Sing Me A Cartoon 1: Felix the Cat
In 1923, British lyricist Ed Bryant and composer Hubert David found a new subject for a song which had been brought over from the States–Felix the Cat.
In 1923, British lyricist Ed Bryant and composer Hubert David found a new subject for a song which had been brought over from the States–Felix the Cat.
Disney is not usually associated with celebrity-caricature cartoons. But one of their Silly Symphonies included a Cab Calloway spoof with the same white suit …and the same degree of energy.
Cab Calloway could enliven a movie–whether feature-length or a musical or cartoon short–with the same energy he displayed on stage.
As most of us know, Cab Calloway did three shorts for Max Fleischer. They are familiar–old friends–to many of us animation buffs.
W’ere On Our Way To Rio was the third of the Technicolor Popeye’s – and one could argue the most lushly-animated cartoon Famous Studios ever produced.
Cartoons discovered the appeal of the Conga Dance, as demonstrated by its appearance in shorts from Warner Bros.. Terrytoons… and yes, Max Fleischer.
By the early 1960’s, theatrical Hollywood cartoons still found occasional inspiration in the idea of the game show–which was gong through its own crisis at the time.
During the late 1950’s, Warner Bros. released several cartoons spoofing individual television shows. It is these cartoons – Wideo Wabbit (1956) and People Are Bunny (1959) – that concern us here.
Director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese have Duffy Duck as the downright sadistic host of “Truth or AAAAHHH!” – sponsored by the Eagle Hand Laudry.
Catch-phrases from radio, commercial jingles and slogans –all were grist for the Warners’ mill. So why should the newly-arisen format of the quiz show be any different?