Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with one of Chuck Jones' great Bugs Bunny cartoons, Wackiki Wabbit (1943). The two castaways who try to eat Bugs in this cartoon, were caricatured to look like and were voiced by Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies writers, Michael Maltese and Tedd Pierce. Many of Chuck's cartoons of this time had great experimentation with background art (due to the work of such artists as John McGrew, Bernyce Polifka and Gene Fleury) and that is certainly true here. The following are some exhibitor's reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoons: A 'Bugs Bunny' short that shows signs of getting him back into his once high place. If they like Bugs, they'll like this one. - W. Varrick Nevins, Ill, Alfred Co-op Theatre, Alfred, N.Y." "Wackiki Wabbit: Merrie Melodies Cartoon— This is one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons of the season and it went over big here. - Thomas Di Lorenzo, New Paltz Theatre, New Platz, N.Y." The experimental artwork in this film drew both praise and criticism from those working in animation. The Disney layout artist Karl Van Leuven wrote in the cartoonists' union newsletter (in December 1943), "This opus is notable not for its habit-formed story, but for the imaginative experimentation of its layout and background. Particularly noteworthy was the discovery that a flat tone can carry background movement. Novel but not so successful was the use of tapa cloth patterns with overlays of stylized foliage plotches as backgrounds for action on a typical tropical isle. [producer Leon Schlesinger] is pacing the current background breakaway from the cute." Warner Brothers background artist (and future voice of the Road Runner) would remember the reaction the film had from others in the studio. "The picture culminated in a chase where two people ran off into the distance, and the background ... was so flat it came off like, here are two people shrinking into a piece of wallpaper. That created kind of an upset ... a popular outcry - what the hell is going on here? The expression 'artsy-fartsy' got used a great deal that month."
Next comes the silent Out of the Inkwell cartoon, Koko's Quest (1927).
Now for our good friend, Farmer Al Falfa in The Tin Can Tourist (1937).
Up next is Mr. Magoo's film debut, Ragtime Bear (1949). The UPA studio wanted to get away from funny animals and use human characters as their stars. Yet Columbia (their distributor) had little interest in that, feeling they should stick to the funny animals that dominated much of cartoons at this time. Columbia reluctantly accepted Ragtime Bear because it did have a funny animal in it and that the animal was the titular character. Of course, after Mr. Magoo became popular Columbia never argued about a human being the star of the cartoons. Mr. Magoo as a character benefited heavily from the voice talents of Jim Backus. Jerry Hausner (voice of Magoo's nephew Waldo) commented on recording this first cartoon, "We went into the studio with two pages of dialogue. We read all of the speeches that had been written down, then [John] Hubley did something that no other animated cartoon director had ever done in my presence. He said 'Let's do it again and ad-lib around the subject. Throw in any wild thoughts you might have.' We did another version of it. Backus began to go crazy and have a good time … He invented a lot of things and brought to the cartoons a wonderful and fresh approach." About the origins of Magoo's voice, Backus would state, “Magoo’s voice was taken from the character I play in my nightclub act — the man in the club car [the train car where alcohol can be purchased]. You know, the loud-mouth traveling salesman who shows pictures of his family to everybody in the club car, belongs to all the clubs and tells dirty jokes. It was the same with Magoo in the beginning. He was a dirty old man. Half the time you couldn’t understand what he was saying, he just used to mumble.” Director John Hubley later stated about the early version of Magoo that appeared in this film, "A great deal in the original character, the strength of him, was that he was so damn bull-headed. It wasn't just that he couldn't see very well; even if he had been able to see he still would have made dumb mistakes, cause he was such a bull-headed, opinionated old guy." This cartoon would be reissued to theaters in 1959.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for Donald Duck in Cured Duck (1945). In this short Donald tries to learn how to control his temper, which may not be that easy. The story was written by Roy Williams who would later be the big Mouseketeer on TV's Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959). This cartoon would make its TV debut on an episode of the Disneyland TV series entitled Donald's Award (1957).
Next we join Dimwit the dog in Flying Cups and Saucers (1949). This sci-fi themed Terry Toons cartoon was directed by Connie Rasinski. Terry Toons producer Paul Terry would state about Rasinski, "He came to work when it was Terry, Moser and Coffman. An old friend of mine named Litchfeild, who was a painter, passed away, and his wife sent this kid over to get a job, and I gave him a job. And that's Connie. Connie, who came to work for me as a kid, developed rapidly and he was with me for practically all his life. He was fat and everything he drew was chubby and round and well fed." After appearing with Terry characters like Heckle and Jeckle and Mighty Mouse, Flying Cups and Saucers was the first film in Dimwit's own starring series.
Now for an early Woody Woodpecker short, The Dizzy Acrobat (1943). In these earlier Woody films, the character is a bit cruder than fans of his later work are used to. But there is something about this sheer unabashed craziness that many cartoon fans (including myself) can't get enough of. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award; however, it lost to Disney's Der Fuehrer's Face (1943). The following is from an issue of Showman's Trade Review (dated June 5, 1943), "Walter Lantz Cartune Studios which releases through Universal, has just released 'The Dizzy Acrobat,' A Woody Woodpecker special. The cartune revolves around the circus, and Lantz had experts advising the animators so that the action and facts would be accurate.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in The Bart Simpson Show (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series. It is weird to have Bart call Homer "dad" while Lisa calls him "Homer." It is also fun to see such an early version of Itchy and Scratchy.
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
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Hello, my friends and welcome back for a spooky edition of Saturday Morning Cartoons.
Today's spooky cartoon selection begins with The Haunted House (1929). Despite its spooky setting, this film was released closer to Christmas, premiering in movie theaters on December 2, 1929. Still the spooky setting is very effective, and this sense of atmosphere makes it one of my favorite early Mickeys. Though legendary animator and pioneering Disney director, Ub Iwerks had by this time mostly been dedicating himself to the Silly Symphony shorts rather than the Mickey Mouse, you can see some of his work here. However, this is in reused footage from the famous first Silly Symphony, The Skelton Dance (1929), which was released earlier the same year. This film did run into trouble with the state censors though not for any of the creepy parts. Instead, they objected to gags involving a chamber pot and an outhouse.
Now for the Pink Panther in Pink Plasma (1975). This short was directed by Art Leonardi, who had been an animator for Friz Freleng's unit at Warner Brothers (Friz of course was one of the producers of the Pink Panther cartoons). He would later become a director for the TV series, Tiny Toons Adventures. The writer for this cartoon was one of Friz's favorite writers John Dunn.
Next comes a classic Norman McCabe directed Daffy Duck cartoon. Though he only directed three Daffy cartoons, Norman McCabe more than proved himself as a perfect match for this character. Though his Daffy was still wild and crazy, Norman's cartoons gave him a more fully formed personality than previous directors did. Besides just the personality these films were extremely high energy cartoons that were extremely fun. Norman McCabe would continue working with the Looney Tunes characters well past the golden age of Looney Tunes, as he would be a timing director for the TV shows, Tiny Toon Adventures (1990-1991), Taz-Mania (1991-1995) and The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries (1995-1996). So, enjoy Impatient Patient (1942).
Now comes the Terry Toons cartoon, Pandora (1934).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for Felix the Cat in Skulls and Sculls (1930).
Now for something completely different here is a completely serious cartoon short of the 1950's, The Tell-Tale Heart (1953). This film is not surprisingly from the UPA studio. The UPA studio at this time sought to move away from the violent slapstick of Warner Brothers or MGM cartoons, or the more realistic "illusion of life" featured in many Disney cartoons. They often experimented with what could be done with the color and design in animated films. These films often experimented with flat backgrounds, purposely limited animation and abstract color schemes that reflect the emotion of a scene rather than what something would really look like. As is true of all cartoon studios that do a lot of experimenting, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Tell-Tale Heart is one of the most successful and one of the most extreme experiments. Most American audiences at this time had never seen an animated short quite like this and many would never see something like this again. When a 1954 article in Home Movies talking about the Cannes Film Festival got to Disney's Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953) winning a prize, the writer had this to say, "It is unpardonable however that Disney should so openly and fully steal the style of the cartoon developed by the most excellent groups of artists, Steven Bosustow's UPA. It was no secret this was the case among those as the festival as UPA is well known and well respected in France. It is a shame that UPA recent and excellent 3D cartoon, The Tell-Tale Heart could not be shown at the festival, for it most certainly won the prize awarded to Disney." This cartoon is placed at 24 in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Next comes Woody Woodpecker in Spook-a-Nanny (1964). This is the only original cartoon made for TV's Woody Woodpecker Show. For the most part the cartoons on this show consisted of the theatrical short films from the Walter Lantz studio. However, this cartoon has become a Halloween tradition for many cartoon fans (including me). The title song is ridiculously catchy.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror segment, The Raven (1990). This cartoon comes from the first of The Simpsons' many Halloween specials. The first Treehouse of Horror was released during season two and with the show in its 37th season, it has continued to do one of these Halloween specials every season since. This still ranks as one of my favorite Treehouse of Horror segments.
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 the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky Pig in Jeepers Creepers (1939). This cartoon shows director Bob Clampett at his absolute best. The film has a great sense of spooky atmosphere, a great sense of energy, a catchy title song (which premiered in the Warner Brothers movie, Going Places (1938), where it was sung by jazz legend Louis Armstrong) and very strong gags.
For anyone interested in movie history, many of the Disney cartoons of the 1920's are essential watching. The reason for this is that many of them are directed by Walt himself. All of us know Walt Disney as a producer, a studio head, a TV personality and one of the movies' greatest ambassadors, however in these short films we get to see him in the director's chair. Next we have one of the cartoons he directed, El Terrible Toreador (1929). This movie marked the second Silly Symphony cartoon and the first one directed by Walt. As with many early Disney films, this cartoon features many gags that go against the rules put in place in the later Disney cartoons. For instance the later films would not allow body parts to detach or stretch to impossible lengths. Yet in this movie, both of those are common sights. There are also some somewhat risqué gags that wouldn't fit with Disney's later squeaky clean image. Despite this only being the second Silly Symphony, the series already boasts an incredible cast of animators. Ub Iwerks (Walt's right hand man and one of the main influences on the early Disney style) animates the bullfighting scenes and supervised the work of the other animators. Burt Gillet (who would go on to direct many great Mickey Mouse cartoons as well as The Three Little Pigs (1933)) animates the meeting of Carmen and Don Jose. Wilfred Jackson (who would direct some of the best Silly Symphonies and be one of the directors of features like Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953) and Lady And the Tramp (1955)) animates Carmen's dance. Les Clark (one of the best Mickey animators and one of Walt's nine old men) animates a close-up of Don Jose. Jack King (who would direct some excellent Donald Duck cartoons) animates Escamillo confronting Don Jose. Ben Sharpsteen (who would be the supervising director for Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941)) animates the introduction to the bullfighting scene.
Up next is the Aesop's Sound Fables cartoon, Sky Skippers (1930).
Now for Good Deed Daly in Scouts to the Rescue (1956).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is Woody Woodpecker in Well Oiled (1947). This short film was directed by former Disney animator Dick Lundy. While working at Disney, he was one of the studio's duck-men, a group of artists who specialized in animating Donald Duck. He would later even direct some Donald Duck cartoons. Between the Donald Duck cartoons for Disney, his various cartoons for Walter Lantz (for whom this cartoon was made) and his Barney Bear cartoons for MGM, he proved himself just as fine of a director as he was an animator.
Now for Mutt and Jeff in Where Am I? (1925).
Spooky Swabs (1957) marked the final Popeye theatrical short. This cartoon has Popeye and Olive Oyl aboard a haunted ship. The two characters (as well as Wimpy) had been on a haunted ship before in the cartoon, Shiver Me Timbers (1934).
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Grandpa and the Kids (1988). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV show.
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 the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Welcome back for another selection of classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with the film that introduced the character of Woody Woodpecker to movie-goers, Knock Knock (1940). However, this cartoon is part of the Andy Panda series, and Andy Panda and his dad are the true stars of the movie. Yet it is Woody who gets the best laughs and steals the show. Producer Walter Lantz would later state that the idea for this film would be inspired by a woodpecker hammering at his roof during his honeymoon at Sherwood Lake California. However, this story has been disproven by many film historians. Leonard Maltin would write in his landmark book, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, "This delightful story has apparently undergone some showmanly embellishment, since the honeymoon occurred one year after the production of the cartoon." If Woody here seems very familiar to the early Daffy Duck or the early prototype for Bugs Bunny this is not a coincidence. Recently having joined the Lantz staff was Ben "Bugs" Hardaway, who had worked for Looney Tunes and with said characters. This cartoon feels a lot like many of the Warner Brothers cartoons that Hardaway had directed. Also helping add to the similarity is that Woody is voiced by Mel Blanc, the voice of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny.
Next comes the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Time on My Hands (1932). This short has an early appearance of Betty Boop (as a topless mermaid) and a song performed by Ethel Merman. Betty even turns into Ethel Merman at one point.
Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, The Little Red Hen (1955). This short is directed by Connie Rasinski.
Rare for a character from a Disney feature film (at least during the Walt era), Jiminy Cricket continued being used at the Disney studio well after being introduced to audiences in Pinocchio (1940). He would go on to appear in another Disney feature, Fun and Fancy Free (1947), he would appear in some episodes of the Disney anthology series and would be a regular presence on TV's The Mickey Mouse Club. He would appear in the theme song and host various short segments, where he would function in the role of an educator, teaching kids about safety, science and health. One of these segments was the I'm No Fool segment, where he would teach kids how to be safe. These segments first aired on the TV series but were later sent to schools as 16mm educational films. Now enjoy, I'm No Fool with Fire (1955).
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for the early Looney Tunes cartoon, Bosko Shipwrecked! (1931). This was the first Looney Tunes cartoon to be solely directed by Hugh Harman. In the previous cartoons Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising would direct the films together. However, from this point on, for the most part, Hugh Harman would direct the Looney Tunes, while Rudolf Ising would direct the Merrie Melodies. The shot of Bosko running away from the lion would be later used in the opening credits of the Futurama episode, Anthology of Interest I (2000).
Now for a classic silent cartoon with Krazy Kat Invalid (1916). For those of you unaware Krazy Kat was a newspaper comic strip that ran from 1913 to 1944 (I highly recommend seeking it out and reading it as it is still very funny today). The comic strip origins are very obvious here as this cartoon feels like a moving comic strip.
Up next is the first pairing of Daffy Duck and Speedy Gonzales, It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House (1965). The two would be paired together in 25 more cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in Watching TV (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Be sure to come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Pinocchio: The Making of a Disney Epic by J.B. Kaufman
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Tweety's first appearance in a cartoon, A Tale of Two Kitties (1942). Sharp eyed viewers may notice that Tweety is not yellow in this film, but pink. Since he was a newborn baby bird, it made sense for him not to have feathers. According to director Bob Clampett, he based the character off of a nude baby photo of himself. Tweety already has his famous line, "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat." According to animation historian Jerry Beck's book, I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety, this line also originated with Bob Clampett when in the mid-1930's he wrote a letter to a friend on MGM stationary. Next to Leo the MGM lion, Clampett drew a small bird with a word balloon with "I think I taw a titty-tat." Instead of Sylvester Tweety is here pitted against two cats named Babbit and Catstello. As should be obvious by the names, these cats were a take-off on the infamous comedy team Abbott and Costello, who had just made their movie debut just a couple years earlier in One Night in the Tropics (1940). The voice of Catstello was provided by the man of a thousand voices, Mel Blanc (who also voiced Tweety) and Babbitt was voiced by writer Tedd Pierce. A reviewer in Showman's Trade Review was very impressed with these voices stating, "Either the famous comedy pair furnished the accompanying dialogue themselves, or the impersonators are the last word in perfection." Though they would not catch on the way Tweety did, these characters would reappear in other cartoons. Some of these cartoons would even feature the duo as mice instead of cats. They would even appear with Tweety much later in a 1998 episode of the TV show, Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. This cartoon was reissued to theaters in 1948, the year Abbott and Costello made their most popular movie, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
Next comes the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoon, Come Take a Trip in my Airship (1930). This was the second time, The Fleischer studio had made a cartoon centering around this song. They had earlier made a film that used an early sound on film process (Come Take a Trip in my Airship (1924)). The earlier film featured the Fleischer cartoon of KoKo the clown, who starred in many silent cartoons for the studio and would later become a supporting character in their Betty Boop cartoons.
Now we join Honey Halfwitch in Brother Bat (1967).
Up next is Farner Al Falfa's Bedtime Story (1932). The following is a review from the Motion Picture Herald. "Clever Cartoon. The Farmer goes to bed; the cat's go out for the night - and the mice come out to play as only the animated cartoon artists can make them play. Their tricks and stunts are cleverly drawn, amusing. This rates as among one of the better of the cartoon shorts - Running time, 6 minutes."
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next is an early Woody Woodpecker short, The Dizzy Acrobat (1943). In these earlier Woody films, the character is a bit cruder than fans of his later work are used to. But there is something about this sheer unabashed craziness that many cartoon fans (including myself) can't get enough of. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award; however, it lost to Disney's Der Fuehrer's Face (1943). The following is from an issue of Showman's Trade Review (dated June 5, 1943), "Walter Lantz Cartune Studios which releases through Universal, has just released 'The Dizzy Acrobat,' A Woody Woodpecker special. The cartune revolves around the circus, and Lantz had experts advising the animators so that the action and facts would be accurate.
It is now time for a silent Felix the Cat cartoon, Felix the Cat Ducks His Duty (1927).
Next comes one of Disney's funniest cartoon shorts, Der Fuehrer's Face (1943). This film grew out of a Donald Duck short about paying your taxes during war time called The New Spirit (1942). There was going to be a scene (in a story treatment by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer) in that short that featured a radio announcer talking about the horrors of living in a totalitarian state. This was not used in that short, but the idea stayed in the heads of those working at the Disney studio. These ideas grew into a cartoon that would feature Donald Duck living in Nazi Germany. Jack Kinney, Disney's most comedic and satiric cartoon director being placed in the director's chair guaranteed that this short would be a comedic masterpiece as well as an effective piece of political commentary. The cartoon was originally going to be titled Donald Duck in Nutziland. However, it would be retitled Der Fuehrer's Face after the satirical and catchy song Oliver Wallace wrote for the cartoon. Disney studio staffer Jim Macdonald remembered Wallace improvising the song one day at Walt's request. Macdonald stated, "He did that in about ten minutes. That's spontaneity!" Before the cartoon even reached theaters Spike Jones and his City Slickers released a recording in late 1942 and had a massive hit with it. This film also benefits from some top-notch animation. John Sibley animated the hilariously cartoony marching band animation at the start. The real highlight of the cartoon is the great montage sequence which was animated by Les Clark and Hugh Fraser. This cartoon we earn Donald Duck, his one and only Oscar. It later received the 22nd spot in Jerry Beck's must-own book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection ends with the Simpsons in Dinner Time (1987). This is one of the shorts made for The Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
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
The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck
I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.
Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's selection begins with a Porky Pig short, Notes to You (1941). This cartoon was later remade as Back Alley Uproar (1948), which is considered an all-time classic. Back Alley Uproar would replace Porky with Elmer Fudd and the unnamed cat with Sylvester. Yet there are many scenes that when compared to each other are nearly identical in the two versions. This should come as no surprise considering that director Friz Freleng and writer Michael Maltese would work on both shorts. That remake seems to overshadow this film, yet taken on its own terms is very entertaining and a joy to watch. The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "Notes to You: Looney Tunes Cartoons - Here is one of the funniest cartoons for some time. New gags and highly amusing. Running time, 7 minutes. - H. Goldson, Plaza Theatre, Chicago, Ill. General Patronage."
Now for Honey Halfwitch in Baggin' the Dragon (1966). This short film was directed by Howard Post, who directed the first eight of the Honey Halfwitch cartoons.
Next comes the Donald Duck cartoon, Hook Lion and Sinker (1950). This is the second of five theatrical shorts to feature Louie the Mountain Lion and the only one in which he has a son. Despite this movie being released as a Donald Duck cartoon the lion's share (pun intended) of the footage goes to Louie and his son. This short film would make its TV debut on an episode of TV's Walt Disney's Presents entitled The Mad Hermit of Chimney Butte (1960).
Next comes the Woody Woodpecker film, Banquet Busters (1948). This movie is a rare time in which two of Walter Lantz's most popular characters, Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda, appeared together in a theatrical short. However, it was not the only time they worked together. Woody made his debut in the Andy Panda short, Knock Knock (1940). Probably the most popular pairing of the two was in the Musical Miniature cartoon, Musical Moments from Chopin (1946). Banquet Busters was the only time Andy Panda appeared in the Woody Woodpecker series as their other appearances together were in other series.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for the silent Aesop's Film Fables cartoon, Day by Day in Every Way (1923).
Hell Bent for Election (1944) was a rare Chuck Jones directed film of the 1940's that was not a Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies short. The year before this film was released, Chuck had directed a very serious animated war time documentary called Point Rationing of Foods (1943). Hell Bent for Election was one of the earliest films but what would become known as UPA (home of Mr. Magoo and Gerald Mc Boing Boing). The United Auto Workers of America had approached animation legend John Hubley about making a film to promote presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt. With the success of Point Rationing of Foods and knowing that Jones was politically liberal, Hubley immediately thought about Chuck as the director. He and others at the studio approached Looney Tunes producer Leon Schlesinger about the use of his studio after hours for making the film but Leon did not want to have an attachment to a political film. So instead, the film was made at the fledgling Industrial Film studio (which would later evolve into the UPA studio). As it would continue to be later, this was a very politically liberal studio, and they welcomed the making of such a film in a way that Schlesinger wouldn't. To make the film, the studio recruited animators from Screen Gems and Warner Brothers. This included Robert "Bobe" Cannon (who would later become one of UPA's best directors) and Ben Washam from Chuck Jones' unit at Warner Brothers. This film would help the studio in getting to make films for the Navy. As producer Stephen Bosustow remembered, "some of the guys in charge were pro-Roosevelt and thought the film was great, and said someday if they have more pictures, they'd give them to us."
Now for the Betty Boop cartoon, Little Nobody (1935). Like many Betty Boop cartoons of this time, Betty is not the real star here. Instead the real star of this film is her little dog Pudgy.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in House of Cards (1987). This is one of the shorts with the animated family made before they got their own TV series and it aired on The Tracey Ullman Show.
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
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again, it is time for some classic cartoon.
Today's cartoon selection begins with Porky's Pooch (1941). Though all the classic Charlie Dog cartoons would be directed by Chuck Jones, this Bob Clampett short clearly sets up the template that all of those later cartoons would follow. In fact the first Charlie Dog cartoon, Little Orphan Airedale (1947), would be a remake of this film. The backgrounds in this film are live action photographs. A year later Bob would use a live action opening for Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner (1942). The following is an exhibitor's review from Motion Picture Herald, "PORKY'S POOCH: Looney Tunes Cartoons—Right up my alley for my patronage. Running time, 7 minutes. —Vic Stephano, Grove Theatre, Groveton, Tex. Small Town Patronage." A review in The Motion Picture Daily called the film, "Good for a few laughs." The Showman's Trade Review gave advice to movie theater owners on how to advertise this cartoon, "Play it up to all Porky fans and make some new fans to win over some of the dog lovers in your community by staging a pet show, prize contest for best snapshot of a pet or prize contest for a brief essay on 'why my dog is the best in town.'"
Up next is the Fleischer Screen Song short, I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark (1929).
Now we join our hero Mighty Mouse in A Fight to the Finish (1947). During this period many of the Mighty Mouse cartoons were operatic melodrama parodies. Like many cartoon fans, I have a real fondness for the Mighty Mouse films of this period.
I have also mentioned before that I am also a fan of the cartoons Jack Kinney directed for Disney. These were some of the studio's funniest, often providing an almost Tex Avery like sense of humor that I find irrespirable. Next comes one of those great cartoons, Motor Mania (1950). Despite this film being such a comedic tour de force, it also had a successful life as a safety film. This film received the National Safety Council Award. This cartoon was even used in 1953 in Oakland, California as a mandatory part in its Traffic Violator School. No need to look at this film as an educational experience, it is just as fast paced and funny as any of Jack Kinney's great cartoons for Disney. The cartoon is narrated by John McLeish, who had previously done the narration of other Goofy cartoons including, How to Ride a Horse (1941). Jack Kinney would later remember, "We were sitting around, chewing it over, trying to think of someone to do the narration, and I had just said, 'Gawd! I wish John McLeish was in town. He'd be perfect,' when as if on cue, the phone rang. It was John calling from New York. 'McLeish!' I shouted into the phone. 'I wish you were here!' 'I shall be,' he intoned, 'If you've got a job for me.' 'You got it.' 'I'll be there Monday.'"
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Today's cartoon selection continues with a delightful Woody Woodpecker cartoon, Chew Chew Baby (1945). This movie was directed by Shamus Culhane, who had previously been an animator for Disney, the Fleischer Brothers and Warner Brothers. Culhane proved to be one of the finest directors to work at the Walter Lantz Studio (where the Woody Woodpecker cartoons were made). The cartoons he directed for this studio were some of the finest cartoons to come out of it, including one of the most praised Woody Woodpecker cartoons, The Barber of Seville (1944).
Now it is silent movie time with the Out of the Inkwell short, No Eyes Today (1929).
Next is the Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon, Bon Bon Parade (1935). This a cute and sweet little film and the rare sentimental cartoon from Columbia that kind of works. Despite this sentimentality the highlight is the caricatures of The Three Stooges.
Today's cartoon selection ends with The Simpsons in The Money Jar (1988). This is one of the shorts made for the Tracey Ullman Show before the animated family got their own TV series.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Resources Used
Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters by Jack Kinney.
Of Mice and Magic: A History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
Hello, my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic educational Disney short, Donald in Mathmagic Land (1959). This fun little movie was released alongside one of Disney's best live action features, Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959). Donald in Mathmagic Land made its TV debut on the first color episode of the popular Disney anthology TV series (retitled Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color), An Adventure in Color/Mathmagicland (1961). Though this film was originally created for movie theaters, it would later be made available to schools and lived a long life there. Walt Disney would state, "The cartoon is a good medium to stimulate interest. We recently explained mathematics in a film and in a way that excited public interest in this very important subject." Dr. Heinz Haber was credited as a writer on this short. Haber was a psychiatrist at UCLA, who worked with the Disney studio on many of their 1950's educational films as a consultant.
Now for the first Mickey Mouse cartoon made; Plane Crazy (1928). This was back in the days when Mickey was still a simple country mouse who went around barefoot and didn't wear gloves. These early Mickey cartoons have a genuine rural feel to them (partly because Walt always considered himself a farm boy at heart) that I personally find irresistible and definitely prefer over the later and bland suburban settings featured in his later cartoons. In this film Mickey dreams of being a pilot and makes himself a homemade plane that would make the Our Gang kids jealous. This is because aviation was a popular topic around this time due to the fame of Charles Lindbergh (briefly caricatured here) after his New York to Paris flight of 1927. Walt had already had his earlier star, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in an aviation themed cartoon with The Ocean Hop (1927). This cartoon began production in March 1928. The production of this cartoon was done in secret due to the fact that Walt was still under contract to make Oswald cartoons for Universal. Animator Ub Iwerks (who animated the film by himself) was separated from the artists working on the Oswald shorts so that he could not be seen by them. Hugh Harman later described this saying, "They curtained off part of the studio with a great black drop, black skim of some kind, so that I and a few others who were leaving couldn't see the great secret that was going on." Ub Iwerks was one of the fastest animators of the time and finished this cartoon in only a matter of weeks. It has been said that he made as many as 700 drawings in one day. This cartoon was originally made as a silent film, yet you will notice the opening title card says, "Sound Cartoon." The reason for this is that after the success of Steamboat Willie (1928) with sound, a soundtrack was added to this cartoon.
Be sure to sing along because up next is one of the Fleischer Screen Songs cartoons, A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight (1930).
Now for the Terry Toons short, The Butcher of Seville (1944).
Now for a commercial break.
Though when most animation fans think of Tex Avery, they think of his films for MGM, I have always had a huge fondness for his work at Warner Brothers as well. What I love about his films for Warner Brothers is that he takes very conventional storylines and adds his wacky sense of humor. One of my favorites is Porky’s Preview (1941). This cartoon takes a cute premise of Porky Pig (still a child in this film) making a cartoon movie show for his little barnyard friends and turns it into a wonderful self-parody of cartoons themselves. I love how even musical director Carl Stalling gets in on the joke by giving us kiddie versions of songs he often used in the Looney Tunes cartoons.
Now it is silent movie time with the Out of the Inkwell short, Koko's Queen (1926).
Now for the Andy Panda cartoon, Mousie Come Home (1946). Despite this being an Andy Panda cartoon, our hero actually receives fairly little screentime with the majority of the runtime devoted to a little mouse.
Now to close with a song that we all know.
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
Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia by Dave Smith.
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Donald Duck: The Ultimate History by J.B. Kaufman and David Gerstein
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age by Michael Barrier
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection starts with an excellent Daffy Duck cartoon, A Coy Decoy (1941). This film was part of a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in the 1930's and 1940's that featured books coming to life at night. The first of these was I Like Mountain Music (1933) and the last was Book Revue (1946, also starring Daffy Duck). This cartoon features the early Daffy Duck meaning he is not yet the greedy and attention seeking duck he would be later. He is just simply crazy which works perfectly with this crazy short. As much as I love the later Daffy, I have a special fondness for this early crazy duck. A review in The Motion Picture Daily states, "The net result is moderate amusement." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "COY DECOY, A: Looney Tunes Cartoons—A dandy black and white cartoon.—C. L. Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa, General Patronage."
Next comes the UPA cartoon, Pete Hothead (1952). This cartoon is directed by Pete Burness, who had previously been an animator on many of the Tom and Jerry cartoons of the 1940's and would later become a director for the Jay Ward TV cartoons (directing such characters as Rocky and Bullwinkle and Hoppity Hooper). One of the writers is Bill Scott, who is best known as the original voice of Bullwinkle.
Now for the Walter Lantz Cartune, The One-Armed Bandit (1939). Sorry about the low audio quality.
Now for one of the rare instances of very dark satire in one of Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, Who Killed Cock Robbin? (1935). This film shows cartoon birds at the mercy of an unjust legal system. Satire, dark humor, celebrity caricatures and slapstick abound. The most significant of the celebrity caricatures is Jenny Wren, a caricature of Mae West. Most of her animation here is handled fantastically by Ham Luske and her voice comes from Martha Wentworth who does a really good impression. This character would later appear in the Silly Symphony Toby Tortoise Returns (1936). Two of Walt's future Nine Old Men animate on this film, Eric Larson and Clyde Geronimi. Eric animates the scene where Cock Robbin falls and the cops rushing in. Clyde animates the scenes involving the blackbirds and the cops, Legs Sparrow with the cops and then going into the witness box, and the cops' raiding the area. For the year of 1935 the National Board of Review named this as one of the Ten Best American Films (not just cartoons but films as a whole). According to JB Kaufman and Russell Merrit's excellent book, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series, the idea for making this film had been around the Disney studio as early as October 1933 but work truly began in March 1934. Wilfred Jackson was originally going to be the cartoon's director, but he was replaced with Ben Sharpsteen, who was replaced with Dave Hand, who actually directed the cartoon. Dave Hand would later be the supervising director for the Disney feature films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). My fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognize that a clip from this cartoon was later used in Hitch's classic movie, Sabotage (1936). The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Ye olde master, Walt Disney, has produced another cartoon which makes a swell approach to the entertainment values he provided in 'Three Little Pigs.' It's class A stuff, effectively done in color. A mysterious shadowy figure 'kills' the fabled Cock Robbin, who, by the by, is the sweetie of a May Western type of bird. Then come the Keystonian cops, also birds, and later the trial. Finally, a birdy version of Dan Cupid admits to having shot Robin, but May brings him to with a Big Kiss. Catchy music helps enliven the proceedings." The following is from a 1935 issue of Modern Screen Magazine and was a letter sent in by a reader. "A short time ago I took my five-year-old son with me to a local theatre. When a colored cartoon was shown, he was immensely pleased, as were several other children near us. The cartoon was 'Who Killed Cock Robin?' I may be wrong but I'm under the impression that those pictures are primarily to amuse children. If that is true than it failed. I heard several half-grown boys snickering as 'Jenny Wren' a parody of Mae West, with a high bust, wiggling hips and a sexy voice, flirted with the judge and later indulged in a kiss with Cock Robin. The smaller children merely looked puzzled and disappointed with the whole thing. Please have more cartoons like 'The Three Little Pigs,' 'Water Babies,' etc., unless of course, I'm wrong and those comedies are for grown-ups and not for little children. - Mrs. E. DeLamater, Charleston, S.C."
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Also why is this song so darn catchy. Also, I was very happy to learn that the band Pain has played this in concert.
Now for Honey Halfwitch in Alter Egotist (1967). This short film marks the first directorial credit for Chuck Harriton. Harriton wouldn't direct many more films after this. However, he would direct the three remaining films of the Honey Halfwitch series. He would later become an animator on some of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons including The Flintstones, Johnny Quest and the theatrically released Loopy De Loop shorts. He also animated on quite a few episodes of The Alvin Show.
Next is the silent Out of the Inkwell short, It's The Cats (1926).
Now for possibly the greatest Woody Woodpecker cartoon, Barber of Seville (1944). This is the only Woody Woodpecker film to appear in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Now to end with some high culture.
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
The 50 Greatest Cartoons edited by Jerry Beck
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins one of the best Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, Bad Ol' Putty Tat (1949). Voice actor Mel Blanc would later write, "Sylvester has always been a favorite of mine. He's always been the easiest character for me to play. When I was show the first model sheet for Sylvester with his floppy jaws and generally disheveled appearance, I said to Friz Freleng, 'A big sloppy cat should have a big shthloppy voice. He should spray even more than Daffy.' While recording Sylvester cartoons my scripts would get so covered in sylvia I'd repeatedly have to wipe them clean. I used to suggest to actress June Foray, who voiced Tweety's vigilant owner Granny, that she wear a raincoat to the sessions."
Next is Mighty Mouse in The Two Barbers (1944). This short film was directed by Eddie Donnely.
Now for a classic early black and white Silly Symphony, The Clock Store (1931). Like many of the early Silly Symphonies, this movie doesn't have much in the way of plot but instead focuses mainly as a mood piece. This allows the Disney studio to do what they did best, with wonderful animation, beautiful artwork and an incredible sense of atmosphere. No other Hollywood cartoon studio of the time could have done a cartoon like this and make it turn out so well. This film is heavily helped by a truly wonderful group of artists. Johnny Cannon animates the lamplighter. Our first peek inside the clock store is animated by Cecil Surrey. Chuck Couch, an underrated Disney animator and also a cartoon writer for Disney, Walter Lantz and Hanna-Barbera, animates the cockoo clocks. Harry Reeves, who would work as a Disney animator and story writer into the 1950's, animates the four alarm clocks. Hardie Gramatky animates the timepieces. Frenchy de Trémaudan animates the wristwatches and the dancing alarm clocks. Dan Tattenham animates the Swiss clock with the chimes. Albert Hunter, animates the wonderful scene with the minuet figures. Ben Sharpsteen, who would later be supervising director on the Disney features Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941), animates the grandfather and grandmother clocks. Charles Byrne animates the Dutch windmill clock. Jack King, later director for both Warner Brothers and Disney (at Disney he directed some of the finest Donald Duck cartoons), animates the Dutch dance. Rudy Zamora, who had previously been a major animator at the Fleischer Studios and would later animate on the Charlie Brown TV specials as well directing various TV cartoons for Hanna-Barbera, animates the alarm clocks fighting and the clock on the wall. Joe D'Igalo animates the crowd cheering for the fight. This film made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on December 1, 1955.
Now for the Columbia Color Rhapsody cartoon, The Foxy Pup (1937). This short was directed by UB Iwerks, best remembered for being the co-creator of Mickey Mouse (with Walt Disney). His work on the early Disney shorts, really defined the early Disney style. He would later return to Disney, doing much special effects work and technical innovation on Disney films. both animated and live action.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Now for the silent Out of the Inkwell cartoon, Koko's Field Daze (1928).
Next comes the Woody Woodpecker film, Banquet Busters (1948). This cartoon is a rare time in which two of Walter Lantz's most popular characters, Woody Woodpecker and Andy Panda, appeared in a theatrical short. However, it was not the only time they worked together. Woody made his debut in the Andy Panda short, Knock Knock (1940). Probably the most popular pairing of the two was in the Musical Miniature cartoon, Musical Moments from Chopin (1946). Banquet Busters was the only time Andy Panda appeared in the Woody Woodpecker series as their other appearances together were in other series.
Next comes the Terry Toons short, Police Dogged (1956).
Now let us close by singing a song we all know.
Resources Used
I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat: Fifty Years of Sylvester and Tweety by Jerry Beck.
Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies: A Companion to the Classic Cartoon Series by Russell Merritt and J.B. Kaufman
