Cartoon a Day: Bugs and Thugs

Bugs and Thugs
1954
Directed by Friz Freleng (as I. Freleng)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 1

In "Bugs and Thugs," Bugs Bunny is enjoying a stress-free city life when he suddenly ends up in the getaway car with two bank robbers. Director Friz Freleng is a master of comic timing, and this cartoon is no exception. While the timing of the animation is great, the voice work for the gangster Rocky is a real standout. There is almost no emotion in any of his lines and it fits perfectly. He's too cool to show emotion, even when telling his partner to "Shadup" for the 10th time.


If you haven't figured it out from the other reviews I've written, character design is a favorite element of animation for me. I love the design on the gangsters Rocky and Mugsy. The leader, Rocky, is a tiny man who makes up for it by wearing a hat as tall as he is. His face stays locked in pretty much one expression, and his eyes are always hidden. Mugsy, meanwhile, is a huge, dim-witted character. A giant body on tiny legs who looks like he could topple over with the tiniest gust of wind. They are great examples of the originality which defined Warner Brothers animation.


The gags in "Bugs and Thugs" are good, though some are borrowed from other shorts. The two gangsters are great characters for Bugs to play off of. He doesn't have to put that much work into it. In one scene he actually looks at the audience and asks if it could really be this easy. With these two crooks, he pretty much has his work cut out for him.

Cartoon a Day: The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall

The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Rouquefort Hall
1942
Directed by Chuck Jones (as Charles M Jones)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

"The Dover Boys" is an odd little cartoon which I must admit I had not seen until tonight. It's presented as an 1890's style melodrama in which three college boys must rescue their girl from an evil cad.

Some of the humor may be lost on audiences today as we are not as familiar with the style being parodied, but a lot of the humor still holds up. The sequence in which the villain kidnaps the maiden is especially funny, not just because of the gags but because of the style of animation. It utilizes a technique called "blur animation" (according to the commentary track). This is where the character jumps between poses very quickly, with little in-between artwork. This works really well with the unique character design.

This is also an unusual film for Warner Brothers as it features an all human cast. None of the regular stable of characters or talking animals of any sort appear. But the design of these human characters is really intriguing. The three Dover Boys are all very different in their design, and the stiff design of the girlfriend works so well, especially when she breaks from her rigid pose quickly to throw the villain across the room.

The is definitely a cartoon that deserves further examination. I'll have to watch it again soon.

Cartoon a Day: I Love to Singa

I Love to Singa
1936
Directed by Tex Avery (as Fred Avery)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2

Well, it was only a matter of time, how could I possibly ignore "I Love to Singa" for very long. This whole "Cartoon a Day" idea was designed to bring a little extra joy into my life, and if there is one cartoon guaranteed to make me smile it's this goofy little film. It's often listed as a favorite in polls of animation fans and many younger adults will recognize it's title tune from a famous episode of the show "South Park."

The story involves a young jazz singing owl (Owl Jolson) born to a family of classical musicians. They try to get him to sing their music, but he just can't help bursting into the title song. His father ends up throwing him out of the house, but after coming to their senses the family tracks him down when they hear him singing on a radio amateur hour.

There's really nothing spectacular here when it comes to the animation, or the story. It's certainly not the style we would see from Tex Avery or Chuck Jones (who served as an animator on this film) later in their careers. But every time you see that little owl singing away, you just can't help but chuckle. This is just such a great example of why I love classic animated shorts...they're just plain fun.

Cartoon a Day: Ali Baba Bunny

Ali Baba Bunny
1957
Directed by Chuck Jones
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 5

"Ali Baba Bunny" is another great cartoon in the series of Bugs Bunny / Daffy Duck pair-ups directed by Chuck Jones. In this one, Bugs and Daffy end up in an Arabian Nights style cave full of riches rather than Pismo Beach (should've made a left turn at Albuquerque). Daffy is immediately obsessed with the treasure while Bugs could care less. The two must also contend with the dim witted guard, Hassan. There are plenty of laughs, most of which are courtesy of Daffy. In a way, Bugs plays the straight man in this one.

Right off the bat, one of the stand out elements of "Ali Baba Bunny" are the incredible backgrounds by Maurice Noble. I mean, check out the palm trees shown above! The backgrounds are a thrill to look at, but they don't draw your attention away from the humor of the cartoon either.

Of course, some of the classic sort of character expressions you'd expect to see in a late 50's Chuck Jones film are on display here. Over the years Bugs Bunny has come across in many different ways, I think the style of Bugs presented in this film is my favorite. He appears somewhat suave in this and other Jones films. I love how his eyes never seem to open too widely. It's quite a contrast to the way Daffy is portrayed.

The character design of Hassam is also a lot of fun. He's a sort of gelatinous blob on two skinny legs. I also love how his body and his head are all one piece...there's absolutely no neck to speak of.

Even though I've seen this one many times, and know what gags are coming, it continues to make me laugh out loud...the mark of a great animated short.

Cartoon a Day: Bacall to Arms

Bacall to Arms
1946
Directed by Bob Campett (uncredited)
Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 5

This cartoon is a real treat! The premise is simple, a night out at the movies. Gags come from the newsreel, feature, and the antics of the audience. There are both black and white and color segments, and the character design and animation style varies throughout. It's interesting that the characters in the audience have the look of early generic Warner Brothers characters, but the characters in the movies, and the Avery-esque wolf have a different style altogether.

The newsreel segment features a story about the new technology of radar being used in the home. It ends up being used to detect an approaching mother-in-law, which brings to mind the mother-in-law jokes often used by Tex Avery in his shorts at MGM.

The feature film parodies "To Have and Have Not," so we are treated to some wonderful caricatures of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart.

There just so happens to be a wolf in the audience who becomes quite...uh...enamored with the lovely Miss Bacall. The expression of his excitement, once again, draws to mind thoughts of Tex Avery. Avery had left Warner Brothers in 1941 and in 1943 brought "Red Hot Riding Hood" to the screen for MGM. It's hard to believe that Riding Hood didn't have an influence on this cartoon, but "Bacall to Arms" is still a fun short.

Cartoon a Day: Here Today, Gone Tamale

Here Today, Gone Tamale

1959

Directed by Friz Freleng

Available on: Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 4

For a long time, Speedy Gonzales was a victim of political correctness taken to the extreme. Some claimed that he was a negative stereotype of Mexicans. Yet when he was pulled from the air by Cartoon Network, who had exclusive broadcast rights to his cartoons beginning in 1999, the fans cried out. They learned that Speedy is a hero to many Latin Americans. He's certainly always been a favorite of mine.

"Here Today, Gone Tamale" features a group of Mexican mice starving due to a cheese famine when a boat full of cheese rolls into port. Sylvester the cat guards the ship, so Speedy is called in to get the cheese. There are plenty of great gags here, though the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" ending is a bit disappointing and abrupt.

This is also another great example of beautiful Looney Tunes background art. Both the scenery of the port and layout of the ship use some very creative elements. Just check out the interesting depth of field used in the background of the above shot.

Though I've never thought that Sylvester quite gelled as a great nemesis for Speedy like he did with Tweety, this is still a fun offering from the fastest mouse in all Mexico.