Hermione Gingold in Winter of the Witch (1969)

Obscurity factor: 8

Thanks to Lee Kay from Chicago for bringing this one to my attention. Little Nicky and his mother (Anna Strasburg) leave the big city for a new home in the country. They buy one that is rumored to be haunted and upon moving in meet the witch that haunts the place (Hermione Gingold). They relegate her to the attic while they try and make the home pleasant. She becomes depressed and one day Nicky tries to cheer her up. He discovers she used to cook for the other witches that lived in the house, so he asks her to cook for them. She makes blueberry pancakes, but not just ordinary blueberry pancakes - these pancakes make people happy. When Nicky's mother tastes them, she decides to open a pancake parlor.

This film, which was narrated by Burgess Meridith, was recently written up in the NY Times. It has developed the kind of cult following that has made it a legend. It was made by Parent's Magazine and distributed through schools, to be shown at assemblies and when rain kept the children in during recess. It was lost to the sands of time until the internet came along. Hundreds of people were finally vindicated in their memories of this odd little film that none of their friends remembered. Here's a link to the New York Times article.

Obscurity factor: 8 (almost completely forgotten until it was featured in the times, available on DVD)

Judy Garland & Robert Goulet in Gay Purr-ee (1963)

This will be the third in Brini's Obscurity Factory screening series for Monday, March 28th. It's really an obscure classic. Judy Garland plays Mewsette, a simple French country cat who happens to be very beautiful. She yearns for the sophistication of Paris and decides to make her way there, much to the chagrin to her virile boyfriend Jaune Tom (Goulet). When he finds out she's left, he and his sidekick Robsepierre (Red Buttons) set out to find her. They aren't in time to save her from the clutches of Meowrice and his evil band of alley cats who want to sell Mewsette off to the highest bidder as a mail order bride.

Featured in the film is a charming original score by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen. The animation was spearheaded by the Chuck Jones team. Look for a beautiful sequence of paintings done in the style of famous artists featuring Mewsette. Also look... or listen rather for Hermione Gingold, Morey Amsterdam and Mel Blanc in the cast.

This film is rarely screened anymore, though it is available on DVD. It can also be watched (albeit with commentary by a Disney fan) on YouTube, but you're better off coming to the screening on Monday if you're in New York. The trailer can be seen above, uploaded to YouTube by TheManThatGetAway. The poster above can be bought at MoviePosterShop.com

Obscurity factor: 5 (fondly remembered by many from their childhood, available on DVD, rarely screened)