Hello again my friends it is once again Saturday Morning, the morning of all things cartoony. So what do you say we look at some more classic cartoons?
For Saturday morning where better to start with than the kings of Saturday morning, Hanna-Barbera. And if we are going to start with Hanna-Barbera where better to start than with what is possibly my favorite Hanna-Barbera TV series, The Quick Draw McGraw Show (1959-1962). Like The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958-1962) before it, a Quick Draw episode was made up of three cartoon shorts, these would include a cartoon with Quick Draw himself, a cartoon with Snooper and Blabber and a cartoon with Augie Doggie and Augie Daddy. Also like Huck's show, this series also featured short little segments between the main cartoons. Here are some of those.
Like The Quick Draw McGraw Show, The Bugs Bunny Show (1960-1968) was made up of multiple short cartoons, the difference being that these shorts weren't new, but cartoons that had already been shown theatrically. This show also had little short segments between the main cartoons and these were made specifically for the show. Here are a few of those. Notice that some of the dialogue between Porky Pig and Charlie Dog is taken directly out of the theatrical cartoon short Often an Orphan (1949). According to Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald's indispensable book, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Brothers Cartoons the Porky Pig and Charlie Dog bumpers come from the 11th episode of the show (original air date: 12/20/60) which was directed by Looney Tunes legends Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng themselves. The short cartoons in that episode included Two's a Crowd (1950), All-a-Bird (1950) and Hasty Hare (1952). The bumpers with Bugs animating are from the 19th episode of the show (original air date: 2/14/61), also directed by Chuck and Friz. The classic shorts in that episode included Mutiny on the Bunny (1950), Punch Trunk (1953) and Fast and Furry-ous (1949). So without further ado enjoy these great bumpers.
UPA was one of the most unique and artistically daring studios of the golden age of animation. They were a studio that refused to follow the other studios' reliance on funny animals and slapstick violence but instead set out to create short films that showed how animation could do more things than the average cartoon short was doing. In my opinion one of the best films from the studio is The Unicorn in the Garden (1953). This short was an adaption of a short story by James Thurber. Stephan Bosustow (head of the studio) wanted to make a feature film adaption of a Thurber story, but couldn't get the funding. He asked director William Hurtz to make a short film based on a Thurber story. Hurtz chose The Unicorn in the Garden because it relied on human characters instead of animals. Hurtz studied the work of Thurber extremely closely for this film, but Bosustow was still disappointed and refused to enter it for an Academy Award. I respectfully disagree feeling that this film is a fantastic adaption. I am not the only one as it ended up as #48 in Jerry Beck's excellent book The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Next up let's look at a classic Popeye cartoon, Shiver Me Timbers! (1934). It is a common criticism to say all Popeye cartoons were the same storyline over and over. However when one looks at all the classic cartoons, they find many that plain old don't fit into the formula of Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive. This is one of those and it sure is a unique and creative cartoon, as well as tons of fun. It is important to note as you watch these early Popeye cartoons, despite Dave Fleischer being credited as director, the title is not completely true. True he was the overall supervisor and his imprint can be felt. However what we would consider today as the actual directing was usually done by the first animator listed, in this case that is Willard Bowski. This cartoon features Popeye, Olive and Wimpy aboard a ghost ship. Popeye and Olive would later board another ghost ship in the final theatrical Popeye short, Spooky Swabs (1957). Still I argue that this 1934 black and white short did the idea better.
Next up is a Peter Potamus cartoon from The Peter Potamus Show (1964-1965) called Hurricane Hippo. This show only ran one season, but I admit to having a fondness for it.
Let us finish with one of Earl Hurd's great silent Bobby Bumps shorts. So here is Bobby Bumps and the Stork (1916). Earl Hurd was one of the creators of cel animation, and though not well remembered his Bobby Bumps cartoons are certainly some of the great animated films of the silent era. During the talkie era, Hurd would serve as a writer on Walt Disney's feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
Thank you for joining me. Stay tooned next week for more classic cartoons. Until then peace, love and cartoons.
-Michael J. Ruhland
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