Ladislas Starewicz's The Mascot

Sometimes you think you've seen it all with special effects in films from the thirties, until you see a film like the Mascot which makes you rethink everything you think you know about what was possible back then. Featuring some of the finest and most convincing stop motion animation ever, one look at the Mascot will assure you of Ladislas Starewicz place as a true cinematic innovator.
By using techniques such as moving his puppets during the film exposure to get blur effects, rear screen projection, coupled with a delicate but assured handling of mise en scène, Starewicz creates a film in 1933 that seems more solidly alive than anything being produced today. I recommend you check out the write up of the Mascot on senses of cinema if your interested further in this incredibly innovative film and its important place in the history of animation and special effects. If you haven't got the time to watch the entire thing I recommend you click through the second part for some of the best animation. The film is complete in three parts below.