Color Rhapsody is a series of usually one-shot animated cartoon shorts produced by Charles Mintz's studio Screen Gems for Columbia Pictures. They were launched in 1934, following the phenomenal success of Walt Disney's Technicolor Silly Symphonies and Warner Bros.' Merrie Melodies. Because of Disney's exclusive rights to the full three strip Technicolor process, Color Rhapsody films were produced in the older two-tone Technicolor process until 1935, when Disney's exclusive contract expired.
The Color Rhapsody series is most notable for introducing the characters of The Fox and the Crow in the 1941 short The Fox and the Grapes. Two Color Rhapsody shorts, Holiday Land (1934) and The Little Match Girl (1937), were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).
Columbia begin reissuing cartoons as Columbia Favorites from 1947 until the late 1960s, and extended past Screen Gems, with cartoons from UPA (which succeeded the original Screen Gems) and Hanna-Barbera's Loopy de Loop later on.
Filmography 1930s No. Title Release date Director Character(s) Notes1Holiday LandNovember 9, 1934 Sid MarcusScrappy 2Babes at SeaNovember 30, 1934 Arthur Davis 3The Shoemaker and the ElvesJanuary 20, 1935 4Make Believe RevueMarch 22, 1935 Ben Harrison 5A Cat, a Mouse and a BellMay 10, 1935 Arthur Davis 6Little RoverJune 28, 1935 Sid Marcus 7NeighborsAugust 15, 1935 Lost cartoon 8Monkey LoveSeptember 12, 1935 Arthur Davis Soundtrack exists 9The Bon Bon ParadeOctober 10, 1935 Ben Harrison 10Doctor BluebirdFebruary 5, 1936 Scrappy 11Football BugsApril 29, 1936 Arthur Davis 12Glee WormsJune 24, 1936 Ben Harrison 13The Untrained SealJuly 26, 1936 Arthur Davis 14The Novelty ShopAugust 15, 1936 Sid Marcus15In My GondolaSeptember 3, 1936 Scrappy 16Merry MutineersOctober 2, 1936 Ben Harrison 17Birds in LoveOctober 28, 1936 18Two Lazy CrowsNovember 26, 1936 Ub Iwerks19A Boy and His DogDecember 23, 1936 Sid Marcus Johnny 20Gifts from the AirJanuary 1, 1937 Ben Harrison21Skeleton FrolicsJanuary 29, 1937 Ub Iwerks 22Merry MannequinsMarch 19, 1937 23Let's GoApril 10, 1937 Ben Harrison 24Mother Hen's HolidayMay 7, 1937 Sid Marcus 25The Foxy PupMay 21, 1937 Ub Iwerks 26The Stork Takes a HolidayJune 11, 1937 Ben HarrisonLost cartoon 27Indian SerenadeJuly 16, 1937 Sid Marcus28Spring FestivalAugust 6, 1937 Ben Harrison 29Scary CrowsAugust 20, 1937 Sid Marcus Johnny 30Swing, Monkey, SwingSeptember 10, 1937 Ben Harrison 31The Air HostessOctober 22, 1937 Sid Marcus32The Little Match GirlNovember 5, 1937 33Hollywood PicnicDecember 18, 1937 34Bluebird's BabyJanuary 21, 1938Ben Harrison Johnny 35The Horse on the Merry-Go-RoundFebruary 17, 1938 Ub Iwerks 36The Foolish BunnyMarch 26, 1938 Sid Marcus 37Snow TimeApril 14, 1938 Ub Iwerks 38The Big BirdcastMay 13, 1938 Ben Harrison Last Color Rhapsody to credit director under Story.39Window ShoppingJune 3, 1938 Sid Marcus First Color Rhapsody not out-sourced to Ub Iwerks to have a Director credit.40Poor Little ButterflyJuly 4, 1938 Ben Harrison 41Poor ElmerJuly 22, 1938 Sid Marcus 42The Frog PondAugust 12, 1938 Ub Iwerks 43Hollywood GraduationAugust 26, 1938 Arthur Davis Lost cartoon 44Animal Cracker CircusSeptember 23, 1938 Ben Harrison Johnny 45Little Moth's Big FlameNovember 3, 1938 Sid Marcus 46Midnight FrolicsNovember 24, 1938 Ub Iwerks 47The Kangaroo KidDecember 23, 1938 Ben Harrison 48Peaceful NeighborsJanuary 26, 1939 Sid Marcus 49The Gorilla HuntFebruary 24, 1939 Ub Iwerks 50The Happy TotsMarch 31, 1939 Ben Harrison The Happy Tots51The House That Jack BuiltApril 14, 1939 Sid Marcus 52Lucky PigsMay 26, 1939 Ben Harrison 53Nell's YellsJune 30, 1939 Ub Iwerks 54Hollywood SweepstakesJuly 28, 1939 Ben Harrison 55Jitterbug KnightsAugust 11, 1939 Sid Marcus 56Crop ChasersSeptember 22, 1939 Ub Iwerks Last Color Rhapsody to credit Charles Mintz as Producer.57Dreams on IceOctober 20, 1939 Sid Marcus Johnny58Mountain EarsNovember 3, 1939 Manny Gould 59Mother Goose in SwingtimeDecember 18, 1939
1940s No. Title Release date Director Character(s) Notes60A Boy, a Gun, and BirdsJanuary 12, 1940Ben Harrison61The Happy Tots' ExpeditionFebruary 9, 1940The Happy Tots62Blackboard RevueMarch 15, 1940Ub Iwerks63The Greyhound and the RabbitApril 19, 1940Sid Marcus64The Egg HuntMay 31, 1940Ub Iwerks65Ye Olde Swap ShoppeJune 28, 194066The Timid PupAugust 1, 1940Ben Harrison67Tangled TelevisionAugust 30, 1940Sid Marcus68Mr. Elephant Goes to TownOctober 4, 1940Arthur Davis69The Mad HatterNovember 3, 1940Sid Marcus70Wise OwlDecember 6, 1940Ub Iwerks71A Helping PawJanuary 7, 1941Sid MarcusCornelius Van Goon72The Way of All PestsFebruary 28, 1941Arthur Davis73The CarpentersMarch 14, 1941Paul FennellProduced by Cartoon Films Ltd. and later reissued as a Columbia Favorite.74The Land of FunApril 18, 1941Sid MarcusCornelius Van GoonCalled Mr. Lurk in this short.75Tom Thumb's BrotherJune 12, 1941Tom Thumb76The Cuckoo I.Q.July 3, 1941Cornelius Van Goon 77Who's Zoo in HollywoodNovember 17, 1941Lost cartoon78The Fox and the GrapesDecember 5, 1941Frank TashlinThe Fox and the Crow79Red Riding Hood Rides AgainDecember 5, 1941Sid Marcus80A Hollywood DetourJanuary 23, 1942Frank Tashlin81Wacky WigwamsFebruary 22, 1942Alec Geiss82Concerto in B Flat MinorMarch 20, 1942Bob Wickersham83Cinderella Goes to a PartyMay 3, 1942Alec Geiss84Woodman, Spare That TreeJuly 2, 1942Bob WickershamThe Fox and the Crow85Song of VictorySeptember 4, 1942First Color Rhapsody to credit Dave Fleischer as Producer.86Tito's GuitarOctober 30, 1942Tito, Burrito and Rosita87Toll Bridge TroublesNovember 27, 1942The Fox and the Crow88King Midas JuniorDecember 18, 1942John Hubley Paul Sommer89Slay it with FlowersJanuary 8, 1943Bob WickershamThe Fox and the Crow90There's Something About a SoldierFebruary 26, 1943Alec GeissLost cartoon91Professor Small and Mr. TallMarch 26, 1943John Hubley Paul SommerProfessor Small and Mr. Tall92Plenty Below ZeroMay 14, 1943Bob WickershamThe Fox and the Crow93Tree for TwoJune 21, 194394He Can't Make It StickJuly 25, 1943John Hubley Paul SommerPartially lost95A-Hunting We Won't GoAugust 23, 1943Bob WickershamThe Fox and the Crow96The Rocky Road to RuinSeptember 16, 1943John Hubley Paul Sommer97ImaginationOctober 29, 1943Bob Wickersham98The Herring Murder MysteryDecember 30, 1943Dun RomanIgor Puzzlewitz 99The Disillusioned BluebirdMay 26, 1944Howard SwiftLast Color Rhapsody to credit Dave Fleischer as Producer.100Dog, Cat and CanaryJanuary 5, 1945Flippy101Fiesta TimeApril 4, 1945Bob WickershamTito, Burrito and Rosita102Rippling RomanceJune 21, 1945Soundtrack exists103Hot Foot LightsAugust 2, 1945Howard Swift104Carnival CourageSeptember 6, 1945Willoughby Wren105River RibberOctober 4, 1945Paul SommerProfessor Small and Mr. Tall106Polar PlaymatesApril 25, 1946Howard Swift107Picnic PanicJune 20, 1946Bob WickershamTito, Burrito and Rosita108Loco LoboJanuary 9, 1947Howard Swift109Cockatoos for TwoFebruary 13, 1947Bob Wickersham110Big House BluesMarch 6, 1947Howard SwiftFlippy and Flop111Mother Hubba-Hubba-HubbardMay 29, 1947Bob Wickersham112Up N' AtomJuly 10, 1947Sid MarcusKlever Kat113Swiss TeaseSeptember 11, 1947First Color Rhapsody to credit Ray Katz & Henry Binder as Producers.114Boston BeanieDecember 4, 1947Klever Kat115FloraMarch 18, 1948Alex Lovy116Pickled PussSeptember 2, 1948Howard Swift117Lo, the Poor BuffalNovember 4, 1948Alex Lovy118The Coo-Coo Bird DogFebruary 3, 1949Sid MarcusMeathead and Parrot119Grape NuttyApril 14, 1949Alex LovyThe Fox and the Crow120Cat-TastrophyJune 30, 1949Sid MarcusCat and DogLast Color Rhapsody to credit Ray Katz & Henry Binder as Producers.Last Color Rhapsody released.
Accolades + Film Award Category Result Holiday Land 7th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons The Little Match Girl 10th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons Imagination 16th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons Dog, Cat and Canary 17th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons Rippling Romance 18th Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Cartoons
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