Felix Saves the Day (1922, M. J. Winkler), an early Felix the Cat cartoon produced and directed by animation pioneers Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer, offers a primer in early animation techniques. It chiefly features animated images, as Willie Brown's "Nifty Nine" practice for the big game at the Polo Grounds against an all-black team and Felix pitches-and catches balls with his tail-before tussling with a policeman. However, the animation is cleverly combined with still photography, and live-action shots of real fans crowded into a ballpark are juxtaposed to those of the animated characters on the ballfield.

Producer: Pat Sullivan
Director: Otto Messmer
BW-7m.

by Rob Edelman, author of Great Baseball Films and Baseball on the Web