#Arthur Q. Bryan

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have The Devil Bat 1940

[travsd]

Arthur Q. Bryan: The Man Who Would Be Fudd

We’ve tipped our hand in the title to this post. Most who know the name Arthur Q. Bryan (1899-1959) know him as the man who inconveniently breaks Mel Blanc’s reputation for “doing all the characters” in the classic Warner Brothers cartoons. For while Mel did Bugs, Daffy, Sylvester, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam and so forth, while Bryan owned Elmer Fudd. Who can say why the Fudd voice is so…

[punster-2319]

This is my favorite Mel Yell at the moment:

Me when I'm in a Mel Blanc character screaming contest and my opponent is a small baby animal: 😬

rip Mel Yell polls… i still feel bad about abandoning them but they were so much work and time that i did not have in me 🥲 since i am no longer sworn to confidentiality i will say that for the record i think Daffy’s CUCARACHAAAAAAAAAAA in Book Revue takes the cake for me. it IS hard to pass up a baby animal scream though.

[citizenscreen]

Remembering actor/voice actor, Arthur Q Bryan, #botd in 1899.

[papermoonloveslucy]

ANIMATED LUCY!

Lucille Ball & Animation

Lucille Ball worked with many performers, and many of them were just as famous for their voices as their faces! As well as working for Desilu, actors worked for Warner Brothers, Disney, and other producers of animation - some of which is still popular today.

DISNEY

Walt Disney himself turned up on "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood" (1960), one of the gossip columnist's television specials that also featured Lucille Ball, among many others.

VERNA FELTON

Verna Felton (1890-1966) made her professional stage debut at the age of 10 as ‘Little Verna Felton,’ working extensively on stage.  On “I Love Lucy” Felton portrayed Mrs. Porter, the no-nonsense housekeeper in “Lucy Hires a Maid” (1953). and Mrs. Simpson in "Sales Resistance” (1953), a housewife to whom Lucy tries to sell a Handy Dandy vacuum cleaner - only to find out that she has no electricity!  She received two Emmy nominations for her role in the Desilu series “December Bride,” playing Hilda Crocker from 1955 to 1959 opposite Spring Byington as Lily. In one episode, producer Desi Arnaz guest-starred as himself. 

For Walt Disney, Felton voiced three elephants: Elephant Matriarch and Mrs. Jumbo in Dumbo (1941), as well as Winifred in The Jungle Book (1967). She played two Queens: The Queen of Hearts in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Queen Leah in Sleeping Beauty (1959). Her more human characters included Aunt Sarah in Lady and the Tramp (1955) and - a rare non-Disney female - Pearl Slaghoople, Wilma’s mother, on “The Flintstones”. She also voiced two wand-wavers: Flora in Sleeping Beauty and - perhaps most famously - The Fairy Godmother in Disney’s Cinderella (1950), where she introduced the song “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” to the world.

Her son, Lee Millar Jr., made four appearances on “I Love Lucy" and one episode of "The Lucy Show." He appeared with his mother in the 1955 animated feature Lady and the Tramp as Jim Dear and the Dogcatcher. Felton's husband and Millar's father, who did not appear with Lucy during his career, was most famous as the voice of Disney's Pluto from 1930 until his death in 1941.

ELEANOR AUDLEY

Eleanor Audley (1905-1991) played Lucille Ball’s mother-in-law on “My Favorite Husband.” She would later play Eleanor Spalding, owner of the Westport home the Ricardos buy in “Lucy Wants To Move to the Country” (1957) as well as one of the Garden Club judges in “Lucy Raises Tulips” (1957). She was seen as a Society Reporter on a 1965 episode of "The Lucy Show."

She is probably best known, however, as the voice of two of Disney’s most memorable animated villainesses: Lady Tremaine, the wicked stepmother in Cinderella (1950); and the evil Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959). She served as the physical model for both characters. 

HANS CONRIED

Hans Conried (1917-1982) first worked with Lucille Ball in the 1942 film The Big Street and played a myriad of roles on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” On “I Love Lucy” he had just played Mr. Jenkins, used furniture salesman (above), a month earlier in "Redecorating" (1952) and returned to play Percy Livermore, "The English Tutor" (1952).

Early in the episode, Ricky reads from a children's book. While the story he reads is Little Red Riding Hood, the book cover is definitely Peter Pan. Coincidentally (or not), Conried had just finished voicing Captain Hook / Mr. Darling for Disney's animated feature Peter Pan, which would be released just a month later, in February 1953. That same year he voiced Thomas Jefferson in Disney's animated short, Ben and Me. Perhaps his best loved voice was that of Snidely Whiplash on the Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right cartoons starting in 1959. Conried made two appearances on "The Lucy Show" (both as acting / voice coach Dr. Gitterman) and on "Here's Lucy" with his long-time co-star Danny Thomas.

PINTO COLVIG

Pinto Colvig (1892-1967) was the original voice of Disney’s Pluto and Goofy. He provided the neighs for Gulliver the horse in "Horseback Riding" (1949), an episode of Lucille Ball's radio series "My Favorite Husband". He also did all the dog barks for “Lucy is Her Own Lawyer” (1964).

GINNY TYLER

Ginny Tyler (1925-2012) voiced Clementine the sheep in “Lucy Buys a Sheep” (1962), Greenback, Mr. Mooney's cockatiel, in "Lucy Gets the Bird" (1964), and Polly the Parrot in "Lucy in the Jungle" (1971).  She also did the voices of the sheep in Disney’s Mary Poppins and the singing squirrel in The Sword in the Stone. She started out narrating record albums for Disney, including “Bambi” and “Babes in Toyland.”

JUNE FORAY

June Foray (1917-2017) was one of Hollywood's most famous and busiest voice actors. She did the voice of Lucifer the cat in Disney's Cinderella (1950), and voiced a mermaid and a squaw in Disney's Peter Pan (1953), among others. In 1957, she did the barks of Fred the dog on "I Love Lucy." She is probably best remembered as Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale in the "Bullwinkle" cartoons.

CLEO

When "The Ricardos Change Apartments" (1953), Lucy fills the flat with as many toys as possible, including a bathtub toy called Cleo, the goldfish from the Disney Pinocchio (1940). When Ricky squeezes her, Cleo spits in his face!  

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

In 1938, Lucy modeled ladies' hats based on the characters Prince Charming and Sneezy from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Needless to say, she looked “charming”. 

In a 1949 episode of "My Favorite Husband," Liz and Iris bemoan that they won't be going anywhere sunny for summer vacation. They say their goodbyes.

LIZ: “Goodbye, Paleface!”

IRIS: “See you later, Snow White!”

The Paleface was a Bob Hope / Jane Russell film released at the very end of 1948. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) featured the voices of future “Lucy” cast members Pinto Colvig and Moroni Olsen. 

"LUCY AND THE MONSTERS" (1965) involves a shared horror movie dream. To find out who is the prettiest witch, Lucy and Viv ask the magic mirror: “Mirror, mirror on the wall; Who’s the fairest of them all?” This is the same query the Evil Queen asks her magic mirror in the Disney film Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In the film, the voice was that of Moroni Olsen, who played the Judge in the "I Love Lucy" episode "The Courtroom" (1952).

CINDERELLA

“Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” a song written in 1948 by Al Hoffman, Mack David, and Jerry Livingston for the 1950 Disney animated film Cinderella, was heard in a 1950 episode of "My Favorite Husband" titled "Liz Writes a Song". For inspiration, George suggests they listen to the radio and hears "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”.  Mr. Atterbury (Gale Gordon) questions what the nonsense lyrics mean. In "CHER...AND OTHER FANTASIES" (1979) a Cleaning Lady (Lucille Ball) pushes a cart and sings “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” Cher just wants to get out of the building. The Cleaning Lady suggests she wait till midnight when her white mice and pumpkin turn into a coach and horses. The special also includes a reference to....

BAMBI

Winding her way through the warehouse, Cher encounters Shelley Winters, a purveyor of movie memorabilia.

CHER: “Do you have 'Bambi’?”

SHELLEY: “I don’t have that in stock, but I’ve got a rifle from 'Winchester 73.'”

Winchester 73 was a 1950 film about a prized rifle that starred Shelley Winters and James Stewart. Shelley fires the rifle in the air and Cher takes on the roles of Bambi’s mother and father.

DUMBO

"Liz and the Green Wig" (1950), an episode of "My Favorite Husband" includes a mention of Dumbo, Disney's 1941 animated film about a flying circus elephant.

KATIE: “Well, maybe he’s forgotten.”

LIZ: “Not George. He has the memory of an elephant.”

GEORGE (from the other room): “Liz, is that you?  Come on in the breakfast room.”

LIZ: “There’s Dumbo now.”

In a 1948 episode of the radio sitcom, Sarah Selby played Louise Elliott, Liz’s Mother. Selby made her screen debut voicing Prissy the Elephant in Dumbo. 

DONALD DUCK

"LUCY, THE DISC JOCKEY" (1965) Mr. Mooney deems any voice contest between him and Lucy like comparing Walter Cronkite to Donald Duck, one of Walt Disney’s most enduring cartoon creations. He first appeared in 1934 and his squawking raspy voice was provided by Clarence Nash.  

Other "Lucy" performers who voiced Disney animated characters:

Paul Winchell (Winnie the Pooh / The Aristocats / The Fox and the Hound)

Phil Harris (The Jungle Book / The Aristocats / Robin Hood)

Buddy Hackett (The Little Mermaid)

James Hong (Mulan)

Charles Lane (The Aristocats)

Ruth Buzzi (The Aristocats)

Mickey Rooney (The Fox and the Hound)

Nancy Kulp (The Aristocats)

Hal Smith (several roles)

Joseph Kearns (Alice in Wonderland)

Norma Zimmer (Alice in Wonderland)

WARNER BROTHERS & OTHERS

ARTHUR Q. BRYAN ~ ELMER FUDD

Arthur Q. Bryan (1899-1959) had appeared with Lucille Ball in Look Who's Laughing (1941). He is best remembered as the original voice of Elmer Fudd in the Warner Brothers cartoons. He played Mr. Chambers, new owner of the Tropicana, in "Ricky Loses His Voice" (1952).

"MOTHER OF THE BRIDE" (1986) ~ The final episode of Lucille Ball's final sitcom, "Life With Lucy."

LUCY: "When Margo was little she found my dress in the attic and she called it 'the most bootiful dwess in the world'!  When she was little she talked a lot like Elmer Fudd.”

MEL BLANC ~ BUGS BUNNY / PORKY PIG

One of the most famous voices in show business belonged to Mel Blanc, who was most famous for voicing Bugs Bunny. Lucy worked with Blanc in her 1950 film The Fuller Brush Girl portraying a parrot. Blanc and Ball had also teamed for an Armed Services Radio broadcast in 1944.

"LUCY GETS AMNESIA" (1964) involves a rabbit fur coat, causing Viv to say "What's up, Doc?", which was Bugs Bunny's famous tag line. Lucy's last line of the episode also mentions Bugs Bunny.

"LUCY AND TENNESSEE ERNIE'S FUN FARM" (1969) Doing a commercial for the farm, Lucy plays a slovenly housewife who calls her husband Porky Pig and the Jolly Green Giant.

In 1969, Mel Blanc did ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) for two characters on location footage in "LUCY GOES TO THE AIR FORCED ACADEMY: PART 2".

Elvia Allman, who made multiple appearances on "I Love Lucy" and "The Lucy Show", did the voices of several cartoon characters for Warner Brothers, most notably Little Red Riding Hood.

In 1960, Blanc joined Alan Reed, Bea Benadaret and Jean Vander Pyl (all of whom had worked with Lucille Ball) as Barney Rubble in TV's first animated sitcom Hanna Barbera's...

"THE FLINTSTONES"

Although ostensibly modeled on "The Honeymooners," "The Flintstones" owed a great debt to Lucille Ball. Many of the Bedrock storylines were borrowed from Lucycoms. Wilma Flintstone bore more than a passing resemblance to the famous redhead. Others who acted live with Lucy that loaned their voices to prehistoric characters: Janet Waldo, Harvey Korman, Howard Morris, Hal Smith, Verna Felton, June Foray, Howard McNear, Herb Vigran, Sandra Gould, Jerry Hausner, Paul Winchell, and many others.

"THE JETSONS"

In the wake of the success of "The Flintstones", Hanna Barbera rocketing to the other end of the spectrum - from caves to space - with "The Jetsons"(1962). Leading the cast as Dad George Jetson was George O'Hanlon, who had played Charley Appleby on "I Love Lucy." His daughter Judy was played by Janet Waldo, who played Peggy Dawson on "I Love Lucy" and Lucy's sister Marge on "The Lucy Show". Jean Vander Pyl and Mel Blanc turned up as Mr. and Mrs. Spacely.

"TOP CAT"

Allen Jenkins appeared with Lucille Ball in the film Five Came Back.  He then did three episodes of "I Love Lucy," all as policemen. It was natural that his animation legacy was as Officer Dibble on the Hanna-Barbera TV cartoon, “Top Cat” (1961–62).  Other Lucy alumni who appeared frequently on the show included Jean Vander Pyl, Bea Benadaret, Hal Smith, Gege Pearson, and Herb Vigran.

Select episodes of Lucille Ball's radio sitcom "My Favorite Husband" have been computer animated and are available to view on Vimeo. They were animated by Wayne Wilson using the soundtracks of the original broadcasts.

In “Lucy and the Soap Opera” (1965), soap actor Mr. Vernon (John Gregory) brags his daytime drama role of Roger Gregory is the best part he’s played since doing the voice Oink-Oink in the [fictional] “Piggy Pete” cartoons! Lucy says she’d like to say Richard Burton go from playing “a pig in a poke to a teller in a bank.”

Oh, and don't forget "The Simpsons"! Lucille Ball has had several representations on the long-running show, including as Oyster Shell Lucy, a handicraft sold by Moe in “Homer’s Barber Shop Quartet” (1993).

Lastly, Lucy herself was an animated character. The original opening credits and commercial intros for "I Love Lucy" featured stick-figure animation of Lucy and Desi. The tradition continued during "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours", adding Little Ricky. "The Lucy Show" also opened with stick figure animation, but it only lasted for one season. "Here's Lucy" took animation to the next level, with a stop-motion doll of Lucy presenting the opening credits.

[dorothydalmati1]

Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies 1942 Episode 9: The Wabbit Who Came to Supper

Written by Michael Maltese

Directed by Friz Freleng

Animated by Richard Bickenbach

Voice characterizations by Mel Blanc & Arthur Q. Bryan

[sean-gaffney]

Looney Tunes Collector's Choice Vol. 4 Announced

I had written a post, which you can find here, where I talked about Looney Tunes that were never released officially in any medium. Did any of those make the new collection? Mostly no, as expected, but yes, one or two did! Let's look at the contents, in the order listed in the press release.

Along Came Daffy (1947, Freleng, Blue Ribbon). A semi-remake of Daffy's Southern Exposure from 1942 and Wackiki Wabbit from 1943, this has two starving men (who look a lot like Yosemite Sam, one red and one black) trying to eat Daffy, who has come to sell them cookbooks. Classic 40s Daffy.

A Bone for a Bone (1951, Freleng). This is one of the ones never released on home video before now! (It has streamed.) The Goofy Gophers vs. a dog, and while enjoyable, it's not the lights out classic the previous two Gopher cartoons were.

The Cagey Canary (1942, Avery/Clampett, Blue Ribbon). Tex Avery started this cartoon, then left Schlesinger's, so Bob Clampett finished it. It's very reminiscent of later Tweety and Sylvester cartoons.

D'Fightin' Ones (1961, Freleng). A psrody of the movie the Defiant Ones, starring Sylvester and a bulldog.

Dangerous Dan McFoo (1939, Avery, Blue Ribbon). A parody of the poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew. Avery would return to this poem several times over his career. This is the first cartoon to feature the voice of Arthur Q. Bryan (future Elmer Fudd) and Robert C. Bruce (the narrator voice for almost every WB cartoons from this point on).

Devil's Feud Cake (1963, Freleng). A "cheater" cartoon, using footage from previous cartoons. Yosemite Sam dies and goes to hell, and is told to bring Bugs back there to avoid eternal damnation. Not great, but they're running out of Bugs cartoons.

Double Chaser (1942, Freleng, Blue Ribbon). A "chase" cartoon to the extreme, with a mouse, cat and dog.

Double or Mutton (1955, Jones). A Sam Sheepdog/Ralph Wolf cartoon, with lots of cartoon violence against Ralph that was censored on TV being uncut here.

Fox Pop (1942, Jones, Blue Ribbon). A fox hears that silver foxes are highly prized, and paints himself silver, only to realize they only want the skin. Jones is starting to slowly become funny in 1942, this is a good example of him getting better. Also, a public domain cartoon, so has appeared on many bootleg WB collections. This is restored.

Henhouse Henery (1949, McKimson). An early Foghorn Leghorn cartoon, and the first to use "Camptown Races".

Holiday for Drumsticks (1949, Davis). Daffy Duck tries to "save" a turkey from Thanksgiving by eating all his food for him. A classic, one of three cartoons newly restored for HD for this set.

Hopalong Casualty (1960, Jones). A late-period Coyote/Roadrunner cartoon. The one with the earthquake pills.

Hyde and Go Tweet (1960, Freleng). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Tweety and Sylvester.

The Impatient Patient (1942, McCabe, B&W). Released in its original black and white for the first time officially on home media, this has a loopy Daffy trying to deliver a message to "Chloe" in a parody of horror movies.

Leghorn Swoggled (1951, McKimson). The other Foghorn Leghorn/Henery Hawk title on here.

Meatless Flyday (1944, Freleng). A spider tries desperately to catch a fly. Finally foiled by wartime rationing.

Mouse-Warming (1952, Jones). Claude Cat versus a boy and girl mouse rather than Hubie & Bertie. This was on the Mouse Chronicles Blu-Ray, but unrestored.

The Mouse-Merized Cat (1946, McKimson, Blue Ribbon). The final Babbitt and Catstello cartoon, where Babbitt tries to get Catstello (a mouse - don't worry too much about it) to go after the cat by hypnosis. Catstello imitating Rochester has been cut from TV airings, will be uncut here.

Muscle Tussle (1953, McKimson). Daffy must try to defeat a muscle-bound blond at the beach in order to keep his flighty girlfriend. A parody of the "90-pound weakling" ads.

Muzzle Tough (1954, Freleng). The second Tweety and Sylvester cartoon on here, and another new restoration (maybe - does Japanese release only count?). Sylvester tries to get past Hector the Bulldog to get at Tweety.

Peck Up Your troubles (1945, Freleng, Blue Ribbon). Sylvester's second cartoon, and basically a Tweety cartoon only with a woodpecker. A new restoration, and thank God, as the old print looked awful.

Quack Shot (1954, McKimson). Daffy tries to stop Elmer Fudd shooting ducks. For the most part, his attempts rebound on him, but Daffy has the last laugh. Possibly the last Daffy Duck cartoon where he's "old-school" loopy Daffy all the way through. New to home media!

Road to Andalay (1964, Freleng). A post-64 (but only just) Sylvester and Speedy Gonzalez cartoon, but still directed by the master. New to home media!

The Sneezing Weasel (1938, Avery, Blue Ribbon). A standard 30s Merrie Melodie, but Avery's constantly chuckling weasel (voiced by Avery himself) is what everyone remembers.

Streamlined Greta Green (1937, Freleng). One of WB's classic plots, where a child is bad, is shown how bad his actions are, supposedly learns his lesson, but in reality doesn't learn a thing. This time the child is a car.

There are also two bonus cartoons, Lighter Than Hare (1960, Freleng) and Stork Named (1955, Freleng). Both came out years ago on collections that released the shorts as "widescreen". The fans were unhappy. They did not want a previously unseen version that cut the top and bottom of the cartoon, they wanted THEIR version. So these are in regular size (but restored).

It's a strong, if safe, collection. A lot of cartoons people have been begging for, including me. No blackface gags to worry parents, and only one Speedy Gonzalez cartoon to worry censors. I can't wait. No Porky Pig, though. :(

[termiteterraceclub]

Termite Terrace Club - May 8th

Happy Birthday to Bob Clampett and Arthur Q. Bryan.

1948 - Buccaneer Bunny - Dir. Friz Freleng

1954 - Dr. Jerkyl’s Hide - Dir. Friz Freleng

TV

1995 - Taz-Mania: “Yet Another Road to Taz-Mania”

[rose-of-pollux]

As @ksturf said in her post, we paid our respects to a lot of horror icons... but we also paid our respects to icons of comedy and animation; these are just a handful of the legends we visited--Laurel & Hardy, Mel Blanc (and, though not in this photoset, also his Looney Tunes costar Arthur Q Bryan, who voiced Elmer Fudd opposite Mel’s Bugs and Daffy), Don Adams, John Ritter, Heather North, Howard Morris, Jack Benny, Don Knotts, and Richard Dawson (along a couple of his Hogan’s costars, as well)

[kwebtv]

From the Golden Age of Television

Series Premiere

Meet the Governor - NBC - October 5, 1955

A presentation of "Screen Directors Playhouse" Season 1 Episode 1

Comedy / Drama

Running Time: 30 minutes

Directed by Leo McCarey

Stars:

Herb Shriner as Clem Waters

Barbara Hale as Jane Waters

Rita Lynn as Mrs. Lamkin

Bobby Clark as Sonny Waters

Paul Harvey as Gov. John Dirks

Arthur Q. Bryan as Mr. Hurley

Hayden Rorke as Lawyer

Claud Allister as Cyril - the Butler

William Forrest as Mr. Green

Oliver Cliff as Decorator

Bill Baldwin as Newsman

John Breen as Courtroom Spectator

James Flavin as Governor Dirks Aide

John Hamilton as Mr. Campo

[whereistheonepiece]

2023 Books

Originally I wasn't going to share the books I read this year on here, but then I changed my mind lol. It's convenient for me.

Read

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Family of Origin by CJ Hauser

Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Komori Yoko

Luster by Raven Leilani

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Fluids by May Leitz

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Convenience Store Woman by Murata Sayaka

The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

Memorial by Bryan Washington

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend by Peter Ackroyd

The Bookshop and the Barbarian by Morgan Stang

The Third Hotel by Laura Van Den Berg

Dune by Frank Herbert

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Hell's Paradise by Kaku Yuji

Dungeon Meshi by Kui Ryoko

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth by Warsan Shire

Healing Your Inner Child: Re-parenting Yourself For a More Secure and Loving Life by Natasha Levinger

Witchcraft Therapy by Mandi Em

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice In Her Head by Warsan Shire

Celtic Mysticism by Tracie Long

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Men in the Off Hours by Anne Carson

Ongoing

One Piece

Toilet-bound Hanako-kun by AidaIro

Dai Dark by Hayashida Q

Gokurakugai by Sano Uto

Witch Hat Atelier by Shirahama Kamome

[ananicoleta]

HAPPY LATE 83rd BIRTHDAY TO ELMER FUDD!!! (2 MARCH 1940)

Elmer Fudd shares his birthday with Porky Pig (something which I admit I didn't know until reciently). Until now, I have encountered many posts that wish happy birthday to Porky, as well as even showing a brief history of the character (which I'm glad to see!), but none for the poor nimrod. Therefore I decided I'll do it, albiet lately. Here's a short history of Elmer Fudd and how he evolved to be the character that we all know and love:

Although Elmer's official appearance is considered to be in Elmer's Candid Camera (2 March 1940), his origins date much further that that.

Many people think that it all started with Egghead, a dim-witted human-like cartoon character, with a bulbous nose and an egg-shaped head, who later evolved into Elmer Fudd but that aspect is somehow debated by cartoon historians.

The true very early version of Elmer Fudd appeared in Little Red Walking Hood (1937). Here, he had a derby hat, small squinty eyes, big reddish noise, a high collar around his neck, a green long sleeve shirt, green pants, and a bald circle-like human head.

After that, he appeared in more shorts throughout the late 30s. In the 1939 cartoon, Dangerous Dan Mac Foo, a new actor, Arthur Q. Brian, voiced Elmer and gave him his well-known speech impediment.

His official first appearance was in Elmer's Candid Camera (2 March 1940), alongside an early version of Bugs Bunny.

In his early cartoons Elmer alternates between being a hunter, like in A Wild Hare (1940), or a mild-mannered fellow who "wikes wabbits" and wants to adopt or take pictures of them, before Bugs drives him insane (Elmyra Duff, his counterpart in Tiny Toon Adventures, might be inspired by this version of him).

For a short period of time, between 1941-42, Elmer Fudd was given a new design, making him a heavy-set, beer-bellied character, patterned after Arthur Q. Bryan's real-life appearance, and still chasing Bugs (or vice versa). The audiences didn't like him however, so the slimmer version of the toon returned for good.

In the 50s, three gems of cartoons came out today known as the Hunting Trilogy: Rabbit Fire (1951), Rabbit Seasoning (1952), Duck! Rabbit, Duck! (1953). These cartoons solidified Elmer's reputation as a hunter and his dynamic with Bugs and Daffy

Elmer's official role became the one of a hunter and foil for Bugs Bunny. Even today Elmer Fudd is considered to be Bugs' classic nemesis, despite the fact that the wabbit has had many more enemys throught history (such as Yosemite Sam, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Marvin the Martian or Taz). Traits of his character solidified such as his gulibillity, short attention span, short temper and mild manners. The duo is such a classic that in the late 1950s cartoon, Bugs' Bonnets, in which the two of them try on different hats. This leads to a mayhem that ends with matrimony.

The only time Elmer won against Bugs was in Hare Bush (1956), where they swich roles

Elmer also played other roles such as Cupid in The Stupid Cupid (1944), which also starred Daffy Duck

He appeared in the 1990s series, Tiny Toon Adventures as Elmyra's mentor and a teacher at Acme Looniversity

He didn't play a huge role in either Baby Looney Tunes (2002) or The Looney Tunes Show (2011), but he did appear in a lot of episodes in Looney Tunes Cartoons (2020) as one of Bugs' main antagonists. This time however, he doesn't have his usual shotgun, due to the increase in gun violence in America.

So... as I was saying, HAPPY 83rd BIRTHDAY ELMER FUDD!!!!<33

[ducktracy]

I'm sorry but can you direct me to the little red riding hood where the wolf is in a roadster and he's trying to pick her up? It's in black and white I think and I'm sure I saw you share it on here

sorry this is so late!! that would be Tex Avery’s Little Red Walking Hood, which is a great cartoon! it’s on HBO Max if you have it, but you can also check it out here. i hope you enjoy!

[citizenscreen]

Birthday remembrance - Arthur Q. Bryan #botd

[retromusicart]

Eh, what's up doc?

Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan – Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd In Warner Bros. Looney Tunes And Merry Melodies (Capitol, 1947) - Design by the Warner Bros. Cartoon studio

This record was the first of a series of Looney Tunes records put out by Capitol Records from the late '40s to the early '50s. This album is a three-disc set containing all-original stories written by WB cartoon staff Tedd Pierce (named "Ted Pierce" here due to a typographical error) and Warren Foster. The stories are Bugs Bunny Meets Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck Flies South, and Porky Pig In Africa. Originally released on shellac, it was re-released in 1949 on 7'' 45 rpm vinyl.

The best part? The dialogue in these stories is all-new. It's always a treasure to hear more Mel and Arthur.

A few other recordings, some of them featuring the characters singing songs, were put out by Capitol until WB reclaimed the franchise recording rights and decided to enter the recorded music business themselves in 1958. Capitol continued to reprint some of these Looney Tunes records until they "deleted" (music industry jargon for taking music out of print) them in the mid '70s.

There are no plans for a CD and digital release, as the rights are tied up with WB (the characters) and Capitol/Universal Music (the albums and master recordings themselves). Getting a good copy of these albums is becoming increasingly difficult.

Greg Ehrbar has a fantastic blog post on Cartoon Research looking into this record. See it here. He's also evaluated a few other L-T Capitol albums and records as well on the same site.

Image courtesy of Discogs.

[dorothydalmati1]

Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies 1942 Episode 17: Nutty News

Written by Warren Foster

Directed by Bob Clampett

Animated by Virgil Ross

Voice characterizations by Mel Blanc & Arthur Q. Bryan