National Film Registry honors anthropomorphic animals

Jerry Beck’s Animation Scoop website noted on December 18 that the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry has announced its 2013 selection of twenty-five new additions. Several of the films are animated, or contain animated sequences, and among those, several feature anthropomorphized animals.

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are 'culturally, historically or aesthetically' significant. The films must be at least 10 years old. The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after reviewing hundreds of titles nominated by the public and conferring with Library film curators and the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB).

Newly honored

The King Of Jazz (1930) was a spectacular two-color Technicolor musical feature from Universal Pictures, starring musician Paul Whiteman. At the beginning of the film, the story of how Whiteman was crowned "King Of Jazz" is told via a cartoon, in a sequence by Walter Lantz. This animation sequence was the first ever produced in Technicolor […]

The animated Whiteman is crowned “King of Jazz” by animals ranging from a feral lion to Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit.

Mary Poppins (1964) – […] it's a great film and one of its memorable highlights is the animation sequence - which was directed by [Disney] studio veteran Hamilton Luske.

The animation sequence includes the penguin waiters in an outdoor restaurant. [better video, incorrect audio]

It isn’t anthropomorphic, but many anthro fans will be happy that Forbidden Planet (1956) has been honored, in general and specifically for its animated Id Monster, designed by Disney artist Ken Hultgren (who drew many funny-animal comic-book stories during the 1940s & ‘50s, especially for ACG’s Giggle Comics and Ha Ha Comics) and animated by Disney animator Joshua Meador.

Prior honorees

The Animation Scoop story links to the Library of Congress’ press release announcing all twenty-five honorees, and to a list of all previous National Film Registry honorees, including those with anthropomorphized animals or toys such as:

• Winsor McCay’s Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) [video]
• Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie (1928) [video]
• The Disney Studio’s Three Little Pigs (1933) [video], Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Beauty and the Beast (1991)
• Bob Clampett’s Porky in Wackyland (1938) [video, color remake Dough for the Do-Do]
• MGM’s The Wizard of Oz (1939)
• Tex Avery’s Magical Maestro (1952) [video]
• Chuck Jones’ Duck Amuck (1953) [video], One Froggy Evening (1956) [video], and What’s Opera, Doc (1957) [video]
• Pixar’s Tin Toy (1988) [video] and Toy Story (1995)