Johnny Corncob

Hungarian animation hit the big screen for the first time in 1973 with Johnny Corncob (Janos Vitez) by director Marcell Jankovics. It is based on the 19th century Hungarian epic poem of the same name, and follows a brave shepherd who joins the Hussars, rescues France and returns home to find his beloved sweetheart dead. Unperturbed, he sets out on a series of perilous quests knowing that his only chance to be reunited with his love may lie in death. With its jaunty tunes, dazzlingly imaginative visuals and Munchausen-esque exaggeration (at one point he scales a mountain so high he is scorched by the sun), Johnny Corncob marks an impressive debut. Jankovic would later go on to make his masterpiece, Son of the White Mare. —-filmwalrus