Felix Exhibition Guide

8/2/2019 Felix Exhibition Guide

1/13


2/13

~A~ _~U~J...'d p...._-. ~. - ~r

Cartoon by Pat Sullivan for TheDaily Telegraph, 4 December 1925,BN 215

in the Picture Gallery


3/13

The Picture Gallery presents highlights from the collectionsof the State Library of New South Wales.The State Library acknowledges the generous supportof the Nelson Meers Foundation.The State Library gratefully acknowledges the assistanceof the Volunteer Guides in the Picture Gallery.

A free exhibition from %Mayto7 August %005State Library of New South Wale sMacquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000Telephone (02) 9273 1414Facsimile (02) 9273 1255TTY (02) 9273 [email protected] ion opening hours :9 am to 5 pm weekdays, 11 am to 5 pm weekendsand selected public holidaysCurator: Judy NelsonProject Manager: Jo de MonchauxEditor: Helen CummingExhibit ion Designer: Martin WaleGraphic Des igner : Dan DayAll photographic I imaging work isby Kate Pollard, S tate Library Imaging ServicesPreservation Project Leader: Anna BrooksPrinter: ??Paper: Novatech SatinPrint run: 4000P&D-1634-03/2005ISSN 1448-2622ISBN0 7313 7150 X & Felix the Ca t Produc tions , Inc State L ibrary of New South Wale s, May 2005

Reclaiming Felix the CatReclaiming Felix the Cat recounts the story of the expatriateAustralian artist and entrepreneur Pat Sullivan (1887-1933),a Sydney boy who settled in New Yorkwhere he created thecartoon character Felixthe Cat. Felix rapidly evolved into aninternational star and became a household name around theworld in the 1920sand 30s.Felix associated with the royalty ofstage and screen.Atthe height ofhis fame, during the 1920s,Felix starred inover 100 films. He made the controversial Sullivan a wealthyman through the sale of films, music, comic books, softtoys and badges as well as wooden, metal and ceramiccollectables and clothing.Felix connected with people of all ages, nationali ties andfrom all walks of life- Sullivan even presented Felix dollsto King George V and Queen Mary during the 1924BritishEmpire Exhibition.Reclaiming Felix the Cat, curated by Judy Nelson, drawsa unique selection oforiginal artwork, sheet music andcomic books from the incomparable collections of theState Library of New South Wales . Thanks are also dueto Josef Lebovic, who has generously lent to the exhibit iona wonderful assortment of Felix the Cat collectables.

Dagmar Schmid maier AMState Librarian &Chief ExecutiveMay2005

. . .
mailto:[email protected]://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/mailto:[email protected]


4/13

Reclaiming Felix the Cat'I made the cat and the cat made me', prophetic words fromPat Sullivan (1887-1933), the Australian creator of Felix theCat, on a rare visit to Sydney in December 1925.Little couldSullivan know that some 40 years after his death in NewYorkon 15February 1933, two Americans - cartoonist andcolleague Otto Messmer and author John Canemaker- would dispute that Felix the Cat was Sullivan's creation.Unknown to his opponents, in March 1917Pat Sullivanhad submitted a cartoon film, The Tail of Thomas Kat(the precursor ofFelix), to the Copyright Office ofthe Libraryof Congress. His next film, Feline Follies (November 1919),reintroduced Thomas Kat as Master Tom. This cat becamethe prototype for Felix.Musical Mews followed quickly in thesame month, with the cat renamed 'Felix' . One month later,in The Adventures of Felix, the lit tle black eat's name appearsin the title for the first time.Reclaiming Felix the Cat aims to tell the story ofPat Sullivan,cartoonist and entrepreneur, and the creation that becamea worldwide phenomenon. ASydney boy, Sullivan's earlycartooning for The Worker preceded his travels to England andthen America, where he settled and found fame and fortune.-

Left: Mr PatSull ivan and his wife, MLQ 059/HBelow: Comic from TheFelix Annual: Adventures of the Film Cat, 1929PatSullivan, DL 93/366

Reporters arrived quickly on Thursday 3 December 1925when the P&O liner Narkunda docked at wharf No.8Woolloomooloo - an appropria te place for the arrivalof the inner city boy who had 'made good'. The dailynewspapers recorded Sullivan's triumphal return to Sydney,according him celebrity status. With his wife Marjorie byhis side, he attended a civic reception organised in hishonour, which was hosted by the Lord Mayor of Sydney.Early days in SydneyThough a wealthy man by this time, Sullivan's origins werehumble. Son ofa Darlinghurst cab proprietor, Sullivan hada Catholic upbringing, going to school at St Benedict's inChippendale and later at the Marist Brothers' St Mary'sSchool inWoolloomooloo. After leaving school, he workedat various jobs, including as gatekeeper at the Toohey'sbrewery in Surry Hills. He attended classes at the ArtSociety of New South Wales and earned a meagre incomeselling caricatures ofturf and boxing celebrities to barbers'shops and personalised caricatures to anyone willing topart with a few bob.

&W,S1J '~

-


5/13

By 1905, aged 18,he was submitt ing humorous and polit icalcartoons , caricatures and illustrations to The Worker,the trade union affi liated newspaper. His early drawings forThe Worker are little known and appeared in issues duringAugust, September and November 1905and January 1906.Inthe Christmas issue (21 December 1905), Sullivan's workincludes the banner design and individual il lustrations for'Around the Campfire: An All-Australian Collection ofVerseSketch and Story for the Christmas Season'.He parted company with The Worker in 1907and freelancedfor a while. The visit of the American Fleet to Sydney in 1908stimulated his desire to go to the USA,and in 1909Sullivanleft Sydney for London and New York.Struggling in London {INew YorkSullivan struggled to survive during his stay in London,even sleeping rough on the Thames Embankment whennecessary. He tried his hand at many different kinds ofjobs - everything from boxing, to singing and dancingin London music halls!

Left: Detai l of comic book coverFelix reoe ... 1935,Pat Sullivan,ML Q 741.5/28Right: Wooden Felix figurecourtesy of Josef Lebovic Collection

-


6/13

Below & r ight : Cove r and comic f rom Felix the Cat, 1926-1927, Pat SullivanML Q 741.5/14

Eventually, cartooning work came with an offer tocontribute to the comic strip Ally Sloper. This characterfirst appeared in 1867in the weekly humour magazineJudy, which was modelled on the London Punch. Duringthe year and a half that he contributed to Ally Sloper,Sullivan learned the technique of drawing comic strips.Christened Patrick O'Sullivan, i twas in London that hefinally decided to drop the '0' (he had been signing hiswork 'O'Sullivan' and 'PoO'Sullivan').Emigrating to the United States in 1914,Sullivan foundemployment prospects as bleak as in London. Comicpostcards and poster designs for the cinema provided hisfirst income in New York. The McClure newspaper syndicateengaged him for a comic strip about the adventures ofa coloured boy called Sambo. In 1914Sullivan workedfor McClure on The Adventures of Samba, Johnny BostonBeans, Obliging Oliver and Old Pop Perkins, which helater animated.


7/13

Animation - in its infancy with the experimental work ofWindsor McCay - not only gave cartoonists a whole newvehicle for their talents but also provided a solution to theperennial problem ofsuggesting movement. Comic stripartists embraced the new medium enthusiastically.Sullivan freelanced for a while and was employed by theHearst Syndicate before opening his own small studio inNew York in 1915,on the corner ofBroadway and 63rdStreet . He produced his first animated film, The Tail o fThomas Kat, and submitted it for copyright in March 1917.This cat was the precursor to Felix.Felix the Cat appearsWhile Felix first appeared in films in 1919(in The Adventuresof Felix), i twasn't until 1923that Felix, the animated filmhero, appeared in comic strip form. By now Sullivan had12men working on sequential animation and printing.A new Felix film was issued every two weeks, requiringa large number of separate drawings. With the studiosystem employed by Sullivan, he produced the keydrawings and his staff drew the animated sequencesand inked in the images.

The first Felix film took six months to complete andSullivan, who regarded it as a failure, was hospitalised forfive weeks suffering from a nervous breakdown. However,the production ofsubsequent films became easier. DuringSullivan's 1925visit to Australia there was sufficientmaterial for the fortnightly film output to continue forsome months and for newspaper comic strips to appearfor nine months.Felix's screen persona adopted some ofthe mannerismsofCharlie Chaplin. The little black cat was treated as anindividual, able to think, reason and solve problems, oftenwith a wild disregard for reali ty. Sullivan manipulated Felix'sexclamations and question marks, creating visual gags.Felix would be shown pacing backwards and forwards withfrowns and puzzled looks until he seizes upon a solution tohis problem: question marks become grappling hooks,three exclamation marks metamorphose into a propellerfor escape. A single exclamation mark playfully doublesas a bat and ball. When Felix was not surrounded by thefantastic, he created it.Left: Tin pull-along toy, courtesy of Josef Lebovic CollectionAbove left: Souvenir of Katoomba (Taken at Echo Point), c. 1928photograph by D.Evans, MLMIN 413Above right: Tea party at 'Highfield' , Glen Osmond, Victoria, c. 1929courtesy of Dawn Fitzpatrick -


8/13

Below & right: Selection of Felix the Cat comic books, MLQ 741.5/32,ML Q 741.5/33, DL 93/366, ML Q 741.0511SET

While the original Felix was an angular cat , often shownwith severe facial expressions, his form gradually becamesofter and more rounded. His regular appearance oncinema screens saw Felix's name up in lights alongsidescreen luminaries such as Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd andCharlie Chaplin. The eat 's fame spread from England andEurope to China, Japan and South America. Royalties fromthe manufacture ofFelix toys added to Sullivan's fortune.Speaking to the Argus newspaper during his 1925visit toAustralia, Sullivan explained the origins ofFelix: 'The idea ...was given to me by the sight of a cat which my wife broughtto the office one day'. From such a prosaic beginning, morethan 100 cartoon films were produced and distributedworldwide by 1933.

-0


9/13

Felix is revivedAs the 1930s progressed, the popularity ofFelix declined.Twocontributing factors often cited are the onset of soundin films and the burgeoning popularity of Mickey Mouse.But in the 1950s Joe Oriolo (once Otto Messmer's assistant),revived Felix. Oriolo, president of Felix the Cat Productions(established 1959) recruited Messmer, who had worked inSullivan's studio, to draw the cat. This new Felix, createdfrom circular shapes, had more in common with WaltDisney characters - including a friendlier disposition.Since Sullivan's death, claims have been made that Felixwas not Sullivan's creation. Artists in Sullivan's studio hadghosted the comic strip, and Otto Messmer was the mosttalented and frequently mentioned. However, the animatedFelix preceded the comic strip by some four years,and Messmer's claim - made many years later in theabsence of any defence from Sullivan - needs tobe treated with caution.

Return to New YorkFollowing their family reunion in Sydney in 1925,theSullivans returned to New York. Sadly, his wife met anuntimely, accidental death in March 1932.On 1 Januarythe following year, Sullivan signed a three-year contractwith Paramount for Felix cartoons, but, unfortunately,he died from pneumonia six weeks later in New York'sSherman Square Hospital. The obituary in Smith's Weekly(25 February 1933),farewells Sullivan with this parting line:'Abillion children, white and yellow and black - a billionadults - will mourn the passing of Pat - and the Cat'.

Above: Pat Sul livan and his wife Marjorie with hundreds of thousandsof entries in the 'Draw Fel ix ' competi tion, New York, 1923,ML PXD 946Right: Decorated bucket with lid, courtesy Josef Lebovic Collection- -


10/13

'&:.,"' Felixwas not the first film cat. From 1915 to 1918, Hearst'sInternational Film Service Studio produced George Herriman'sKrazyKat.Felix the Cat appeared infilms in 1919, four years before thecomic books were published in 1923.In February 1922, students of the Royal College of Art tooktheir 'Famous Felix the Cat' to the Chelsea Arts Ball in London,saying: 'He is going to be up to his tricks too!' Their Felix wasapproximately 15feet high and was surrounded by handmaidenswearing Felix masks. Let the show begin.

: Pat Sullivan was invited to London for the British EmpireExhibition at Wembley in 1924. King George Vand Queen Marywere each given a Felix doll to take home. Sullivan isreported tohave earned 100 000 from the sale of Felix toys at the Exhibition.Felix dolls displaced sales of Teddy bears inEngland in 1924.Sales of Felix films distributed by Pathe inEurope made Felix theCat world famous in 1924.In1925 Felix films entertained children and adults in Germany,South Africa and China. Felix's comic strip was published inmorethan 60 newspapers worldwide.Contrary to popular belief, a Felix doll did not accompany CharlesLindbergh (1902-1974) on his 36-hour transatlantic flight on theSpirit of St Louis from 20 to 21May 1927.Felix created his own aeronautical adventures inthe 1927 film,Non-Stop Fright. He takes up the challenge to flyto Timbuctoo [sic 1to win $50 000.In1927, Macy's Annual Thanksgiving Parade enlisted the servicesofhuge air-filled puppets. Tony Sarg, a puppeteer and children'sbook illustrator, was commissioned to create the huge puppets.Felix the Cat made his debut appearance leading the parade.In1928 the puppets were replaced by helium balloons, whichunexpectedly burst above the towering skyscrapers. They wereredesigned with safety valves in 1929, and rewards were offeredfor their retrieval. -4

~, One ofFelix's nine lives was spent pioneering the experimentalphase ofblack &white television broadcasts. The first black&white television broadcast - by RCAvia W2XBSNew Yorkin 1928 - used a Felix doll in place of a human model, becauseit could withstand heat from the intense lighting used. The tonalcontrast of the black and white cat was also useful. The doll wasfilmed for two hours each day, and this experiment lasted foralmost a decade while RCAfinetuned its picture definition.In the 1931 parade, with the band playing 'When the moon comesover the mountain', balloons were released and the Felix balloondrifted off over the Empire State Building.InBrazil in the 19305, children's book author Monteiro Lobatointroduced Felix as a guest celebrity in one of his books .

Other Felix factsPat Sullivan held copyright for the name 'Felix the Cat' and forat least 200 different Felix toys ofvarious sizes manufacturedinternationally. Also, there was a wealth of Felix collectablessuch as postcards, cigarette cards, comic books, pencils, jigsawpuzzles, sheet music and recordings, tin toys, chinaware andteapots, silver spoons, brooches, tiepins, pillow slips, clothing,wool-winders, confectionery and various other novelties.Askilled title writer and punster, Pat Sullivan came up with thefollowing film titles:BalloonaticsA Tale of Two KittiesNo Fuelin'Wise GuiseDaze and KnightsForty Thousand Laughs under the SeaFelix the Cat in BlunderlandFelix the Cat Collars the ButtonFelix the Cat inZoo LogicFelix the Cat in Germ ManiaFelix the Cat as RomeeowFelix the Cat in Sure-Locked Homes

,It-

Above left: Everyone's magazine, 30 December 1925,ML Q 792,005/E-S


11/13

Music by Pete Wendling &Max Kortlander, words by Alfred BryanFelix , the Cat performed by The Jazz Artists, 1928Parlophone, 192878r.p.m. recordCol lect ion of Mike Sutcl iffe

Item listPat SullivanThree Felix the Cat comic strips, c. 1927Pen & ink drawingML PXD 9 46 Music by Pete Wendling &Max Kortlander, words by Alfred Bryan

Felix the Cat, 1928Music scoreSam Fox Pub. Co., Cleveland, 1928MLMUS IC F I LE/KOR

Pat Sullivan[Greetings from Pat Sullivan to Edward Perier] , c. 1930-32Pencil drawingML SSV* /CART / 40Photographer unknownMr Pat Sullivan and his wifeEnlargement from The Home, 1January 1926,p. 74MLQ 0 5 9/ H

Photographer unknownPat Sullivan and his wife Marjorie with hundreds ofthousands ofentriesinthe 'Draw Felix' competition, New York, 1923Pen & ink drawing on photographML PXD 9 4 6Brian Geach

Surfers, Bondi Beach, NSW,2004Enlargement of photographCol lect ion of Austral ian Touris t Commission

Pamela DebenhamAustralia Felix , 1982Silk-screen printPrivate collectionPat Sullivan

Felix the Cat, 1926-1927Original comic book and reproduced pagesMcLoughlin Bros. Inc., Springfield Mass., 1927MLQ 7 4 1. 5/ 1 4

Pat SullivanFelix reoe . .. 1935Comic bookHachette, ParisMLQ 7 41 . 5/ 28Pat Sullivan

The Fel ix Annua l: Adven tu re s o f the Film Cat , 1929Comic bookDaily Sketch & Sunday Graphic Limited, SydneyDL 93 /3 6 6

Pat SullivanFelix Ie Chat, 1931Comic bookHachette, ParisMLQ 7 41 . 5/ 51Photographer unknown

Tea party at 'Highfield' , Glen Osmond, Victoria, c. 1929Enlargement of photographCourtesy of Dawn Fitzpat rick

Photographer unknownSir Charles Kingsford Smith, Eagle Farm, Brisbane, 9January 1928Enlargement of photographS ta te L ib rar y o fQ uee ns lan d im ag e n o. 1 71 86 5Everyone's, 30December 1925, pp. 12-13

MagazineML Q 792 .0 0 5 /E The Sydney Mail, 1July 1936,pp. 18-19NewspaperE N 3 36Pat Sullivan

'War Daze' with Felix [19377]Comic bookOffset Printing Coy. Pty. Ltd, SydneyMLQ 74 1 . 5/ 3 2

Pat SullivanFelix the Cat, 1967Comic booksPage Publications Pty. Ltd, Surry Hills, 1967MLK 0 1 75 9Pat Sullivan

Felix the Cat in 'Perils inPearls ' [19397]Comic bookOffset Printing Coy. Pty. Ltd, SydneyMLQ 74 1 . 5/ 3 3Felix Follows the Swallows, 1925Cartoon film footageVC1Fo ot ag e p ro vi ded b y t h e Na ti on al Fi lm an d S ou nd A rc hi ve

Pat SullivanFelix the Cat, 1971Comic booksPage Publications Pty. Ltd, Surry Hills, 1971MLK 0 1 75 9

I,t1Cl".~, .',

,:Jj

D.EvansSouvenir ofKatoomba (Taken atEcho Point), c. 1928TintypeMLM IN 4 1 3Fel ix Lends aHand , 1922

Cartoon film footageVC1Fo ot ag e p ro vi ded b y t h e Na ti on al Fi lm an d S ou nd A rc hi veMusic by Pete Wendling &Max Kortlander, words byAlfred BryanFelix , the Cat performed by Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, 1928Sound recording of 78r.p.m. recordColumbia, 1928Col lect ion of Mike Sutcl iffe

Felix the Cat memorabilia, c. 1920s-1930sVarious mediaCourtesy of Jose f Lebovic Col lect ionFelix the Cat, pre-1966Comic booksElmsdale Publications Pty. Ltd, SydneyMLQ 7 41 . 05 /1 S E T

\ . . 1 'f,. ~,I~ ~~Right: Felix figure, courtesy Josef Lebovic Collection

17


12/13

c . '.' _ '-"-!ii0, i ,erH~';' p,.l\i'J(~t( IIJ r ~ , . .~ihrij'.

3.1l )~~~rm thrir"r; .,J~ fln,f~' J] \! ' I1 '' ; I"~ Alii 1 1 1 . 1 \ 1 Cia.d I ' I i TvrLuNr~ i'I. ~Io?:r' I Q;II .;;I~lt '. ;II J , . : " l I l J I ' . I I ' t l i : : i lI~dr ~ Olrtl ,bj_~ t N r J ' I I J .

D\. t-II '~ '] w ,; .d , ., If ltIiI - ~pl!J" r~ j;-im ~ I ;jiM ~l'.I' rrrM ~LR-v ill f _ r J - 1 N lWIII ~F i I ~rmJl!l_ I _~ ~J'!' m :i Il'oonlt~~lI.rlih[","~:.n' I~.

,1~5\II ' [1 1 ~l~~" "~-'"'". J . ' ". "~., . .!

.. ' . '"_ - _.

z~7~ ""Z..- z :. . - z . . ~ z.z.-z...

Above: Letter from comic book, MLQ 741.05/1SETRight: Selected Felix illustrations, ML Q 741.05/1SET,ML Q 741.5/28, ML MUSIC FILE/KOR, Q 741.5/51,ML Q 741.5/37-8


13/13

Documents

Felix Exhibition Guide