"FELIX THE CAT"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21473, 22 April 1933, Page 11 (Supplement)

"FELIX THE CAT"

DEATH OF CREATOR SUDDEN RISE TO FAME Mr, Pat Sullivan, tho Australian cartoonist, whoso death occurred in New York recently at the age-of 45, was the inventor of Felix the Cat, one of the greatest of film stars. At the height of Felix's fame he was being shown at some i2OOO cinemas every week in England'l#lone, and it is estimated that over three-quarters of the population of the world either saw him or knew him by name. Contrary to the general belief, Felix was inspired, not by a real cat, but by earlier newspaper cartoons of a similiar kind featuring the Krazy Kat. In fact, there was litigation between Sullivan and the sponsors of the Krazy Kat cartoons, who, however, failed to establish an infringement of copyright, r eux was named by Mrs. Sullivan. His rise to fame was meteoric once it began, but his career in Great Britain was at first disappointing. He had been a success in the United States before the films were sent to one of the most _ important American film distributors in London. This company could find no market tor Felix, and the British cinemas refused to'show him. The films remained in a vault in London for some time before an official of the Pathe company found them and bought them for a song. Realising their potential _ value, this company began their distribution on a large scale, and soon 1 elix was as popular in England as the other great stars of the time —Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas 1" airbanks. ' At the time of tha Wembley Exhibition Mr. Sullivan came to London little dreaming that he had become famous overnight. But when he arrived at his hotel he saw street vendors selling 1< elix mascots, and when he walked through the streets he saw the name of l'elix in every shop window as a caption for every sort ot commodity. In the hotm where lie stayed the band played Iclix kept on Walking," and when he went to the Crvstal Palace he saw a giant Felis: in fireworks. For two or three years; Felix was everywhere, and his films were shown throughout the world. But with the advent of sound he died and was succeeded by the sound cartoons of Mickey Mouse. Although his career was so short, there is no doubt that he will rank with the greatest stars in the history of the cinema. Mr. Sullivan was greatly aided by his staff of assistants, who were continually supplying new ideas and who worked out all the films once Felix had made his inventor's fortune. The separate pictures; were drawn on celluloid, and thousands of drawings were necessary for every reel. Mr. Sullivan died in comparative poverty in New York, where once he had lived m the height of luxury and where he went to live whert he became famous. But he will go down to history as the man who made the world laugh, and his creation, Felix, as the first star of a new artr—the animated cartoon.