Archive

Pioneers of Japaneses Animation: From Tekobo to Momotaro

Animal Olympics

Yasuji MURATA

Japan1928 5min 16mm B&W

Synopsis

The animated version of the story of the 9th Olympic Games, held in Amsterdam 1928, with animal characters as the participating athletes. While Yasuji Murata’s other works have been faithful animated versions of comics or the like, but not very humorous, this film is an original work written by Murata, and comical.

Diretor

Yasuji MURATA

Creating the subtitles at the Yokohama Cinema Club, Yasuji Murata got interested in foreign animation and started studying it on his own. His Fight of Monkey and Crab was released in 1927. He improved the technique by putting a motor on a moving-camera, and his cut-out animation technique equals that of latter-day cel animation. Among his main works are Octopus Bones(1927), Saru Masamune(1930), Aerial Momotaro(1931), The Monkey Goes Fishing(1933), Corporal Norakuro, The Mooncastle Princess(1934), and A Night at the Bar(1936).