Philips Cavalcade

(1966)

75 Years of Music.

PHILIPS celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Story

This film contains no real story. It is a succession (cavalcade) of musical styles through the ages and from all over the world. It is a spectacular, vibrant puppet animation, loosely depicting the history of popular music.

75 Years of Music

In 1966 electronics company PHILIPS celebrated its 75th anniversary. This was to be celebrated in a grand style. For many decades the company, still firmly anchored in the Netherlands (Eindhoven), had had excellent connections with Joop Geesink. During a time when Dollywood was in an economic downturn, the studio delivered this gem of a puppet film. It can be considered as 'state of art' for the puppet film of that era.

In addition to manufacturing radio and television sets, it produced numerous sound equipment. In addition, Philips had a sizeable record production company, with many major artists under contract.

Let us not forget that the subject of "music from the world" is always grateful to filmmakers and animation filmmakers in particular. This film can be considered "the state of art. Afterwards, especially the director (Max Keuris) and the animator (Cor Icke) were praised for their important contribution in this film. In reality, dozens of people worked on this film.

Remarkable

The design of the tall, elegant puppets doesn't resemble much the often corny puppets from other productions. Max Keuris, proving his versatility here, was responsible for this. For comparison, see the designs he used in "On Parade" (1964).
The film rapidly zips through time and music styles. Numerous music legends or caricatures of them pass us by: Paul Whiteman in front of an orchestra performing "Rhapsody in Blue". Fred Astaire as a tap dancer. Al Jolson (the Jazz Singer, in black & white), Louis Armstrong, the Rolling Stones, Arthur Rubinstein, Betty Boop and many others.

André Popp

A familiar name that comes across in this mega-production is that of André Popp. This belongs to the composer who previously gained much fame with the sound track of Piccolo, Saxo en Co . (1958)

Incidentally, this French composer André Popp worked on numerous other Dollywood films.

Trivia

Cor Icke was considered as one of the top animators of that time.
For complex scenes in some films the lead animator would have one or more assistants. However, this film is entirely animated by just one man, Cor Icke. Note the opening scene in which the camera travels along a carnival scene: there are cancan dancers, a juggler spinning plates on sticks, a vaudeville comedian doing a jig. There's too much to take it all in. Remember that everything was recorded directly on film, and video assist did not exist yet. The animator knew his puppets as if they were his own "children." He knew exactly who was doing what at any given point in time. This opening scene possibly includes a tribute to one of Geesink's first puppet films, "The Broken Heart" (1947). It has a similar wrought-iron gate, an eye-catching historic bicycle, the flower lady, but no carnival.

Hans Kuipers' camera work also deserves attention. The large, clunky 35mm film cameras move smoothly through the sets. This shows professional work.

Art or Kitsch

"Philips Cavalcade" exists in several versions. In particular, the final scene. In the version shown here, behind pianist Arthur Rubenstein, a curtain opens and gold products are displayed on columns. Film reviewers did not have a good word to say about this: distasteful ending after such a beautiful film.
Another version is also circulating on a very limited scale:

It also starts with Arthur Rubinstein playing the piano, but then it changes: the camera pulls back to glide through the auditorium which is filled with the many characters who were featured earlier in the film. We glide over and past them, out of the auditorium through wide open garden windows; there we find the cab driver back on his buggy with the white horse. High in the air fireworks explode brightly. The cabby looks up and sees the catchphrase we have now. Beautiful and cinematic. However the client, Philips, found that the film had to display their products more prominently and proposed to re-shoot the ending. That is the version we have now. The press corps had their own opinions about this.

Remaking this final scene was an obviously costly endeavor. What the motivation for making this one as well is not documented. Possibly this version with the coachman was more suitable for submitting the film to festivals because it makes the advertising element less explicit, than as shown here.

Lost scenes

Apart from the new end scene, it appears that in the approaching climax of the film, one scene is replaced by a completely different one. Here at one point we see a traditional Spanish Flamingo dance. This film copy is one of the few that shows this dance. There is also a version available in which a catchy, rousing steel band plays. A low-resolution version of this is available. (excerpt starting at 6:35)

Autographed records

After seeing the film during a visit to the studio, the agent of pianist Arthur Rubinstein's (who was under contract with the Philips record label) inquired who had made Arthur's likeness. Puppet maker Harry Tolsma introduced himself. In response, Tolsma received a number of autographed records as a token of the concert pianist's appreciation.