"Steve the Horse"
("Come On Steve !")
Roland Davies was born 23rd July 1904. He studied to be a lithographer, then seems to have become an illustrator of cinema posters and for magazines like Autocar and Motor Cycle. By 1928 he was drawing illustrations and covers for the magazine Modern Boy. His big break came in March 1932 when he began drawing the cartoon strip "Come On Steve" in the Sunday Express. This title came from the cries of the race-going crowd as Jockey Steve Donoghue rode to victory after victory.
The Sunday Express strip was so popular that Roland Davies sunk his savings into a ten shilling movie camera and launched his own cartoon film company Cartoon Films Limited at Ipswich. Six cartoon films for the cinema were made during 1936 and 1937, plus an advertising film for Ford Tractors (a copy of this is in the East Anglian Film Archive). It is interesting that one of the animators was none other than Carl Giles (now the late Carl Giles OBE), later famous for his Daily Express cartoons. Looking at them today the Steve the Horse cartoons are interesting, but don't compare with the American product available at the time from Disney, Fleischer and others, which is probably why no more were made, the studio closing in 1938.
We hear from the Steve the Horse Fan Club that there were plans for a further Steve the Horse cartoon, to be produced in colour - Steve Goes To London - sadly this never appeared. (See below for details of the club's web-site.)
artwork from intended colour Steve
Goes To London
We are lucky that all six Steve the Horse cartoons arrived on 9.5mm (and 17.5mm) sound in the UK, being released by Pathéscope very soon after their 1938 launch of 9.5mm optical sound in the UK. These UK 9.5mm optical sound Steve the Horse cartoon releases remained in the Pathescope catalogue till 1941, not reappearing after the war - the Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons were no doubt rather more popular! A number of the Steve the Horse cartoons also appeared on 9.5mm in France, released by Pathé-Baby in silent and optical sound versions, where Steve appears to have been called Poulichette. The French Pathé-Baby 9.5mm optical sound versions appeared just before the war, two of the titles disappearing soon after - "Bal Costume" & "Cendrillon Canasson", (it is rumoured many of the French master negatives were destroyed during the war). The French Pathé-Baby 9.5mm silent versions appeared in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Full details are on the list below.
Roland Davies continued drawing series for comics up to 1970 when he left this field and began painting. He died on the 12th December 1993.
It is interesting to note that in 1998 the studio name was revived as Roland Davies Animation, still at Ipswich. Adrian Roper the director and animator got permission from the late Jean Benson who was Roland Davies daughter to use the name. It is a production, training and facilities studio involved with computer animation. In 1998 their aim was to produce a series of six computer animated films entitled "The Adventures of Steve" based on the Roland Davies Sunday Express cartoon strip - now where have we heard that before ?
Pathé-Baby illustration for "Le
Manoir Hanté"
"Come On Steve" cartoon series - GB 1936/1937
A Roland Davies Cartoon Films Limited
Production. Distributed by Butcher's Film Services Ltd
Produced, directed, story: Roland Davies. Animation: Carl Giles.
Music: John Reynders. Camera: John Rudkin-Hubbard
"Steve Steps Out" GB 1936
("Come On Steve No.1") First in the series - When Steve espies a notice of a tightrope walking competition it is more than he can do to resist a little practice. It is great fun while it lasts, using the white line in the centre of the road as an imaginary rope, but the cars and buses which have to follow at almost a funeral march are loud in condemming the capers. With the police hot on his track, Steve has to bolt for safety ... but finds it is safety of a perilous kind.
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve Steps Out" T.7486 - issued Feb 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve Steps Out" T.9486 - issued Sept 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathé-Baby France as "Embouteillage" MS.70084 & MS.70156 9.5mm silent Pathé-Baby France as "Embouteillage" M.4660 - issued approx 1954 ?
"Steve 's Treasure Hunt" GB 1936
("Come On Steve No.2") Steve enters an ancestral home in the hope of finding buried treasure. He is in competition with a plunderer but demoralises him with the aid of the haunted chamber in the castle. The treasure is found deep down in the ground and Steve becomes another "winner".
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve's Treasure Hunt" T.7485 - issued Jan 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve's Treasure Hunt" T.9485 - issued Aug 1938 9.5mm silent Pathé-Baby France as "Le Manoir Hanté" SB.4625 - issued approx 1949 ?
"Steve's Cannon Crackers" GB 1937
("Come On Steve No.3") Dealing with Steve's adventures on top of a fortress where, with the aid of his driver , he mischieviously hurls cannon balls at a passing ship.
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve's Cannon Crackers" T.7487 - issued Mar 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve's Cannon Crackers" T.9487 - issued Sept 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathé-Baby France as "Cannoniers, A Vos Pieces" MS.70157 9.5mm silent Pathé-Baby France as "Cannoniers, A Vos Pieces" M.4661 - issued approx 1954 ? (n.b. This film is listed in the Pathescope catalogues as "Steve Cannon Crackers")
"Steve Of The River" GB 1937
("Come On Steve No.4") A real horsey version of the late Edgar Wallace's novel "Sanders Of The River" by cartoonist Roland Davies, but there is far more comedy than drama in this account.
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve Of The River" T.7482 - issued Oct 1937 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve Of the River" T.9482 - issued Jul 1938
Actual 9.5mm film frames
"Steve In Bohemia" GB 1937
("Come On Steve No.5") Steve, endeavouring to find a costume in which to go to the Artists' Ball, tastes the fun of night-life. All sorts of costumes seem likely to come his way, but always something happens to bring his plans to nought. Eventually Steve does get to the ball, arriving at the ceremony via the roof of the hall, after falling from an inflated rubber figure he planned to filch. .
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve In Bohemia" T.7484 - issued Dec 1937 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Steve In Bohemia" T.9484 - issued Aug 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathé-Baby France as "Bal Costume" SS.70087- issued Jun/Jul 1939 9.5mm silent Pathé-Baby France as "Bal Costume" SB.4626 - issued approx 1949 ?
"Cinderella Steve" GB 1937
("Come On Steve No.6") Last in the series - Steve is left behind when the Farm Show takes place. As in the fairy story, a dear old fairy grandmother comes to succour the unfortunate. Of course, Steve loses his slipper just like Cinderella, but oh, what fun he has when he collects first prize in the show.
17.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Cinderella Steve" T.7483 - issued Nov 1937 9.5mm optical sound Pathescope UK as "Cinderella Steve" T.9483 - issued Jul 1938 9.5mm optical sound Pathé-Baby France as "Cendrillon Canasson" SS.70090-issued Aug 1939
(Film descriptions are from Pathescope Monthly magazines)
In 2003 9.5mm enthusiast Lee Mannering set up a Steve the Horse Fan Club - check out their excellent web-site which contains further details and photos of Steve the Horse cartoons - http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/fans-of-steves
References:
British Animated Films 1895-1985 by the late Denis Gifford (McFarland & Company,Inc)
The Great Cartoon Stars by the late Denis Gifford (Jupiter Books)
Pathescope Monthly magazines 1937/1938
Pathescope Film Catalogues 1940/1941
Roland Davies Animation 1998 web page -
Mandy's International Film & TV Production Directory www.mandy.com
Roland Davies page - Lambiek Studio
Maurice Trace 17.5mm and 9.5mm sound film catalogues
Grahame Newnham 9.5mm French optical sound film catalogue
Catalogue Général Films 9.5mm 1922-1986 by François Poussin
Any corrections, or additional information will be greatly appreciated!
e-mail me, Grahame Newnham at presto @ pathefilm.freeserve.co.uk
(no gaps in actual e-mail address)
Still available January 2008 A DVD featuring all six of the Steve the Horse
cartoons. Price is £12 plus 75p UK postage. |
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Created 29Sept2003 Last updated: 09 February 2008 ........... 95flmsteve.htm .......... ©MM3 G.L. Newnham