Small Star Cinema

{{Infobox television

| image =

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| genre = Fantasy

| director = Michael Hirsh
Patrick Loubert

| starring = Clive A. Smith

| country = Canada

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 10

| producer = Michael Hirsh
Patrick Loubert

| location = Toronto

| runtime = 12 minutes

| company = Nelvana Limited

| channel = CBC Television

| first_aired = {{Start date|1974|4|12}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1975|5|24}}

| related = Christmas Two Step

}}

{{external media

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| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mISn6erPhpw "Mr Pencil Draws The Line" early Nelvana (16mm 1975)], YouTube}}

Small Star Cinema is a series of live-action/animated shorts broadcast on CBC Television from April 12, 1974, to May 24, 1975, as part of their Bagatelle, Camera Twelve and Children's Cinema series. It was produced by Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert, and starred Clive A. Smith.{{cite web|title=Nelvana 30th Anniversary Profile|url=http://kidscreen.com/2001/05/01/30888-20010501/|website=Kidscreen|date=May 1, 2001}} Each short began with a small animated character purposefully walking into a spotlight. The series was then followed by the 1975 Christmas special Christmas Two Step also made for the CBC that has a similar premise.

Small Star Cinema was one of the first series made by Canada's Nelvana Limited; known as Nelvana Films at the time, and was their first television program. All 10 of the Small Star Cinema shorts have been documented online, however, almost all of the shorts have been lost. Only one short, "Mr. Pencil Draws the Line", broadcast on April 12, 1975, has been recovered, and can be found on YouTube as of January 2020.

Episodes

{{Episode table |background=#FFD700|overall=3 |title=15 |director=15 |airdate=15 |episodes=

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 1

|Title = Waltz in Mounted Time

|DirectedBy = Patrick Loubert

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|4|12}}

|ShortSummary = The dreams two brothers have in that moment of half-sleep and half-awakening.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 2

|Title = Birds of Music

|DirectedBy = Michael Hirsh

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|4|19}}

|ShortSummary = An animated film about a little girl who plays the piano to sound like singing birds.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 3

|Title = Wild Goose Chase

|DirectedBy = Patrick Loubert

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|4|26}}

|ShortSummary = The story of Lydia and a Canada goose.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 4

|Title = Mr. Rubbish's Children's Tour of the Big City

|DirectedBy = Patrick Loubert

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|5|3}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 5

|Title = Smile-A-Day

|DirectedBy = Michael Hirsh

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|5|10}}

|ShortSummary =

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 6

|Title = The Happy Chalk Dog

|DirectedBy = Michael Hirsh

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1974|12|26}}

|ShortSummary = A bedtime story invented by a little boy who plays the star role.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 7

|Title = Zounds of Music

|DirectedBy = Patrick Loubert

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1975|1|1}}

|ShortSummary = A young girl chases a musical note.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 8

|Title = Mr. Pencil Draws the Line

|DirectedBy = Michael Hirsh

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1975|4|12}}

|ShortSummary = The famous pencil Mr. Pencil leaves his house and is bothered by some kids who want him to draw more. As he walks through Toronto, a police officer takes pictures of him until he is hit by a board, breaking his lead. Mr. Pencil is sent to The Hospital for Sick Children, where Debbie tells him that some kids in the playroom want him to draw for them. At the playroom, some musicians sing "Amen" for the kids, then they welcome Mr. Pencil, who will animate stories the kids make up. One kid tells a story where Mr. Pencil is sharpened, then repeatedly abused and eaten by a grandmother. Another kid turns the grandmother into the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood. A girl tells about a black knight whose tongue is a punching glove, and ends the story with Mr. Pencil being hit by a truck. Mr. Pencil would rather dance and sing, so they briefly do the Hokey Pokey. Jamie and Ryan give Mr. Pencil a pencil sharpener as a present; it fits him perfectly and he feels better.

Note: This is the most documented episode of the series. This episode was copyrighted in 1974 and released in 1975. This is the only episode found up to this point.

|LineColor = FFD700

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{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 9

|Title = Battle of the Alphabet

|DirectedBy = Patrick Loubert

|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1975|5|3}}

|ShortSummary = An animated film using the alphabet to explain such subjects as aggression, war and peace.

|LineColor = FFD700

}}

{{Episode list

|EpisodeNumber = 10