Wednesday, November 28, 2012

One to One with Gloria and Sarah Hoye: See what you missed


"One to One with Gloria" and Sarah Hoye specialty video presentation by AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com

More exciting "One to One" interviews to follow so please bookmark this page and follow the AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog.


Sorry for technical difficulty with the audio portion of the video. Promise next time will use a better quality audio recorder.

Additional resources:
One to One with Gloria and Robin Morgan http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2012/11/one-to-one-with-gloria-and-robin-morgan.html
Women’s Media Center honors leaders in media http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2012/11/womens-media-center-honors-leaders-in.html
AllThingsDigitalMarketing to cover red carpet for The 2012 Women's Media Center Awards http://myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com/2012/11/allthingsdigitalmarketing-to-cover-red.html



The Women’s Media Center – founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem – works to make women and girls visible and powerful in the media. The influence of the media is the most powerful economic and cultural force today. By deciding who gets to talk, what shapes the debate, who writes and what is important enough to report, the media shapes our understanding of who we are and what we do.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

American heiress, philanthropist, socialite, beauty icon, journalist and art collector would have turned 100 on Thanksgiving Day! Happy 100th B-Day Doris Duke!

" I am living proof that money cannot buy friendship."
~~ Doris Duke (November 22, 2012 – October 28, 1993),

American heiress, journalist, art collector, horticulturist, activist, philanthropist, socialite and beauty icon

(Photo above, Doris Duke on Thanksgiving Day 1947)

Happy 100th B-Day to Doris Duke, socialite, American heiress, journalist, horticulturist, art collector and beauty icon.
(Photo L, James B. Duke House, Fifth Avenue, NYC)




" Happy Thanksgiving America. Let's be thankful for all we've got and make it a big give this Thanksgiving...And remember, however strapped we are economically, money can't buy happiness."
~~ Gloria Buono-Daly




Born in New York City on November 22, 1912 Duke was the only child of rich tobacco and energy tycoon, James Buchanan “Buck” Duke (1856 – 1925) and his second wife, Nanaline Holt Inman.



Despite all of her riches, the young girl had a very lonely childhood and had to be hidden away from the public for fear of being kidnapped. Duke also had a tumultuous relationship with her mother.
"I would look at the way she caressed her furs and diamonds and wish she felt the same way about me."
~~ Doris Duke, quoted as saying of her late mother, Nanaline.


When James Buchanan Duke died in 1925, the total value of the estate was worth $140 million dollars, which she inherited at the tender age of 12. Doing what any young girl would do who inherited a lot of money -- she went shopping and later would travel the world.

When Duke was born, she was called “the Million Dollar Baby” by the media and by the time she reached her mid-twenties she would become known as “the Billionaire Playgirl.”

Besides being known for her opulent lifestyle and amazing art collection, Duke, with her sophisticated 6’1” stature, wavy blonde hair, pronounced jaw and piercing blue eyes would become a designer’s dream. She quickly gained beauty icon status for her classic elegance and style. In the 1940’s she was named to America’s best dressed list twice.

Among her favorite couture were Cristobal Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Madame Grès Although she spent a lot of money on clothing, jewelry, auctioned at Christies in 2005, etc., she was a very smart investor. At the time of her death in 1993, nearly all of her estate -- worth over $1.2 billion – was left to charity.

Although she acquired a number of homes during her lifetime, Duke Farms in Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, remained her main residence with homes in Beverly Hills, California, Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, Newport, Rhode Island and Honolulu, Hawaii.
In honor of her father, she created Duke Gardens, 60,000-square-foot public indoor botanical display that were among the largest in America. http://www.christies.com/special_sites/duke_jun04/article.asp?article=4

Duke’s philanthropy focused on many social, health and cultural issues as well as animal rights, environmentalism, research for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and also AIDS research at Duke University, in Durham, N.C. which was named for her family.

Besides being a preservationist and philanthropist, Duke had various occupations throughout her life which included foreign correspondent, sports athlete where she would become a surfing champion, and even an activist and protector of Imelda Marcos.

Duke was also a huge collector of English and French furniture, Southeast Asian and Islamic art, rare vintage wines and involved in hundreds of house restorations where she would actually get involved in the work.
(Photo R, Duke & Andy Warhol in 1978 at Studio 54, NYC)

Her most impressive collection was her jewelry -- some inherited from her family and many other gems and jewels that she purchased and collaborated on the jewelry designs herself.

THE DORIS DUKE COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT JEWELRY was amassed by Duke and her family over the course of more than 100 years http://www.royal-magazin.de/collection/hair-slides.html



In June 2004, Christies auctioned off her jewelry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. She also is known for having the most unique collection of vintage wines.

Three of Duke's residences are currently managed by subsidiaries of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and allow limited public access. Duke Farms in New Jersey is managed by the Duke Farms Foundation; a video tour of former Duke Gardens is available. Rough Point was deeded to the Newport Restoration Foundation in 1999 and opened to the public in 2000. Shangri-La is operated by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.


Her life had many controversies and tragedies including a very free-spirited lifestyle that resulted in her having an illegal abortion in a New York hospital at the age of 27 from an extramarital affair.

A year later (1940) she and her husband of 5 years, James H.R. Cromwell, would give birth prematurely in July to a baby girl named Arden who would die 24 hours later. Duke became devastated when doctors told her she would never be able to carry a child again.

The New York Times obituary memorialized her as the “Heiress Whose Great Wealth Couldn’t Buy Happiness.”





Today also marks the 49th anniversary of the assassination of our 35th President, the late John F. Kennedy. According to "This Day in History," the city of Dallas has announced that the day the 35th American President was killed in 1963 will be remembered with an official memorial for the 50th anniversary in 2013.






Additional resources:
♦A peek inside Doris Duke’s Closet http://video.about.com/gonewengland/Doris-Duke-Exhibition.htm
♦Doris Duke's Wardrobe Exhibition: From Jet Set to Jeans http://video.about.com/gonewengland/Doris-Duke-Exhibition.htm
♦ Style.com Doris Duke slideshow http://www.style.com/beauty/icon/081005ICON/slideshow
♦Heiress Whose Great Wealth Couldn’t Buy Happiness, The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/29/obituaries/doris-duke-80-heiress-whose-great-wealth-couldn-t-buy-happiness-is-dead.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
♦THE DORIS DUKE COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT JEWELRY http://www.royal-magazin.de/collection/hair-slides.html
♦ History of Shangri La: Creating Shangri La http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/History-of-Shangri-La/Doris-Duke/
♦ Rubenstein Library, People in the Collections, Duke, Doris, Duke University Libraries http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/collections/people/dorisduke/


Photo Information:
♦ Jewelry photos: Royal Magazin Web site http://www.royal-magazin.de/collection/hair-slides.html
♦ Wardrobe photos: "Rough Point" Newport Mansion Doris Duke Wardrobe Collection
♦ All other photos courtesy of Duke University Archives, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Archives, and Wikipedia unless otherwise specified.

One to One with Gloria and Robin Morgan

See what you missed at The Women's Media Center 2012 Awards at Guastavino's in New York City.


"One to One with Gloria" and Robin Morgan specialty video presentation by AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com

More exciting "One to One" interviews to follow so please bookmark this page and follow the AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog.




Additional resources:
Women’s Media Center honors leaders in media
AllThingsDigitalMarketing to cover red carpet for The 2012 Women's Media Center Awards


The Women’s Media Center – founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem – works to make women and girls visible and powerful in the media. The influence of the media is the most powerful economic and cultural force today. By deciding who gets to talk, what shapes the debate, who writes and what is important enough to report, the media shapes our understanding of who we are and what we do.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Happy 84th B-Day to Mickey Mouse: America's most popular cartoon character turns 84 on November 18th, 2012

"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse."
~~ Walt Disney

(December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) as said at Disneyland, October 27, 1954


The world's most popular cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, also Disney’s mascot, turns 84 years old today. Did you know that Mickey Mouse is a native New Yorker? Mickey was born in New York City with the release of “Steamboat Willie,” an animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks.

Steamboat Willie premiered at Universal's Colony Theater in New York City on November 18, 1928. The original voice of Mickey was done by Walt Disney. The film was distributed by Celebrity Productions and its initial run lasted two weeks. Mickey’s girlfriend, Minnie, also debuted in the film.

Three days after it’s release, Variety magazine raved about the film, the review included “Not the first animated cartoon to be synchronized with sound effects, but the first to attract favorable attention. [Steamboat Willie] represents a high order of cartoon ingenuity, cleverly combined with sound effects. The union brought laughs galore. Giggles came so fast at the Colony [Theater] they were stumbling over each other."

Mickey has met with practically every U.S. President since Harry Truman through George W. Bush and even Barack Obama, with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson. As the official Walt Disney mascot, Mickey has played a role in the Disney parks since the opening of Disneyland in 1955.




Besides many animated film features, Mickey was most famously featured on wrist watches and alarm clocks.The first Mickey Mouse watches were manufactured in 1933 by the Ingersoll Watch Company. The seconds were indicated by a turning disk below Mickey. The first Mickey watch sold at the Century of Progress in Chicago, 1933 for $3.75. font>

Mickey Mouse has received nine nominations for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. These are Mickey's Orphans (1931), Building a Building (1933), Brave Little Tailor (1938), The Pointer (1939), Lend a Paw (1941), Squatter's Rights (1946), Mickey and the Seal (1948), Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), and Runaway Brain (1995).

On November 18, 1978, in honor of Mickey’s 50th anniversary, Mickey became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located on 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Among these, Lend a Paw was the only film to actually win the award. Additionally, in 1932 Walt Disney received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of Mickey's creation and popularity.

In 1994, four of Mickey's cartoons were included in the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons which listed the greatest cartoons of all time as voted by members of the animation field. The films were The Band Concert (#3), Steamboat Willie (#13), Brave Little Tailor (#26), and Clock Cleaners (#27).

All photos courtesy of Wikipedia.org and Wikimedia.org

Filmography SHORT FILMOGRAPHY
►Steamboat Willie (1928)
►Plane Crazy (1929)
►The Karnival Kid (1929)
►Mickey's Orphans (1931)
►Building a Building (1933)
►The Mad Doctor (1933)
►The Band Concert (19350
►Thru the Mirror (1936)
►Clock Cleaners (1937)
►Lonesome Ghosts (1937)
►Brave Little Tailor (1938)
►The Pointer (1939)
►The Nifty Nineties (1941)
►Lend a Paw (1941)
►Symphony Hour (1942)
►Squatter's Rights (1946)
►Mickey and the Seal (1948)
►The Simple Things (1953)
►Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
►The Prince and the Pauper (1990)
►Runaway Brain (1995)

FULL LENGTH FILMS
►Hollywood Party (cameo, 1934)
►Fantasia (1940)
►Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
►Who Framed Roger Rabbit (cameo, 1988)
►Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
►Fantasia 2000 (1999)
►Mickey's House of Villains (2002)
►Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004)
►Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004)


Resources

Mickey Mouse on Wikipedia.org
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Mickey Mouse Discovers the Government Cartoon Conspiracy Against Glenn Beck
MickeyMouse.com Welcome!




Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Women’s Media Center honors leaders in media

"I am extremely honored to be recognized by Women's Media Center...I am particularly honored to receive joint recognition with my sister whose strength and integrity are truly extraordinary."
~~ Lisa Ling
American journalist, Host of Our America with Lisa Ling on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, former co-host of ABC's The View (from 1999–2002), host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN.; Older sister of journalist Laura Ling.





As women’s voices echoed the red carpet, an aura of confidence and unity resonated throughout.

It became crystal clear that honorees of The Women’s Media Center 2012 Awards represent a powerful, influential, emerging, and engaging media force to be reckoned with.

This article will be updated regularly with videos of interviews and other related information. Please visit frequently and subscribe to our RSS feed.


It was all things red carpet excitement and media extravaganza last night as The Women’s Media Center celebrated honorees of The Women’s Media Center 2012 Awards.
Watch this video and see what you missed.
Sorry for technical difficulty with the audio portion of the video. Promise next time will use a better quality audio recorder.

Here are some quotable quotes from my question of the night which focused on women in media: Women are 51% of our population and only 3% of women are in clout media positions. What does this event mean to you ?

"…This awards has so many amazing and talented media leders...This celebration has twice as many people than the year before …All of the winners are amazing leaders in media ..." ~~ Robin Morgan , American poet, author, political theorist & activist, journalist, lecturer, and former child actor

"…Very extiting to be around a lot of women whom I've admired for a long time and they are all here ... The Ling sisters and what they are doing for women...so many accomplishments by these women ... they are all strong and powerful women ...I'm glad to be a part of it and mentor young women in as many ways that I can"
~~ Lori Sokol
,  Ph.D., President, Sokol Media, Inc., and Publisher of Work Life Matters, Green Matters and NY Residential magazines

"… Still not enough...We must continue with programs and training ... We must honor and celebrate contributions of women in media…. we need to have more women in clout positions ..." ~~ Carol Jenkins ,  Author, Former WNBC Anchor, Former President of The Women’s Media Center, Board Member of The Women’s Media Center

"…Amazing to be here. We have the Name It! Change It! Program which is changing how media can put more women on top … It is still not enough…We still need to do more.....We must make sure we have more women at the top ..." ~~ Gloria Feldt ,  New York Times best-selling author, speaker, commentator, & WMC Board Member

"…Women need to focus on their stories….We need to continue to tell our stories. I co-founded The RedPump Project, we wear red shoes to help fight HIV/AIDS, that’s why I’m wearing red shoes tonight ..." ~~ Luvvie Ajayi ,  Writer, social media strategist and winner of The Social Media Award


"…It’s such a pleasure and honor to be here…in the presence of pioneers Gloria Steinem and Pat Mitchell and so many other amazing women in media ..." ~~ Laura Ling
,  Host and Reporter, E! Investigates, E! Network and winner of The Sisterhood is Powerful Award



"…I am really honored to be here ..." ~~ Lisa Ling
,  Host of Our America with Lisa Ling on OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network and winner of The Sisterhood is Powerful Award








"… It’s great to be here among these outstanding women in media ... Women in media have come very far but still more go to ..."
~~ Alyson Palmer

Performing artist and playwright,









"…I am really happy to be here … The Women’s Media Center means so much to me and is great for all women ... It could get better but it’s so satisfying to be here ~~ Rachel Sklar
,  CNN contributor, lawyer and New York-based media blogger, Co-Founder, Change the Ratio






"…I’m thrilled to be here … This organization has really helped our cause and mission a lot…” ~~ Emily Gannett ,  Digital Dtrategist and, Co-Founder, Change the Ratio





"... I’m so humbled by this experience ... I’m fulfilling my dreams ... You can’t beat that..." ~~ Sarah Hoye
CNN All Platform Journalist and winner of The Carol Jenkins Emerging Journalist Award







"…This event is so important for women... It’s important that all women in media become more visible and empowered … This is why I choose to be very involved and I also Co-Chair this event… Wow you did your research ..."
~~ Loreen Arbus
 
First woman to head up programming at a major U.S. Network, Disability Rights Activist/Producer/Founder & Chair of "Women Who Care," Co-Chair of the Women's Media Awards




This event marks the 4th annual awards celebration which recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to advancing women’s and girls’ visibility and power in media.

Academy Award Nominated Actress® Anne Hathaway was host of the event which was co-chaired by Loreen Arbus, Donna Deitch, Jodie Evans, Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem.

The Women's Media Center 2012 Award recipients arriving at the red carpet were Sarah Hoye, recipient of the Carol Jenkins Emerging Journalist Award; Luvvie Ajayi, Social Media Award; Laura and Lisa Ling, Sisterhood is Powerful Award; Martha Nelson, Going the Distance Award; and Pat Mitchell who received the first Lifetime Achievement Award, thereafter to be called The Pat Mitchell Lifetime Achievement Award in her honor.

Stellar attendees and presenters read like a “Who’s Who in Media” and included Carol Jenkins, Author, Former WNBC Anchor, Former President of WMC, Board Member, WMC; Loreen Arbus, First woman to head up programming at a major U.S. Network and Disability Rights, Activist/Producer/Founder & Chair of “Women Who Care,” Co-Chair of the Women’s Media Awards; Julie Burton, President of The Women’s Media Center; Gloria Feldt, New York Times best-selling author, speaker, commentator and WMC Board Member; Barbara Walters Award-winning journalist, Co-Executive Producer and Creator of The View; Christine Lahti, Academy Award, Emmy & Golden Globe winning actress/writer/director; Sarah Jones Tony Award-winning American playwright, actress and poet; Eve Ensler, Tony Award-winning playwright, activist and author of Emotional Creature and The Vagina Monologues; Donna Deitch, Award-winning Film and Television Director, Co-Chair of the Women’s Media Awards; Jodie Evans, Co-Founder of CODEPINK/Peace, Environmentalist, Women’s Rights & Social Justice Activist, Board Chair, WMC; Lori Sokol, Ph.D., President, Sokol Media, Inc., and Publisher of Work Life Matters, Green Matters and NY Residential magazines; Cheryl Wills, Award-winning Anchor, NY1 News Television; Tamsen Fadal, Anchor WPIX News; Stacey Snider, Co-Chairman and CEO, DreamWorks; Lauren Embrey, Philanthropist/Film Producer, CEO and president of the Embrey Family Foundation and CEO of Embrey Interests, Ltc., WMC Board Member; Rachel Sklar, CNN contributor, lawyer and New York-based media blogger; Helen Zia, Award-winning journalist & Former Executive Editor of Ms Magazine, Founding Co-Chair WMC and WMC Board Member; Ben Vereen, Tony, Emmy & Golden globe winning actor; Matt Winkler, Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder, Bloomberg News; Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent, NBC News, Award-winning former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News; Etc.

Above photo of the James Grant Public Relations team; From left to right: James Grant, Matt Flynn, Carolyn Gitomer, Robert Ballard, Ele Hielkema and Paul Giardina. JamesGrantPR spearheaded the event. Below is a listing of red carpet press coverage:

Additional resources:

The Women’s Media Center – founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem – works to make women and girls visible and powerful in the media. The influence of the media is the most powerful economic and cultural force today. By deciding who gets to talk, what shapes the debate, who writes and what is important enough to report, the media shapes our understanding of who we are and what we do.

Friday, November 9, 2012

AllThingsDigitalMarketing to cover red carpet for The 2012 Women's Media Center Awards

"I am a supporter of the Women's Media Center ... I believe in their ongoing mission and advocacy for women and girls worldwide to be more visible and powerful through a variety of important programs and initiatives."
~~ Anne Hathaway

Academy Award Nominated Actress® and Host of The 2012 Women's Media Center Awards; On accepting role as Host of The Women's Media Center 2012
Photo of Anne Hathaway courtesy of Wikimedia



AllThingsDigitalMarketing will be covering the red carpet for The 2012 Women's Media Center Awards. The event will be held in New York City at Guastavino's on November 13, 2012. Red carpet event coverage will be posted on the AllThingsDigitalMarketing.com Web site and AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog at http://www.myblog.allthingsdigitalmarketing.com. Stay tuned for the updated video of the event coverage.

The article will also be published on Examiner.com by Top Marketing and PR Examiner and AllThingsDigitalMarketing founder, Gloria Buono-Daly.

For additional information, including the prestigious list of honorees, watch the video below.





Here is the link to The Women's Media Center 2012 Awards event coverage report. The contents of the blog also includes links to images by photographer Cindy Ord of Getty Images and links from my Facebook Album of the event. Enjoy!


Some interesting WMC facts:
  • The Women's Media Center was founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem
  • WMC Honoree, Pat Mitchell was the first woman Presiden and CEO of PBS and was the first woman to launch, produce and host her own nationally syndicated program "Woman to Woman"
  • Fifty-one percent (51%) of our population is women, and only 3% of all clout positions in media are held by women

Photo of Anne Hathaway courtesy of Wikimedia

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Happy 93rd B-Day to America's first animated cartoon character and most wonderful, wonderful cat, Felix the Cat

"Cure for a red nose:   Keep on drinking, and it'll turn blue." ~~ Felix the Cat
From 1924 film release, “Felix Dopes It Out.” As Felix tries to help his hobo friend who is plagued with a red nose. By the end of the short, the cat finds the cure for the condition via this clever quote.


Today, Felix, the worlds first animated cartoon character to achieve popularity with full-house audiences at silent movie theatres, turns 93 years old. Happy B-Day to you!
On November 9, 1919, Master Tom, a prototype of Felix, debuted in a Paramount Pictures short entitled “Feline Follies.”


Felix is also world reknown as the hardest thinking, Chaplinesque-like pacing, and longest lasting cartoon character in history.

Produced by the New York City-based animation studio owned by 32-year-old Australian-born cartoonist, pioneer animator and film producer, Pat Sullivan, the cartoon was directed by cartoonist and animator Otto Messmer. It was a success, and the Sullivan studio quickly set to work on producing another film featuring Master Tom, the Felix the Cat prototype in "The Musical Mews" (released 16 November 1919). It too proved to be successful with audiences and brought Felix greater popularity.



Many Felix silent short referenced alcoholism and Prohibition as commonplace and included dark humor particularly in “Felix Finds Out” (1924), “Whys and Other Whys” (1927), “Felix Woos Whoopee” (1930) to mention a few. Also in “Felix Dopes It Out” (1924), Felix tries to help his hobo friend who is plagued with a red nose.


By the end of the short, the cat finds the cure for the condition with social humor --"Keep drinking, and it'll turn blue."



Interesting Felix the Cat facts:
  • The question of how and who created Felix remains unclear. Sullivan once told The Argus newspaper in 1925 in Australia that "The idea was given to me by the sight of a cat which my wife brought to the studio one day." On other occasions he claimed that Felix had been inspired by Rudyard Kipling's "The Cat that Walked by Himself" or by his wife's love for strays. Sullivan's claim is also supported by the Australian Cartoon Association confirmation that Sullivan's March 18, 1917, release of a cartoon short entitled "The Tail of Thomas Kat", more than two years prior to "Feline Follies" is authentic.
  • Felix is the oldest high school mascot in the state of Indiana, chosen in 1926 after a Logansport High School player brought his plush Felix to a basketball game. When the team came from behind and won that night, Felix became the mascot of all the Logansport High School sports teams.
  • Felix the Cat was the first balloon ever made for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1927
  • In 1928 Felix was one of the first images ever broadcast by television when RCA chose a papier-mâché Felix doll for an experiment via W2XBS New York in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx
  • Most of the early Felix cartoons mirrored American attitudes of the "Roaring Twenties.”
  • In 2002, Felix was voted in TV Guide's 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time, ranking #28.
  • In 2004, Felix was voted among the 100 Greatest Cartoons in a poll conducted by the British television channel Channel 4, ranking at #89
  • In 2004 Felix was named #36 in Animal Planet's 50 Greatest Movie Animals
  • Felix is also a cat food in Europe


By 1923, the character was at the peak of his film career. Felix in Hollywood, a short released during this year, plays upon Felix's popularity, as he becomes acquainted with such fellow celebrities as Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlie Chaplin, Ben Turpin, and even censor Will H. Hays.


His image could be seen on clocks, Christmas ornaments, and as the first giant balloon ever made for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Felix also became the subject of several popular songs of the day, such as "Felix Kept Walking" by Paul Whiteman.


Sullivan made an estimated $100,000 a year from toy licensing alone.

With the character's success also emerged a handful of new costars.
These included Felix's master Willie Jones, a mouse named Skiddoo, Felix's nephews Inky, Dinky, and Winky, and his girlfriend Kitty.

Felix the Cat sheet music, with music by Pete Wendling and Max Kortlander, featuring lyrics by Alfred Bryan, was published in 1928 by Sam Fox Publishing Company. The cover art of Felix playing a banjo was done by Otto and was subtitled "Pat Sullivan's Famous Creation in Song."

Most of the early Felix cartoons mirrored social activism and American attitudes of the "Roaring Twenties". Ethnic stereotypes appeared in such shorts as Felix Goes Hungry (1924). Recent events such as the Russian Civil War were depicted in shorts like Felix All Puzzled (1924). Flappers were caricatured in Felix Strikes It Rich (1923). He also became involved in union organizing with Felix Revolts (also 1923). In some shorts, Felix even performed a rendition of the Charleston.

Felix is also the oldest high school mascot in the state of Indiana, chosen in 1926 after a Logansport High School player brought his plush Felix to a basketball game.

When the team came from behind and won that night, Felix became the mascot of all the Logansport High School sports teams.


Among these, Lend a Paw was the only film to actually win the award. Additionally, in 1932 Walt Disney received an honorary Academy Award in recognition of Mickey's creation and popularity.






Silent Short Filmography
Feline Follies (November 9, 1919)YouTube video
►The Musical Mews (November 16, 1919)
►The Adventures of Felix (December 14, 1919)
►Strikes It Rich (1923)
►Felix Revolts (1923)
►Felix Finds Out (1924)
►Felix Goes Hungry (1924
►Felix All Puzzled (1924)
Felix dopes It Out (1924)YouTube video
►Whys and Other Whys (1927)
Felix Woos Whoopee (1930)
April Maze (1930) YouTube video


Voice Actors for Sound Filmography
Felix was silent until 1936 when the sudden popularity of Mickey Mouse prompted the animators to put Felix cartoons in sound.
►Mae Questel (1936)
►Jack Mercer (1958–1961)
►Chris Phillips (1988)
►Thom Adcox-Hernandez/Charlie Adler (1995–1997)
►Fred Newman (2004)
►Dave Coulier (official)
►Carlos Alazraqui (current voice)


Felix's transition to sound was not smooth sailing. Sullivan was unprepared, and added sound effects into the sound cartoons as a post-animation process with disappointing results. Disney's mouse was drawing audiences away from Felix. Sullivan's plans to start a new studio in California never materialized. During this time, Sullivan's wife, Marjorie, was ill, and would die in March 1932 and Sullivan completely fell apart, slumping into an alcoholic depression, his health rapidly declining, and his memory fading. Sullivan passed away in 1933. Messmer recalled, "He left everything a mess, no books, no nothing. So when he died the place had to close down, at the height of popularity, when everybody, RKO and all of them, for years they tried to get hold of Felix ... I didn't have that permission [to continue the character] 'cause I didn't have legal ownership of it."

According to Don Oriolo's Felix the Cat blog, as of September 2008 there were plans in development for a new television series. Oriolo's biography page also mentions a 52-episode cartoon series then in the works, titled The Felix the Cat Show, which was slated to use CG graphics

Resources

Felix the Cat on Wikipedia.org
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Mickey Mouse Discovers the Government Cartoon Conspiracy Against Glenn Beck
MickeyMouse.com Welcome!



Other Resources
Don Oriolo's Felix the Cat Blog on WordPress
Offical homepage of Felix the Cat
Feline Follies



Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks!

All photos courtesy of Wikimedia.org unless otherwise specified.