Some Cartoons for Saturday Morning #225

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

Today's cartoon selection begins with Get Lost (1956). This short film marks the first animated appearance of Woody Woodpecker's nephew and niece, Knothead and Splinter. However the characters had already appeared in comic books as early as 1952. In their earliest comic book appearances both characters were boys and Knothead was called Nuthead. This pair of characters would only appear in 6 theatrical cartoon shorts but would later become regulars on TV's The New Woody Woodpecker Show (1999-2001). 

Though certainly much less remembered than the studio's Popeye, Betty Boop and Superman cartoons, the Fleischer Studio made a series of cartoons that took place in the Stone Age. This series ran only for 12 short films and all these cartoons were released in 1940. Here is one of those cartoons, The Ugly Dino (1940). Like quite a few of the Fleischer cartoons of this era, this movie is much more in the style of a Disney short, than the Fleischer's more distinct earlier style.  

Despite Taz's extreme popularity with Looney Tunes fans today, he only appeared in 5 of the original short films. My favorite of these cartoons is Ducking the Devil (1957). This movie marks the only time during the golden age of Looney Tunes that Taz was paired against Daffy Duck. In the other four films, Taz had worked against Bugs Bunny. This movie like the other Taz cartoons is directed by Robert McKimson. 

Next is a great one-off Disney short, Pigs is Pigs (1954). You will easily notice watching this movie that is looks quite different from the average Disney cartoon short. This was at the time when the UPA studio was being held as the next big thing in animation. Using the type of flat and more stylized look that was so prominent in the UPA films became something that every American animation studio did. Disney admittedly used this style of artwork less often than many of the other studios did. However there were a few cartoons made by the Disney studio, where the storyline called out for this type of artwork and when it was appropriate Disney would use it for a short. This may be my favorite of Disney's UPA inspired shorts. 

Now it is time for a commercial break. 

Now for a silent movie, The Extra Quick Lunch (1918) starring Mutt and Jeff. 

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Moving Picture World, 1917

Now for some Saturday Morning Minions. 

Next up is The Ant and the Aardvark in Odd Ant Out (1970). This movie is an unusual one in the series, due to the fact that the ant does not have much screen time. Instead the majority of this short film involves the Aardvark fighting with a green aardvark over a can of chocolate covered ants. This green aardvark had previously appeared in the short, I've Got Ants In My Plans (1969). That was a similar short with the two aardvarks fighting over the ant, with the big difference between the two cartoons being that in the earlier short the ant got more screen time. /

Now for the next chapter of the webtoon series, Toon Marooned (2001) starring the Looney Tunes characters. There are only three constants left. Who will make it through this episode and who will be voted off? 

Thanks for joining me come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.