Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #291

 Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. 

Today's cartoon selection begins with the first ever Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon, Fast and Furry-Ous (1949). Director Chuck Jones would later say in an interview, "Mike Maltese was the writer that worked with me, and he pretty much had the idea for this. We were talking about crazy chases, like aardvarks chasing wildebeests .... Actually, we were trying to do a takeoff on chases, because everybody was chasing everybody including in our stuff." They didn't view this cartoon as anything special and felt it would just be another one shot. This is shown by the fact that the next Roadrunner cartoon (Beep Beep) would not be released until 1952. Actually, before the second Roadrunner cartoon, the coyote would appear alongside Bugs Bunny in the short, Operation Rabbit (1952). In that film the coyote would speak and receive his full name, Wile E. Coyote (super genius). Jones would admit that a major influence on his coyote and roadrunner cartoons was the Frank Tashlin directed Columbia cartoon The Fox and the Grapes (1941), which was like these films made up of fast paced slapstick blackout gags. Fast and Furry-Ous was included in Jerry Beck's book, The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes. 

Now we join our old friend Dinky Duck in Life with Fido (1942). 

The following is from an issue of Paramount Around the World (dated April 1938), "BETTY BOOP IS DEAD! SALLY SWING IS SUCCESSOR!! It is with a sense of deep regret that we record the passing of Miss Betty Boop, the amiable, pulchritudinous, neckless young lady who has served Paramount so loyally for so many years. Miss Boop passed on suddenly but not before she was able to name her successor. Miss Sally Swing is the new Paramount cartoon eyeful. We present her above - front, side and reverse, as well as in the purely geometrical form that she is known to animators. Sally is presumed to be about 16 years of age. She is the epitome of modern youth, full of life, pep and the magic something which so sustains young people in the face of fearful odds. She is devoted to swing, is lithe and lissome, and, in parlance of Hollywood's scriptures is the ideal jitterbug. Her first cartoon appearance is scheduled for approximately two months from now." The following is from a 1938 issue of Motion Picture Daily, "Betty Boop, the Max Fleischer cartoon character which attained great popularity in its eight years of existence, will be missing from the Paramount short subject list next season. In Betty's place there will be a new cartoon character, Sally Swing, who is designed to be a modernized, stream-lined version of her predecessor, Paramount will distribute 12 of the cartoons featuring the new character."  This not true as Sally's cartoon career would end as soon as it began, and she would never have her own series. However, Betty's career was soon to end. 1939 would mark her last theatrical cartoon short. So here is Sally's attempt to break into the movies, Sally Swing (1938). 

Now for the Columbia Krazy Kat cartoon, Soda Poppa (1931). This short film is full of all the surreal fun that I love about cartoons from this time period. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now it is time for a silent Out of the Inkwell short, Koko Needles the Boss (1927). The live action "boss" that Koko is needling is producer Max Fleischer playing himself.

Next Donald Duck goes up against his nephews in Fire Chief (1940). This film was directed by Jack King, who directed many wonderful Donald cartoons around this era. This short film made its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV show entitled A Day in the Life of Donald Duck (1956). 

Now for an Orson's Farm short from TV's Garfield and Friends. 

Now for a bit of culture here is Bullwinkle's corner. 

Let us close with a classic episode of The Adventures of Ned Flanders. 

Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry. 

Resources Used

Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin

The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes edited by Jerry Beck

Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier

https://mediahistoryproject.org/

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Disney_Wiki