Bill and Coo
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Bill and Coo |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1948 |
| length | 61 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Dean Riesner |
| script | Royal Foster , Dean Riesner |
| production | Ken Murray |
| music | David Buttolph |
| camera | Jack A. Marta |
| cut | Harold Minter |
| occupation | |
| |
Bill and Coo is a 1948 American fantasy film directed by Dean Riesner . The film was awarded an honorary Oscar in 1948 .
The script goes back to a story by Ken Murray , which was already included in his "Blackouts", popular stage shows in Hollywood at the time .
action
Chirpendale has everything there is in other small towns, for example plenty of parking spaces and a bar where the feathered residents can have a drink and listen to jazzy music, a microcosm of society. Unfortunately, however, the animals are made difficult by an evil black crow named "The Black Menace", by whom they are terrorized. The authorities offered 500 berries as a reward for their capture. When a lady bird gets into trouble because of the crow, a young, courageous bird named Bill Singer, a taxi driver, comes to her aid. Bill is in love with the bird lady Coo and dreams of marrying Coo, but what has failed so far because Coo's father is one of the richest residents of Chirpendale, while Bill's mother works as a washerwoman.
In the event of an attack by the crow, Bill has developed a plan, Operation Scarecrow, which involves capturing the crow with the Sur Fyr crow bait. While a circus stops in Chirpendale, Bill and Coo find some moments of togetherness. They are disturbed when the alarm sounds, Bill knows immediately that "Black Menace" is approaching. Many residents of the town flee to their underground hiding place called "Fraid Hole". The black crow threatens a tram and then sets Beatrice Fairfinch's match fence on fire. Coo is also in danger in the fire and is saved by Bill. When the crow realizes that its plan has been foiled for the moment, it withdraws. As Bill can see in the newspaper the next morning, there are plans to honor him in the evening for his courage in the circus. A colorful supporting program, in which not only the birds, but also other animal inhabitants of Chirpendale prove their special skills, rounds off the award.
Since many residents of the town are in the circus, the black crow takes this as an opportunity to take a look at the deserted streets. Their attack on a movie theater is watched by Johnny Lu, who informs Bill. After Bill first gets into a dangerous situation, he manages to attract the attention of the "black danger" using a cannon and to capture the crow using the Sur Fyr bait and take it into custody. Now it's time for Bill to rush to his beloved Coo.
production
Production notes
It is a Ken Murray Productions film for Republic Pictures . The roles in the film, all of the roles, are played by real birds dressed like humans. The film was shot from late March to mid-April 1947.
The film holds the world record for the smallest film set. The film was filmed in a modeled small location that had been modeled on a table measuring 30 ft × 15 ft (9.14 m × 4.57 m).
music
-
Hum a Little Tune , music: David Buttolph and Lionel Newman , text: Royal Foster
- sung by a choir in the opening scene
-
Off to the Circus , music: David Buttolph and Lionel Newman, text: Royal Foster
- played during the balloon flight
-
Tweet-Twee t, music: Ray Henderson , text: Buddy DeSylva and Lew Brown
- played from the jukebox
-
Mary Had a Little Lamb , traditional way
- played during the ice ware scene
-
Spring Voices (op.410, Voices of Spring ), concert waltz for orchestra by Johann Strauss (son)
- played when Sally can be seen on the swing for the first time
-
Lazy Mary , traditional way
- played briefly while the pension is shown from the inside
- Overture from Guillaume Tell , music: Gioachino Rossini
- played when the Roy Robin poster is shown
-
London Bridge is Falling Down , the traditional way
- played during the school break
-
Three Blind Mice , traditional way
- played while the birds are on the seesaw
-
Pop! Goes the Weasel , nursery rhyme from an old folk dance
- played when the professor flies off the seesaw
-
Tales from the Vienna Woods ( op.325 , Tales fro the Vienna Woods ), music: Johann Strauss (son)
- played when Sally's mother calls for her
-
The Washington Post , music: John Philip Sousa
- played during the circus parade
-
Walkürenritt , orchestral work by Richard Wagner (The Ride of the Valkyries)
- played when the fire broke out
-
Entry of the Gladiators , music: Julius Fučík
- played when the visitors enter the circus tent
-
On the Beautiful Blue Danube , (op.314, On the Beautiful Blue Danube ), Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss (son)
- played during the nutcracker action
-
For he's a Jolly Good Fellow , traditional way
- played during the nutcracker action
- Overture to Poets and Peasants, music: Franz von Suppè (Poet and Peasant)
- played during the act by Tilly Titwillow
-
Wiener Blut (op.354, Vienna Blood), operetta by Johann Strauss (son)
- played while Tilly crouches on the floor
- Lohengrin , prelude to the second act, opera by Richard Wagner
- Sobre las olas (Over the Waves) , music: Juventino Rosas
-
Kingdom Coming aka The Year of Jubilo , Music: Henry Clay Work
- played after Bill escaped the trap
Premieres
Premiere had Bill and Coo on 28 March 1948 in the United States. The film was shown for the first time in Australia on February 24, 1949, in Finland on December 23, 1949, in Denmark on November 17, 1950 and in Portugal on July 24, 1953. It was also released in Brazil under the title Bill e Lú .
aftermath
According to the Variety , David W. Siegel acquired the distribution rights for the film in 1954 to re-release it. In 1968 it was shown on television with a new twenty minute introduction by Ken Murray. Apart from the prologue, however, as was to be expected, only birds were the actors in the film.
criticism
Graeme Clark's assessment of The Spinning Image was split, the main argument for watching the film was not looking at the birds' artistic activities, but rather those in which they simulated people's everyday lives, such as Bill at the wheel of his taxi, his mother washing clothes, drinking visitors at the bar counter or at the one-armed bandits, etc. Director Dean Riesner has implemented everyday situations aptly. It was a real achievement to get the birds to act on cue, but whether the animals themselves enjoyed the situation is another story.
The Bishops' Conference of the United States ruled that the story of birds acting in an anthropomorphic manner was more for the entertainment of young people, although it could be described as a curiosity.
Award
The film was made in 1948 with the reason: "In which artistry and patience blended in a novel and entertaining use of the medium of motion pictures" (In the film, art and patience mix in a novel and entertaining way to make cinema pictures, which makes the medium of the moving Images is used optimally) with an honorary Oscar.
Web links
- Bill and Coo in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Bill and Coo at Turner Classic Movies (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Bill and Coo (1948) Notes at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English).
- ↑ Bill and Coo (1948) at letterboxd.com (English).
- ↑ Bill and Coo (1948) Original Print Information at TCM (English).
- ↑ Definitely for the Birds: Movie - "Bill and Coo" (1948) at popthomology.com (English). Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ↑ Bill and Coo at thespinningimage.co.uk (English).
- ↑ Bill and Coo at archive.usccb.org (English). Retrieved January 19, 2017.