Caviar

'Caviar' is an animated short film released in 1925 by Paul Terry's Terrytoons animation studio. This early work is one of the initial short animated films created by this studio, which later gained fame for producing Looney Tunes rivals, with the main characters being Farmer Alfalfa, Pinto, and Paul the gopher. The story 'Caviar' revolves around a wealthy aristocrat, the aristocrat's luxurious lifestyle and a wild adventure that unfolds. At the time of production, it's speculated that this short had a more complex animation process than many cartoons from the 1920s. In 'Caviar,' it all starts with a comical introduction of the wealthy aristocrat, where he tries to consume large amounts of caviar in one sitting, but ultimately suffers a rather grotesque gorging scene, resulting in an extremely distended belly. After being unable to fit into any of his fine clothes due to his expanding waistline, he goes into an elaborate plan to rid himself of the excess food in his stomach. This rather outlandish scheme involves a large contraption, which is supposed to extract the extra food and help the aristocrat slim down to his normal self once again. Upon its first try, however, the machine malfunctions and starts spewing out large amounts of partially digested caviar all over the mansion. The caviar flows across various sections of the aristocrat's mansion, filling every room with an enormous caviar-covered mess, before finally pouring down a staircase where the rest of the aristocrat's guests have arrived for an upcoming dinner party. In an attempt to salvage their elegant evening, the guests put on an impromptu performance, using the messy situation to create an outlandish and comedic dance routine. As the short ends, it displays the chaotic mess left behind by the now-erupted caviar, along with an end credit scene showcasing a more composed version of the aristocrat enjoying his caviar again, suggesting that he hasn't actually lost any weight due to some sort of trick. In its time, the animated short provided some groundbreaking animation for a 1925 release and would eventually lay the groundwork for future Terrytoons shorts, including many early series such as Farmer Alfalfa. Given its early date in the animation industry's production timeline, 'Caviar' may be an obscure film to modern audiences but serves as one of the key precursors to later, well-known films that emerged during the 1920s and 1930s of the animation business. Overall, this early work remains a testament to the development and growth of the animation industry during the early years of the 20th century.