His Nibs (1921); Feel My Pulse (1928)

Directed by Gregory La Cava

In 1917, director Gregory La Cava was hired by William Randolph Hearst to oversee production at International Film Service, a company he had set up to adapt Hearst-controlled comic strips into animated shorts for the big screen.  Abie Kabibble Outwitting His Rival was one of two such shorts based on the Harry Hershfield’s comic “Abie the Agent” which featured the first Jewish character in an American comic strip, Abraham Kabibble, a middle class car salesman.  In the short, La Cava retains the graphic word bubble element of the comics as Abie goes to great lengths to steal a customer from a competing dealership across the street.

35mm, b/w, silent, 7 min.