Pre-Code Cartoons with Jerry Beck

Special Features: Presented by animation historian Jerry Beck

Join us for a wild ride through the forgotten corners of early 1930s animation! Before the Hays Code cleaned up Hollywood, cartoons were just as wild, surreal and outrageous as live-action films — sometimes even more so. Animation historian Jerry Beck, a professor at CalArts and author of more than15 books on classic cartoons, presents a handpicked lineup of his favorite pre-Code animated shorts, with an emphasis on the weird, the rare and the wonderful. Expect jazz-fueled antics and flapper-era flair from obscure studios you have likely never heard of. Jerry’s lively introductions will dive into the hidden history of these long-lost gems, how they reflected the Depression-era zeitgeist and the feature films they accompanied in theaters. Whether you are an animation aficionado or just grew up loving Saturday morning cartoons, this program offers a rare chance to experience these boundary-pushing classics as they were meant to be seen: on the big screen!

This shorts block includes:

BOOP-OOP-A-DOOP (1932) | Dir. Dave Fleischer, 9 min.
FRENCH FRIED (1930) | Dir. Frank Moser, 6 min.
BUDDY’S BEER GARDEN (1933) | Dir. Earl Duvall, 7 min.
TIME ON MY HANDS (1932) | Dir. Dave Fleischer, 9 min.
A PICNIC PANIC (1935) | Dir. Burt Gillett, Tom Palmer, 8 min.
A SWISS TRICK (1931) | Dir. John Foster, Vernon Stallings, 7 min.
SODA SQUIRT (1933) | Dir. Ub Iwerks, 6 min.
BOOBY TRAPS (1944) | Dir. Robert Clampett, 4 min.
DANCING ON THE MOON (1935) | Dir. Dave Fleischer, 8 min.


Approx. runtime: 64 min.

Run Time: 60 Minutes

Opening Date: Saturday, November 08, 2025

Genre: Shorts program

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