By Eric J. Savitz, editor-in-chief, General Motors
By Eric J. Savitz, editor-in-chief, GM News
Once upon a time, in a land not all that faraway, an automobile company made cartoons about Cinderella. Which just goes to show you that there really is magic in the world, even in Detroit. Bibbidi-bobbidi-Chevrolet.
Before we get to the details, here’s a little context to set the stage. One under-appreciated element of the General Motors story is the company’s decades-long commitment to producing original films to helps raise the profile for our cars, brands, people, and technology. The GM Heritage archives include more than 250,000 works, including industrial films, feature length documentaries, and advertisements, among other things. GM periodically has hired outside studios to produce films for us – including long-gone Detroit-based Jam Handy Productions.
Founded by Henry Jamison “Jam” Handy, the film studio that bore his name produced hundreds of films from the 1930s through the 1960s, many of them created for GM and other manufacturers. The Internet Archive includes more than 500 Jam Handy films, including documentaries, training films, news reels, cartoons and other materials. (One side note is that Handy was also a world-class swimmer, who won two Olympic bronze medals, one in 1904 for the 440-yard breaststroke, and another in 1924 in water polo.)
From 1936 to 1939, Jam Handy produced a collection of six animated films for Chevrolet that were intended to be shown theatrically, ahead of feature films. They are all very lightly promotional in nature. Each cartoon ends with a Chevrolet driving off into the sunset, but the brand is never mentioned in the dialog, and the cars appear only toward the end of the stories.
Highlighting the series is a two-part Cinderella story, more than a decade before Disney’s version was released in 1950. We’ve included here full versions of five of the six films; as we’ll detail below, one of the films has some material not in keep with current norms that we are choosing not to share. (It is easy enough to find If you want to track it down.)
A Coach for Cinderella
Just over 9 minutes long, this charming 1936 cartoon was a presentation of the Chevrolet Motor Division and General Motors Sales Corporation (as are the others.) The original Cinderella story is a folk tale of uncertain origin that dates back centuries. This version introduces a character named Nicky Nome (not Gnome) who appears in all six of the 1930s Jam Handy cartoons produced for Chevrolet. (Nicky seemed like a brief attempt to have a branded character, like Mickey Mouse.) In this film, Nicky enlists his fellow, er, “nomes” and some of their animal friends to produce a gown and coach for Cinderella so she can attend the ball. The coach is built from a pumpkin, a turtle shell, flowers and various other things, before getting rolled into a magical machine called a “MODERNIZER,” which transforms the contraption into… a Chevrolet. The car only shows up in the closing seconds, and is never specifically identified, but it looks a lot like the 1936 Chevrolet Master.
INSERT “A Coach for Cinderella” video here.
A Ride for Cinderella
A sequel to the film released the previous year, “A Ride for Cinderella” picks up where “Coach” left off. Released in 1937 and close to 11 minutes long, this one opens at the royal ball, where Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters are collaborating with a witch who seems to have arrived from another fairy tale entirely. (Let’s just say I wouldn’t eat any apples she gave me.) Spoiler alert: the Chevy – with Cinderella at the wheel - overcomes a storm, ghostly ghouls, and various other obstacles, and delivers her home, with a little help from Nicky. At the end, Cinderella and her prince drive off in a Chevy, with the license plate L-OVE.
INSERT “A Ride for Cinderella” video here.
Peg-Leg Pedro
The Cinderella story complete, in 1938 Chevy and Jam Handy moved on to an original pirate tale. This 9-minute film features your classic eye-patched, tri-corner-hat wearing, ear ring-sporting pirate, his crew, a parrot, cannon balls and various other sea-faring tropes…and another ship weirdly piloted in part by two small children armed with a treasure map. (Spoiler alert: turns out the treasure is inside a cave, which has a big “Treasure Cave” sign outside.) The kids eventually find the loot and sail off in what appears to be a 1938 Chevrolet Master Deluxe, but with a paddle wheel - a non-standard accessory. Note that Nicky Nome gets the start treatment on this one, with his name above the title.
Insert “Peg-Leg Pedro” video here.
One Bad Knight
Another 1938 film, this goofy entrant in the series features a castle, royalty, treasure, Nicky (no longer billed above the title), a young princess in distress, and various feats of derring-do by a love-stricken junior knight …and a remarkably powerful Chevrolet.
Insert “One Bad Knight” video here.
Nicky Rides Again
Also from 1938, this pilgrims-and-Indians tale, which features Nick and his horse Hortense, includes some racial stereotyping of native Americans. Eventually, a Chevrolet saves the day. Not going to post that one here given some of the issues this cartoon presents, but you can find it elsewhere online.
The Princess and the Pauper
Nicky Nome is back above the title for this final entry in the series, released in 1939. This one involves a young magician named Ali Kazam trying to win over a princess - with a little help from Nicky. This cartoon – which has not much to do with the 1882 Mark Twain novel of the same name – gives off Aladdin vibes. It also engages in some unfortunate Arab stereotyping. Ali eventually drives off with the king’s daughter – in what appears to be a Chevrolet Master Deluxe.
Insert “The Princess and the Pauper” video here.
Eric J. Savitz, a former reporter and columnist with Barron’s, Forbes, and other publications, is editor-in-chief at GM News. Reach him at news@gm.com.
Also from GM Theater:
• The weird and wonderful “Design for Dreaming”
• Cruise down the highway of tomorrow in “Key to the Future”
• A daring trip through the Darien Gap
Once upon a time, in a land not all that faraway, an automobile company made cartoons about Cinderella. Which just goes to show you that there really is magic in the world, even in Detroit. Bibbidi-bobbidi-Chevrolet.
Before we get to the details, here’s a little context to set the stage. One under-appreciated element of the General Motors story is the company’s decades-long commitment to producing original films to helps raise the profile for our cars, brands, people, and technology. The GM Heritage archives include more than 250,000 works, including industrial films, feature length documentaries, and advertisements, among other things. GM periodically has hired outside studios to produce films for us – including long-gone Detroit-based Jam Handy Productions.
Founded by Henry Jamison “Jam” Handy, the film studio that bore his name produced hundreds of films from the 1930s through the 1960s, many of them created for GM and other manufacturers. The Internet Archive includes more than 500 Jam Handy films, including documentaries, training films, news reels, cartoons and other materials. (One side note is that Handy was also a world-class swimmer, who won two Olympic bronze medals, one in 1904 for the 440-yard breaststroke, and another in 1924 in water polo.)
From 1936 to 1939, Jam Handy produced a collection of six animated films for Chevrolet that were intended to be shown theatrically, ahead of feature films. They are all very lightly promotional in nature. Each cartoon ends with a Chevrolet driving off into the sunset, but the brand is never mentioned in the dialog, and the cars appear only toward the end of the stories.
Highlighting the series is a two-part Cinderella story, more than a decade before Disney’s version was released in 1950. We’ve included here full versions of five of the six films; as we’ll detail below, one of the films has some material not in keep with current norms that we are choosing not to share. (It is easy enough to find If you want to track it down.)
A Coach for Cinderella
Just over 9 minutes long, this charming 1936 cartoon was a presentation of the Chevrolet Motor Division and General Motors Sales Corporation (as are the others.) The original Cinderella story is a folk tale of uncertain origin that dates back centuries. This version introduces a character named Nicky Nome (not Gnome) who appears in all six of the 1930s Jam Handy cartoons produced for Chevrolet. (Nicky seemed like a brief attempt to have a branded character, like Mickey Mouse.) In this film, Nicky enlists his fellow, er, “nomes” and some of their animal friends to produce a gown and coach for Cinderella so she can attend the ball. The coach is built from a pumpkin, a turtle shell, flowers and various other things, before getting rolled into a magical machine called a “MODERNIZER,” which transforms the contraption into… a Chevrolet. The car only shows up in the closing seconds, and is never specifically identified, but it looks a lot like the 1936 Chevrolet Master.
A Ride for Cinderella
A sequel to the film released the previous year, “A Ride for Cinderella” picks up where “Coach” left off. Released in 1937 and close to 11 minutes long, this one opens at the royal ball, where Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters are collaborating with a witch who seems to have arrived from another fairy tale entirely. (Let’s just say I wouldn’t eat any apples she gave me.) Spoiler alert: the Chevy – with Cinderella at the wheel - overcomes a storm, ghostly ghouls, and various other obstacles, and delivers her home, with a little help from Nicky. At the end, Cinderella and her prince drive off in a Chevy, with the license plate L-OVE.
Peg-Leg Pedro
The Cinderella story complete, in 1938 Chevy and Jam Handy moved on to an original pirate tale. This 9-minute film features your classic eye-patched, tri-corner-hat wearing, ear ring-sporting pirate, his crew, a parrot, cannon balls and various other sea-faring tropes…and another ship weirdly piloted in part by two small children armed with a treasure map. (Spoiler alert: turns out the treasure is inside a cave, which has a big “Treasure Cave” sign outside.) The kids eventually find the loot and sail off in what appears to be a 1938 Chevrolet Master Deluxe, but with a paddle wheel - a non-standard accessory. Note that Nicky Nome gets the start treatment on this one, with his name above the title.
One Bad Knight
Another 1938 film, this goofy entrant in the series features a castle, royalty, treasure, Nicky (no longer billed above the title), a young princess in distress, and various feats of derring-do by a love-stricken junior knight …and a remarkably powerful Chevrolet.
Nicky Rides Again
Also from 1938, this pilgrims-and-Indians tale, which features Nick and his horse Hortense, includes some racial stereotyping of native Americans. Eventually, a Chevrolet saves the day. Not going to post that one here given some of the issues this cartoon presents, but you can find it elsewhere online.
The Princess and the Pauper
Nicky Nome is back above the title for this final entry in the series, released in 1939. This one involves a young magician named Ali Kazam trying to win over a princess - with a little help from Nicky. This cartoon – which has not much to do with the 1882 Mark Twain novel of the same name – gives off Aladdin vibes. It also engages in some unfortunate Arab stereotyping. Ali eventually drives off with the king’s daughter – in what appears to be a Chevrolet Master Deluxe.
Eric J. Savitz, a former reporter and columnist with Barron’s, Forbes, and other publications, is editor-in-chief at GM News. Reach him at news@gm.com.
Also from GM Theater: