Watching Old Movies: Groucho’s “Novel” Entrance.

When it comes to old movies and their accompanying theatrical cartoons, so much gets lost over the years.

Speaking of "lost", how DID that elephant get in my pajamas?

If not for the “Noveltoons” DVD set by Steve Stanchfield and his wonderful Thunderbean productions, I might never know of the original trumpet fanfare that heralded the beginning of the theme for Paramount / Famous Studios’ “Noveltoons” series.

Here’s a link to that theme. Please note the opening trumpet fanfare: “BUM-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-BUM…” (which then repeats a tad higher) before the actual theme melody begins.  SOUND ALERT 

The link continues on with other Noveltoon themes, but they're good too.  Listen to those first few notes, though!

Now, if possible, locate a copy of The Marx Brothers’ 1930 film “Animal Crackers”, produced by Paramount, and go directly to the moment where Groucho Marx, as Captain Geoffrey Spaulding, makes his grand entrance being carried into the society mansion (at about 06:03 of the film).

The 2007 Universal Home Entertainment Marx Brothers DVD collection that included this film, has a Chapter Skip that goes directly to it.

You can SKIP to it... and if you can't "skip", HOP to it! ...Or JUMP!

Guess what? It’s the EXACT SAME “BUM-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-BUM” that Paramount would later use to herald its Noveltoons series!  Then, it cuts off!

If you must borrow, then borrow from the BEST!

Whadda you know about that! Check it out, if you can… and sorry I can’t reproduce the Marx Bros. clip for you here.