)
In 1956, CBS created a TV show called The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show. It was a half-hour program that showed different UPA cartoons. It aired on Sunday evenings. However, the show was very expensive to make, so it only lasted for three months. The episodes were repeated in the summer of 1957. This means The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show was one of the first cartoon series to be shown regularly during prime time on TV, even before The Flintstones!
Gerald McBoing-Boing (2005–2007 TV Series)
A new TV series based on the original cartoon started airing in 2005. It was shown on Cartoon Network and Smile in the United States, and on Teletoon in Canada. Each episode was about 11 minutes long and featured several short stories with Gerald. Some of these "fantasy tales" were told in the rhyming style of Dr. Seuss. The show also included fun sound checks and gags.
In this series, Gerald still only makes sounds. But now he has two friends who can speak, Janine and Jacob. He also has a dog named Burp, who only burps! Gerald's parents are also part of the regular cast. This series was made in Canada by Cookie Jar Entertainment.
See also
In Spanish: Gerald McBoing-Boing para niños
