chapter 159 part 1
"So dizzy."
"How did it do that!"
"OMG…"
On the big screen, the picture began to rotate from Mickey and Pluto's perspective.
Many audience members felt a bit dizzy, and then exclaimed in amazement.
The Multiplane Camera was a brand-new animation photography technique pioneered by Disney.
By rotating frame by frame, it created an illusion of visual movement, giving the captured footage a viewing effect akin to "naked-eye 3D."
Of course, achieving this was no easy feat.
Walt Disney spent nearly a week producing this short, less than five-to-six-second shot for the short film.
However, judging by the result, the short film shot using the Multiplane Camera technology was clearly more lifelike, creating an illusion of being personally present.
And it was precisely through this attempt in the short film "Superman and Mickey" that Disney would later master this technique in "Snow White," including the princess's nightmarish forest run and the Queen's transformation scene after drinking the poison, both of which were visual effects created with this new technology.
"Woof, woof, woof…"
"Oh, Pluto!"
Amidst the dizzying visuals, the big screen plunged into darkness.
Immediately, Pluto's voice sounded. Mickey opened his eyes and first saw Pluto by his side. Following Mickey's gaze, the bustling cityscape of Metropolis then appeared before the cinema audience. The camera quickly pulled back from Mickey's original viewpoint to an aerial view of Metropolis.
This part of the storyboard design was completed by Colin.
The scene design for Metropolis was also created by him during his previous trip to Los Angeles, to faithfully restore the Metropolis scenes from the comics.
"It's Metropolis!"
"I see the Daily Planet building!"
"When is Superman going to appear?"
"Isn't this a Superman movie? Why are they still showing a rat's story?"
Of course, in addition to their excitement at seeing the Metropolis scenes, many audience members also voiced their complaints.
At this time, Disney was far from being as universally known as Disneyland would be in later years; Disneyland itself hadn't even appeared yet.
For many audience members who came to the cinema because of Superman, the initial scenes with Mickey were completely baffling. They had no idea who the whistling mouse on the big screen was, nor why a mouse could talk while his pet dog could not.
With these questions, they continued to watch the short film playing on the screen.
Mickey: "Where is this, Pluto?"
Standing on the streets of Metropolis, Mickey dodged the passing automobiles, his expression somewhat bewildered.
Just then, a convertible sports car suddenly appeared. A lanky mouse driving the car passed by Mickey, honked its horn, and sped away with a mocking laugh at the startled Mickey.
"Mortimer."
Watching this scene in the short film, Colin, in the cinema, wore a knowing smile.
Mortimer was the name Walt Disney originally considered when creating Mickey. Although he later chose the name Mickey at his wife's suggestion, he still harbored a fondness for Mortimer. Therefore, when creating the short film "Superman and Mickey," he was willing to spend extra time designing this annoying mouse character to appear as Mortimer.
This was perhaps a creator's personal indulgence.
Colin had nothing to say about this; Walt Disney himself was the one who did the hard work.
"What a jerk!"
Back in the short film, Mickey casually complained as he watched Mortimer's departing back.
Pluto: "Woof, woof, woof!"
Turning around to say something, Mickey suddenly heard Pluto's urgent barks.
Mickey: "What's wrong, Pluto?"
Hearing the sound, Mickey turned and saw Pluto barking incessantly at a building. Mickey followed his gaze upward and saw thick smoke billowing from the building.
Mickey: "Oh my gosh, it's on fire! Quickly call the police!"
Seeing the burning building, Mickey's face immediately registered panic. He frantically tried to make a phone call for help.
As Mickey and Pluto became flustered by the appearance of the fire, the short film's camera finally began to move, arriving at a telephone booth.
"I understand, Lois, I'll…"
Inside the red telephone booth, a bespectacled man was on the phone. Suddenly, he paused as if sensing something.
"Sorry, Lois, something's come up here."
With that, the man hung up the phone.
His gaze shifted, and through his perspective, the distant fire scene could be seen, along with Mickey and Pluto's calls for help.
Seeing this, the man didn't hesitate. He immediately opened the telephone booth, tore open his clothes, revealing the prominent 'S' insignia on his chest.
"Is that Superman?!"
"Superman's here!"
Upon seeing this scene in the short film, the audience in the cinema let out the long-awaited exclamations.
And under their watchful eyes, Superman emerged from the telephone booth, leaped into the air, struck his classic fist-clenched pose, and flew into the sky.
The design for the telephone booth transformation was a decision made after discussions between Colin and Walt Disney.
Walt Disney had always felt that Superman's entrance should have some special plot elements, and after consideration, Colin ultimately chose the classic telephone booth scene as the location for Superman's cinematic debut.
In fact, this transformation scene by Superman would influence the development of Superman comics, animations, and even films for decades to come, with various methods paying tribute to it.
Public telephone booths hadn't been around for very long. They were initially designed by Watson, an assistant to Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. The earliest purpose was to better insulate sound, as early telephone reception was not ideal. There's also a theory that it was because the landlord couldn't stand their shouting during phone calls.
In recent years, although some telephone booths had appeared in London, it would still be some time before the classic red telephone booths that became widespread later.
Especially with the impact of the Great Depression, the telecommunications industry also faced challenges.
Interestingly, after the release of "Superman and Mickey," some red telephone booths that bore a striking resemblance to the ones in the short film suddenly appeared on the streets of New York.
The telephone company's official explanation was that they drew inspiration from the movie and directly named them 'Superman Telephone Booths.'
Many audience members who saw the film even queued up specifically to catch a glimpse of the telephone booths and to experience what it was like inside, just like Superman in the short film.