Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with the second Coyote and Roadrunner film (though Wile E. Coyote appeared sans Roadrunner in Operation Rabbit (1952) before this). When the first Roadrunner cartoon (Fast and the Furry-ous (1949)) was made, it was not intended to become a series. Writer Michael Maltese stated, "It was just another one-shot. Another workaday cartoon." This second entry proves that these characters had a power that lasted past one cartoon. Beep Beep remains one of the finest entries in the series.
Up next is a true Thanksgiving classic, Tom Turk and Daffy (1944). Unlike Christmas or Halloween, there really aren't a wide variety of Thanksgiving cartoons, which is odd once you think about how hunting a turkey is a perfect subject for a cartoon. However, the idea of hunting a turkey in a cartoon was done to perfection in this film. The cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones, who is often credited with playing a major role in turning Daffy from his early crazy self into a self-centered character bent on self-preservation-ism. While Daffy had not fully turned into that character by this point this cartoon shows that sneaking into the character. In this film Daffy is willing to sell-out his friend he vowed to protect when temptation gets the better of him (Those darn canned yams!). The idea of Daffy simply being too weak to resist temptation is fully in line with the Daffy we would see in later Jones cartoons. Yet he still has the wild energetic streak that characterized the older Daffy Duck cartoons. In an interview with film historian Joe Adamson, Chuck would state, "What you do is multiply your own weakness, I guess, in a character like Daffy. There was no problem after I began to understand what he was all about. My Daffy and Friz's [Looney Tunes director, Friz Freleng] are also a little bit different, Friz was the one you might say, who got him into that cowardly self-preservation. The minute he did it, I understood what that was; I knew how I'd feel. It's that awfulness, when you're on the battlefield, of realizing when your buddy is shot that your basic feeling is one of relief: that it wasn't you. Well Daffy says that. He says, 'I may be a mean little duck but I'm an alive little duck.' or when he gave Bugs up to the Abominable Snowman, he said, 'I'm not like other people: I can't stand pain - it hurts me.' When I'd go home, I'd tell Dorothy [Chuck's wife] a line like that, which just occurred as I was working. I'd say, 'You know what that guy Daffy did today?' and I'd repeat the line and then she'd look at me. She never got used to this, she'd say, 'Well, you were drawing it you did it.' I'd say 'That's not true! It just developed! That's what he said. It was natural for him to say it.'" Despite this cartoon being Thanksgiving themed, Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald's book, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Warner Brothers Cartoons, lists the film release date as February 12th, 1944. The story credit for this film goes to "The Staff" and as far as I know this is the only Warner cartoon with that credit. I do not know the reason for this if any of you do, please let me know.
Next is Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl (1950). In the vein of The Cat Concerto (1947) before it, this film once again features Tom trying to put on a concert and Jerry wanting to be a part of it. Tom has a big concert at the Hollywood Bowl as the conductor. Jerry wants to conduct alongside Tom, but Tom does not take to kindly to this. Tom tries his best to get Jerry out of his way, but the mouse proves to be incredibly stubborn.
Now for a delightfully bizarre early Terry Toons short, Golf Nuts (1930). This is actually the first Terry Toon not to have the name of a food or drink in its title. All the Terry Toons before this were named after some food or drink.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is a black and white Walter Lantz cartoon, Pixie Land (1938). While this may not be as funny as the Walter Lantz shorts of the 1950's it is still quite enjoyable on its own terms.
Before Pat Sullivan produced the silent Felix the Cat cartoons, he produced a series of animated short films starring Charlie Chaplin's little tramp character. Charlie's Turkish Dream (1919) is a good example of one of these films.
Now for a Mickey Mouse Works TV cartoon, Roller Coaster Painters (1999). This cartoon would later be used in the House of Mouse episode, Not So Goofy (2001).
Today's cartoon selection ends with a classic Thanksgiving TV special, Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989).
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another selection of animated treasures. Until then may all you tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Chuck Jones: Conversations Edited by Maureen Furniss
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Warner Brothers Cartoons by Jerry Beck and Will Friedwald
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in it's Golden Age by Michael Barrier
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
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