Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?

Subject: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 09:12 PM

Sorry diehards, but I've looked everywhere else...

I saw this gorgeous, beautiful cartoon short earlier this month, like @ the 4th of July, that must be from the 40s or so from its richness... anybody know it? It's the story of a candle (voice of a small child), who upon being lighted "wakes up" and first has to realize he's a candle flame... then he goes upstairs with a human (whoa! The wind!") and has candle adventures (windows and such) as the man writes and the light from the candle illuminates his work. It was already adorable and I'd forgotten what time of year it was, so towards the end when the candle finally gets interested in what is being written and looks over, and what we read is We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident, I was struck. Moving as all getout. Anyway, who did it, when was it, and can I get a copy are the critical questions, all discussion welcome. It had beautiful music, hope that helps!

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:06 PM

Darn -- it sounds beautiful!! But I'm sorry-- no clue!

A

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:25 PM

me either, sorry.

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: SeanM
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:38 PM

It frightens me to know this...

I'm reasonably certain I know the one you are looking for. It's actually relatively recent ('90s), from the "Animaniacs" cartoon series (Warner Brothers animation, Steven Spielberg executive producer).

I don't think it's available on it's own. However, the series is still being aired on the Cartoon Network cable channel, and may still be floating around in syndication near you - out here in Los Angeles area, it's available on KTLA 5.

Note that this series is also the one that took "Turkey in the Straw" and turned it into a song including all 50 US states and capitals, created another song consisting of the names of (almost) every nation in the world at the time, and created a parody of the "Saturday Night Live" parody of the "Hearts of Darkness" documentary of "Apocalypse Now".

The horror... the horror...

M

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Jul 01 - 10:47 PM

oh noooooo, too horrible to contemplate..yet another all the states song request....seppuku may be the only answer...heeeeeellllpppp!!!

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Chip2447
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 12:12 AM

Yep, The animaniacs. Also was the light for Francis Scott Key when he penned the Star Spangled Banner, and the Midnight ride of Paul Revere.
There are others but I cant think of them right off hand.

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: SeanM
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 12:53 AM

Hee hee hee... Animaniacs (for all it's occasional faults) was a decent little show. For every really bizzare sequence of violence or bathroom humour, there was a re-do of "HMS Pinafore"... or the "Les Miserables" take, "Les Miseranimals"... or the 'Goodfeathers' - "Far back as I remember, I always wanted to be a GoodFeather..."

M

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 09:54 AM

Animaniacs OK - the Warner brothers and the Warner sister, right? And the candle flame has other adventures, good to know... I'm amazed that it's new, it's so rich I assumed it had to be old!

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: SeanM
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 01:39 AM

Animaniacs was part of an attempt to 'recreate' the original 'Termite Terrace' animation ethic. Paritally successful - the first attempt was "Tiny Toon Adventures", which was primarily a children's cartoon. 'Animaniacs' tried to incorporate enough other material - occasional 'standards' used as music, a skew towards adult referentials (a la the opera used in Bugs Bunny and the like), and an attempt to get the... well, "feel" of the old shows.

Interesting attempt - they didn't use as much of the now-traditional music as the original Warners stuff did, but they still snuck some in on occasion.

M

Subject: RE: Help: NONMusic: Little Candle Flame cartoon?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Aug 01 - 02:21 PM

I like tiny toons because they have attitude (we're tiny, we're toony, we're all a little loony). I like animaniacs because of all the cultural references. Will have to research this particular bit more deeply, it really was just beautifully animated. I'm amazed it was so recent, why can't they do that with cartoons as a matter of course, the way they used to? And I actually think I have the 50-states one on tape somewhere, so I could try to learn the state capitals (something New Hampshire, just a quick Jaunt, From (something) Montpelier which is up in Vermont...). What I like about that skit is that it's part of a Jeopardy-type game, and after correctly naming the 50 state capitals, he loses for not phrasing them in the form of a question!