Flebus

If I had to choose some ‘desert island’ Fifties shorts, Ernie Pintoff’s 1957 Terrytoons cartoon Flebus would definitely be among my selections. It embodies the “cartoon modern” aesthetic as well as any film from the era: fearless design values, a personal style of storytelling that matches the visual experimentation, and animation (by Jim Tyer) which exploits the film’s unique designs. More is written about Flebus in the book. As far as I know, it’s never been released onto home video or dvd, which is a shame, so here’s a copy of the film that we can all enjoy online.