The Tell-Tale Heart (1953 American film)
| The Tell-Tale Heart | |
|---|---|
United Productions of America | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date | December 17, 1953 |
Running time | 7:24 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Tell-Tale Heart is a 1953 American
Plot
A murderer's increasing guilt leads him to believe he can hear his victim's heart still beating beneath the floorboards where he buried him. Seen through the eyes of the nameless narrator, the surrealistic images help convey his descent into madness.
Production
Paul Julian served as both designer and color artist for film, and Pat Matthews was the principal animator.
In May 1953, pre-production started on The Tell-Tale Heart, which originally was intended to be a
Reception
The film was the first cartoon to be rated X, indicating it was suitable only for adult audiences, by the British Board of Film Censors.[4] It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film but lost to Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom from Walt Disney Productions.[5]
In 1994, animation historian Jerry Beck surveyed 1000 people working in the animation industry and published the results in The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals, in which The Tell-Tale Heart ranked #24.[6]
In 2001, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.[7]
Availability
The short is included as a bonus feature on the first DVD release of Hellboy. It is also included, with commentary by Leonard Maltin and Jerry Beck, on disc 2 of The Jolly Frolics Collection.
References
- ^ Advertisement for Columbia Pictures, BoxOffice Magazine, June 6, 1953
- ^ BoxOffice Magazine, October 24, 1953, p. 10
- ^ Original release print of The Tell-Tale Heart, Columbia Pictures, Copyright 1953
- ^ The Tell-Tale Heart at the Big Cartoon Database
- ^ 1953 at The Oscar Site
- ISBN 1-878685-49-X
- ^ National Film Preservation Board website
