Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend: Bug Vaudeville (1921) ** 1/2 (out of 4)This Winsor McCay short has a hobo taking a nap after eating some cheese cake, which causes him to have strange dreams. This dream here just happens to take him to a circus where various bugs do tricks on the stage. I'd be lying if I said this here was among McCay's best works because it's certainly no where near that. It certainly falls well short of his earliest films but overall this here isn't too bad and fans of his should still want to check it out. The one thing lacking was an overall passion from the film. I didn't think the material was nearly as lively as it should have been and this includes scenes that are just rather flat and don't contain any laughs or charm. I think this might be due to the fact that everything we're seeing is pretty much just repeating itself. We see a bug doing a trick and then we get to the next bug who just does another trick. The animation itself is quite good and it's clear that it came a long way since McCay's first film ten years earlier.

Bug Vaudeville is just that: a series of insects performing various acts (boxing, dancing, acrobats, etc.) while a man watches. Give Mr. Winsor McCay credit for detail in the insect drawings and, unlike his mosquito short, there's nothing frightening here. Well, except maybe near the end when a spider appears and seems to tear the man apart before our eyes but then he wakes up...Pretty fascinating of a bit more conventional for a McCay animation. Loved some of the humorous touches like the potato bugs "boxing" or the somersaults of a couple of other insects. Anyone who has major interest in all animation history especially that of McCay's should check this rare short film at least once.

Winsor McCay is a real pioneer when it comes to animation. His LITTLE NEMO and GERTIE THE DINOSAUR are among the very earliest animated films are still hold up pretty well today--and are also great treasures due to their historical value. However, about a decade later, he produced some "Rarebit" cartoons that aren't quite as innovative and seem to imply that you should NOT eat cheese before napping lest you have some weird dreams. I enjoyed the one involving the pet that grew to enormous proportions, though I gotta admit that this one about "Bug Vaudeville" was a big disappointment. Not only was the animation less stellar, but the cartoon just isn't all that interesting. While not BAD, the cartoon isn't all that watchable today and is one that all but serious fans of animation can probably skip.

This is a creative and detailed Winsor McCay animated feature that is very enjoyable to watch, and it is fortunate that it is one of the surviving movies from his 'Rarebit Fiend' series. The idea itself is clever, and while it is a simple concept, the amusing details and expert technique make it work quite well.The dream about the "Bug Vaudeville" show opens up a lot of possibilities, and McCay does not let them go to waste. There is a series of interesting insects and arachnids who perform various feats of skill. They are cleverly drawn, and the backgrounds also contain some good detail. Most of their 'acts' are interesting and amusing to watch, and they show a resourceful sense of humor on McCay's part.Like most of the pioneers of the movie industry, McCay usually seemed to have a good feel for how much material there really was in one of his subjects. He gets lots of good mileage here out of the "Bug Vaudeville" idea, yet he also stops while the material is still fresh, instead of dragging out some extra footage from it. It's an enjoyable short feature, and a fine example of McCay's skill.