Expert: 7devonapes - 4/13/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

Been trying to find these little short claymation skits from the 80s that came on Showtime, I believe. They had a skit on The Little Prince, one on Rip Van Winkle with some weird, almost trippy song about Rip Van Winkle & they clay animation for that one was like a man hallucinating or something. There was one about an elephant named Zambeezi, and his brother, which was comparable to the Cain & Able tale except one didn't kill the other..he just did something mean to his brother & his brother responded, "Bad Zambeezi, I'll never forget." My brother & I seem to be the only to people on the planet that remember those short animation skits..and they were called the "SHowtime Shorts" and they came on between programs like an intermission. And the commercials were like a graham cracker-like cowboy with a guitar & he would sing, "After these messages, we'll be right back." in a cowboy accent.

I've looked everywhere & can't find it..even checked old TV guides on line...and nada.

Help!

Thanks
ANSWER: Hi Adrienne,

I think Will Vinton created these Claymation shorts in the 70's.

"The Little Prince" is a 25-minute short from 1979 narrated by actor Cliff Robertson. The following imdb.com link has more information on this title:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079476/

"Rip Van Winkle" is a 27-minute short from 1978. The following imdb.com link has more information on this title:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078168/

I think the trippy one you mentioned might be another Will Vinton short called “Closed Mondays” from 1974, which the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071337/

As for the Cain and Abel type one with the elephant, I can’t help you there as I’ve never heard of that one, sorry.

"The Little Prince" and “Rip Van Winkle” are both currently available on DVD on eBay for $5.94 each. “Closed Mondays” is featured on the “Academy Award Winners Animated Short Films” VHS compilation which is also currently on eBay. All three are also available from Amazon.com on VHS ranging from $14.95 to $16.

The commercials that came on between these shorts that featured a singing cowboy, three singers trading heads, and a fire hydrant pissing on a dog, are viewable at the following link – the youtube.com video about halfway down the page:

http://www.thefreshelement.com/2006/10/20/three-80s-commercials-just-for-you/

Best of luck, and I will try answer your other question either today or tomorrow.

Ryan




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Ryan,

Thanks again for the info! I have another question to ask: do you know about a short film around the same time period dealing with the Greek gods, sort of a musical cartoon. It had a volcano erupting, a kid riding a chariot, and the song playing during the sequence was, "Hot, Red River of Fire."

Answer
Hi Adrienne,

I can't help you with the Greek gods cartoon/short. I think this one's gonna be pretty hard to find. I'll try answer your other question today and can hopefully come up with a title for it. Perhaps you could ask some of the other people on this site about both those two shorts that I couldn't get. Keep at it, you'll eventually find it.

All the best,
Ryan