Animating Edgar Allan Poe

United Productions of America (UPA) was a film studio started by three former Disney employees in the 1950s. UPA studio was active from the 1940s through the 1970s. Beginning with industrial and World War II training films, UPA eventually produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures, notably the Mr. Magoo series. In an attempt to take animation in new directions, they made a strange adaptation in 1953 of Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

At that time, it was considered "adult" in nature and it was the first animated film in the U.K. to receive an “X” rating. At the time that rating meant "suitable for those aged 16 and over." UPA didn't intend the film for children but it was still strange for a short "cartoon."

The film was designed by Paul Julian and shows the influence of Salvador Dali surrealism and German expressionism. It was narrated by James Mason.

“The Tell-Tale Heart” was voted the 24th greatest cartoon of all time, in a 1994 survey of 1000 animation professionals. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

The Simpsons love to do takes on literature. Edgar Allan Poe is a favorite and in season one there is an episode “The Tell-Tale Head” and in the 1990 “Treehouse of Horror,” they did Poe’s “The Raven” pretty faithfully with the narration by Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones.

Katy and The Simpsons

I am way behind on my must-see television viewing. That's a result of the DVR recording so much stuff. I don't miss shows anymore.

So, I just got to some episodes of The Simpsons. I have been following that ultimate TV family since they showed up on Fox's The Tracey Ullman Show 23 years ago.

Subject for today: the 2010 Christmas special. That episode was the family reimagined as Muppet-like puppets. It ended with a little dirty joke using a live human guest star - Katy Perry.

I have to throw it into the context of last December when Katy visited Sesame Street to do a musical duet with Elmo. That segment got bumped because PBS thought her dress (and acting?) was too risque for the kids. The bit did get a lot of YouTube play - 15 million and counting - see bottom)


Katy (who knows very well how to package herself) makes an unannounced holiday stop at the Simpsons' house in in a plastic red mini-dress decorated in the faces of Simpsons characters. She's there because she thinks it's the home of her boyfriend Moe.

"That's right. She's into puppets!" says Moe.

She calms Mr. Burns with a hug and kiss.

"I kissed a girl," Burns says, "and I liked it."

Watching and commenting Muppets-style from the balcony is Grandpa

If the Simpsons video has been pulled down and the embed below doesn't work, I wouldn't be surprised. Fox is pretty tough on Simpsons reuse. The spoiler for that last joke (after the credits) is at the very bottom.







Katy and Elmo teach grownups about opposites.
Kids need to learn it somewhere else.


Spoiler: When Moe tries to kiss Katy and can't reach her lips, he says he'll just kiss her belly button and gives her a smooch. "Uh, that's not my belly button," Katy responds suggestively.