Category: Cartoons from the 50’s

The 1950’s contain some of the most revered shorts Warner Bros. ever produced! Many of which now are considered some of animation’s greatest triumphs.

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Hurdy-Gurdy Hare

“Ain’t I a devil?”

Directed by Robert McKimson

One day in the park, Bugs is reading the newspaper looking for job opportunities. He settles on buying a hurdy-gurdy and a monkey to earn money with. With his new purchase, Bugs happily plays music while the monkey collects coins from apartment dwellers. Coming back to Bugs, it’s shown that the tenets stiffed him. Or did they? Turns out the monkey, (who I will call Chim-chim) pocketed it all for himself. Bugs fires him on the spot and decides to play monkey himself. Using a ladder, he pounds on windows for cash, but only winds up with a bucket of water emptied on him.

Meanwhile, Chim-chim is at the zoo. Would you look at that! It’s Gruesome! Haven’t seen him since “Gorilla my Dreams” (Their eyes may be different, but I never forget a face.) He is apparently buddies with Chimmy, and is angered to hear of how Bugs treated him. He easily breaks out of his cage, and heads off to serve revenge. Bugs meanwhile accidentally sees a woman doing… something. (Personal, no doubt. She screams.) Gruesome appears and shows off his strength. Bugs shows he can stick his finger in his mouth, blow, and levitate for a brief second. Gruesome tries, and floats off the building. Taking his finger out at Bug’s suggestion, he plummets.

He comes back, and Bugs asks if he can jump off the building, bounce off the awning and land back where he started. Gruesome tries it, and crashes through the pavement to the underground. Dazed, he exits via an elevator and Bugs (disguised as a subway conductor) leads him back into the hole. Coming back, he gives chase once more. Bugs runs, but not before taking one more peek at that lady. (Naughty, naughty!) He climbs down his ladder, but Gruesome hoists it up, and Bugs climbs back into his clutches. So Bugs climbs it, and Gruesome lowers it, and Bugs climbs back into his clutches. This goes on for awhile until Bugs climbs to the next floor without the ladder.

He starts laying bricks in a window when Gruesome sticks his head in. Bugs finishes his wall anyway, and gives the ape an exploding cigar. He then tricks the gorilla into running out a door back to the ground. Gruesome returns (He has lots of stamina.) and Bugs seems to have run out of tricks. Spying a violin, he aims to see if music truly soothes the savage beast. It works, and Gruesome dances. Getting an idea, Bugs uses the dancing gorilla to rob the terrified populace of their money, while Chim-chim, (who I guess Bugs forgave) plays the hurdy-gurdy.

Personal Rating: 3

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Southern Fried Rabbit

“Gotta burn my boots. They tetched yankee soil.”

Directed by I. Freleng

The northern half of the country appears to be in some dry times as the whole area is desert. Since there is such little water, the carrots are thin and withered. Lucky for Bugs, he finds a paper that announces of a record crop in Alabama. He happily sets off. After his journey, he finds the border. (What contrast! Even the sky is different colors!) However, as soon he dares take one step across, he is chased off by general (Yosemite) Sam. Apparently, General Lee told him to guard the line and not allow any Yanks to cross. (He must be really old.)

Bug’s fact about the war being over for nearly 100 years does nothing to change Sam’smind, and Bugs runs off. Later Sam sees “one of his boys”: Bugs in a disgusting blackface disguise. (C’mon Bugs, you’re better than that!) When Sam asks him to play a catchy tune on his banjo, Bugs reveals himself by playing “Yankee Doodle.” Sam is angered and Bugs begins to plead not to be whipped. Now, it’s funny. (Because of Sam’s face, thank you. Bugs should really take the disguise off. I’m losing respect for him) He then appears as Lincoln and demands Sam put the whip away. (I’m no history buff, but wouldn’t a southern general just shoot Abe?)

Seeing Bugs’s tail, Sam chases again. (Also Sam is balding in this short.) Bugs hides in a tree and Sam tries to light a bomb to throw in. Bugs blows it out when he is near and when he is far. (Thanks to a straw.) When Sam gets far enough away, it blows before he can reach the tree. Bug’s somehow warps to a tent and exits as “Brickwall Jackson.” He has Sam march to the edge of a well. Then he says “fall in.” SPLASH! The chase leads to a mansion where Sam finds Bugs in drag. (I give him credit for not being seduced, but instead focusing on his mission.)

Looking behind the door that the dame says hides no Yankee, Sam is blasted by a cannon. Then Bugs rides up on a horse. (He is getting really good at this teleporting.) He tells Sam, that the Yankees are in Chattanooga. Sam leaves. We close on him holding the New York Yankees at gunpoint in the dugout.

Personal Rating: 3

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Knight-Mare Hare

“Surrender varlet! Thou art the prisoner of m’lance!”

Directed by Chuck Jones

While drying his ears, Bugs is reading a book about Knights and Gallantry. All of a sudden, an apple falls on his head. The scenery changes and suddenly Bugs is in the middle ages. He immediately runs into a knight. (Look at his horse, it’s like DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHH!) Said knight, has never heard of Bug’s friends. (Including Cab of Calloway and Satchmo of Armstrong) Angered, Bugs is willing to challenge him to a duel. The sword he is given is too heavy and the knight is getting closer. Bug’s blindfolds himself and wins by tripping the horse, sending the knight into a tower.

Next, a huge dragon appears. It seems really happy to breathe fire and tries to make roast rabbit. Bugs subdues him with a seltzer bottle and the dragon scampers off. Looking around, Bugs enters a wizard’s lair. His name is Merlin of Monroe. (That’s a great joke.) He demonstrates his magic prowess by turning Bugs into a pig. (I love pigs!) Bugs simply unzips the skin and challenges Merlin (who looks like a cross between Witch Hazel and Mugsy,) to click his thumb like a lighter. Angered at Bugs making a mockery of his spells, he tries but can’t seem to do it. This gives Bugs a chance to use magic powder to turn Merlin into an equine. (I can’t pinpoint what type.)

Seeing an apple, Bugs throws it on his head and wouldn’t you know it? It works and he goes back home. Relived to be back he spies an equine (Horse? Donkey? Mule? Hinny? I have no idea!) with Merlin’s hat. He shakes it off as a coincidence. Until he hears it’s name IS Merlin! What a twist! (Now that I’ve said that, I’m prominent online.)

Personal Rating:3

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Operation: Rabbit

“Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Wile E. Coyote. Genius.”

Directed by Charles M. Jones

I’m always amazed about how few people know that Wile E. appeared with Bugs and that he spoke. This is actually one of the first Looney Tune shorts I recall watching. Heck, this was Wile E’s second appearance, so he had no real standard yet. But his other role would catch on far more so, leaving the other in obscurity. (This is a phenomenon that I call “Zelda 2 syndrome”.) Wile E. starts the short by flat out telling Bugs he is going to eat him, and that since he is a genius, Bugs might as well give up. Bugs is not fazed and just leaves. Wile E. begins his plans. (It’s hard for us geniuses. No one wants to appreciate us while we’re alive.)

Plan 1 is a pressure cooker he puts over Bug’s hole. When Bugs tells him that there is no rabbit in there, Wile E. checks and Bugs traps him under it. Then he clubs him. Plan 2. Wile E. has a cannon with al ot of pipes to launch a cannonball right into Bug’s home. Bugs has more pipe and sends it right back. While working on plan 3, Wile E. finds Bugs at his door announcing his decision to give up. He just needs a witness to sign his will, and offers his predator a pen. (TNT) Wile E. is happy to oblige and just puts out the fuse. That proves he is a genius. Elmer and Sam would have fallen for that. And no one, not the first time anyway, sees the second fuse on the other end. BOOM!

Plan 3 involves an explosive rabbit decoy. Wile E. turns it on  in his house (for some reason) when there’s a knock at the door. It’s a female coyote. She’s a decoy, but Wile E. is too smitten to notice. (Tells her how lucky she is marrying a genius. Love his ego.) Bugs detonates her and before Wile E. can get rid of it, the bunny blows up too. Plan 4 has a UFO that homes in on targets and explodes. He sets it to rabbit, but Bugs wears a chicken mask to confuse it. He writes coyote on the side and sends it back. Now without his cave, Wile E. plans in an explosives shed. He fills carrots with nitroglycerin not realizing Bugs is towing him onto train tracks. Boom again! Giving up, he introduces himself to Bugs as mud. “And remember.” says Bugs. “Mud spelled backwards is dum.” (Well what do you know? It is!)

Personal Rating: 4

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Roman Legion-Hare

“I gotta find a victim to feed to the lions.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

In ancient Rome, (54 A.D. to be exact,) everyone is eagerly headed to the coliseum to watch people be devoured by lions. (Aren’t humans just wonderful?) Emperor Nero is angry to discover there are no more victims. He tells his captain of the guard (Sam) to get one or be one. Same calls his troops and they go hunting. Enter Bugs, who thinks their march is a parade. When he tells Sam that he’s the only one around, Sam orders his men to catch him.

Bugs easily trips the troops and they are never seen again. Sam chases Bugs in a chariot and passes him. (And flies out when the horse stops.) Grabbing a club, he chases Bugs into the lion holding area, luckily on the opposite of the bars. Sam is annoyed by a roaring lion, and clubs him to shut up. Bugs opens the gate between the two and Sam is pummeled. Chasing Bugs into another room, they find it’s the lions den. (So, why was that other one all alone?) They tiptoe through, but Bugs lowers an alarm clock while Sam is still down there. He’s mauled.

Sam finds Bugs on the other side of a lion pit and goes after him with stilts to be safe. Bugs hands the lions tools to dismantle the stilts. Sam is beaten and we actually see him lose his mask. Bugs tries to escape, but leaves through the door to the arena. Sam gleefully shows the victim and the lions are released. Bugs is terrified, but he shouldn’t be. The lions go straight for the people who forced them to live in tiny, unsanitary, cages. Sam and Nero climb atop a pillar, but the lions chop it down piece by piece. As they lower towards their doom, Nero plays taps on a violin. Desperately hoping that music can soothe several savage beasts.

Personal Rating: 3

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Gonzales’ Tamales

“All the pretty girls in love with Speedy Gonzales. What’s left are chihuahuas.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

In Mexico, two mice named Pedro and Manuel are chatting. They’d like to go out and have fun with the ladies but they only have eyes for Speedy. Even the few who are willing to give the men a chance are seduced by Speedy. (Which I have to say is a dick move. Can’t he let the others have some fun? Some of us can’t afford to lose anymore self esteem.) So yeah, Speedy’s the villain in this short.

They hold a meeting to discuss what to do, and eventually decide that they will get the “greengo poosycat” to chase Speedy out of town. (Or just keep him busy.) They send a phony threat to Sylvester that proclaims Speedy will tear his tail out. Livid, Sylvester goes and dares him to do it. Speedy easily accomplishes the task, and Sylvester declares war. He ties to lure him with cheese. (Speedy is well aware of the lure.) Using his speed, Speedy easily gets the (surprisingly shrunk) cheese. Sylvester tries a gun, and Speedy dismantles it piece by piece, leaving a bullet in midair. Shocked, Sylvester pulls the “trigger” and it blows up in his face.

After losing a game of “Hot Potato: Grenade Edition!”, he sends in a wind-up female mouse. Speedy apparently buys it, as when Sylvester comes out chasing, Speedy takes “her” with him. He hides behind a box of chili peppers and tells Sylvester he’s hiding in one of them. Sylvester (rather moronically) buys this story and begins to eat. They are extremely spicy but he’s able to chug some water to keep cool. (Hey, in 1957, they probably didn’t know water does nothing to help.) The second time he tries it, he finds that Speedy switched the water with tobacco sauce. Sylvester launches into the air and we see P. and M. again. (I guess they’re done with the girls. Or they never tried. Maybe they never went to the meeting?) They don’t seem too surprised to see the “gringo poosycat” flying by.

Personal Rating: 3

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No Barking

“Rr-Ar-ar-arar-ar-ar-ar!”

Directed by Charles M. Jones

It’s sunrise at a beautiful landscape. (Or it’s a dump. Good trickery.) Claude Cat wakes up and whistles with a bluebird. Then he eats it. (If that’s too dark for you, two more birds drop a brick on him and eject their friend.) With that breakfast ruined, Claude sets his sights on a bone that a puppy has just buried. This is Frisky. I’m not giving him his own post, because he doesn’t fit my five appearance rule. Basically he’s a puppy, he’s frisky, and he sorta looks like Charlie, just with a shorter more dog like body, and longer ears.

As soon as Claude goes for the goods Frisky barks and sends the cat jumping out of fright. He gets tortured like this all through the picture. (At one point he does the run leaving things floating in midair gag. Just like Jones had done with Witch Hazel and the bull. Theirs being bobby pins and hooves,m Claude’s is paw prints.) Claude chases Frisky into a pipe but the dog’s bark has him jump and land out of the sewer. (The manhole lands on him.) After some typical puppy activities, (barking at a mirror, scratching, tugging on a rope) Frisky barks again and scares Claude into jumping in some lumber. Claude gives up trying to get even, and goes back to his hunting.

He hunts a bird which turns out to be Tweety. (A Freleng character in a Jones short? Freleng did something similar with a Jones character in “Dog Pounded”.) Frisky barks again and now Claude’s had enough. He stuffs a sock to make a decoy tail and Frisky goes for the bait. Claude grabs him, ties him up and gags him. Walking off he gets barked at by a bulldog, (I’ll just assume it’s Marc Antony) and jumps up onto a plane. Tweety watches as it flies off into the sunset.

Personal Rating: 3

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Birds Anonymous

“If you really want to beat this, look us up. We can help you.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

It’s another Oscar Winner! It’s the third time Sylvester’s been in one of those! This was Blanc’s favorite short he did voices for! (And if my research is correct, it was originally supposed to be called “Tweety-Totaler”. A more clever title, but a bit harder to take seriously.)

Inside a house, Sylvester carefully closes all the window blinds so there are no witnesses for what’s about to happen. He grabs Tweety quite easily. (Granny’s not in this short. Neither are any guard dogs.) He doesn’t eat him, as another cat (who would later be named Clarence) warns of the perils. Apparently, Birds are a cats alcohol and they have a group that can help break the habit. Sylvester attends a meeting and vows to do the same.

He returns home and cheerfully greets Tweety with a friendly pat on the head. (“Deaw Diawy, I know you won’t bewieve this but…”) Sylvester turns on the television. Surprise! It’s a cooking show describing how to make delicious poultry. (It never specifies WHAT bird it is. It could be a hoatzin.) Sylvester fights his urges and tries the radio. Of course, it’s only playing alliterative avian albums. (“Bye Bye Blackbird”, “Red Red Robin”, No, Hungry Hungry Heorn, unfortunately.)

He handcuffs himself to a radiator, (why were those cuffs in the kitchen?) but manages to break free after Tweety asks if he likes him anymore. Clarence arrives to shoot a plunger in his face. (“I was afraid you might be weakening.”) At night, Sylvester can’t sleep and runs to Tweety, planning to quit after just one more. Clarence pours alum into his mouth, thus making it impossible for him to shove Tweety in.. He breaks down, and Clarence tells him that it’s really easy to get along with your prey. He kisses Tweety and manages to get a taste of him as well. Clarence is now trying to eat the canary while Sylvester tries to stop him.

Personal Rating: 5 (For Mel’s godly voice acting.)

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Steal Wool

“Mornin’ Ralph.”

Directed by Chuck Jones

Good morning! Sam Sheepdog has just woken up and is on his way to work. On the way, he greets his good pal, Ralph Wolf. (Named after one of the story boarders at the time.) They walk together and wish each other luck and take up their positions. Sam begins to guard, Ralph prepares to steal (wool). He crawls under a sheep and carries it away, only to run into Sam, who pounds him. Digging underground, Ralph tries a lasso and unknowingly catches Sam.

He builds a TNT bridge and taunts Sam. Sam crosses and Ralph goes back the other way, lighting the fuse. Sam is already at the other end and demands the sheep Ralph has. Ralph gives and goes back to put out the fuse, unaware that Sam lit his end too. Ralph tries a seesaw to fling Sam away, but the dog is too heavy and Ralph flies into his arms. Sam flings Ralph.

Finally, Ralph gets a giant rubber band, attaches it to two boulders, and pulls back, aiming at Sam. Instead, the boulders come loose and fly after Ralph, who runs between a narrow cliff. The rocks catch on the sides and the band threatens to launch Ralph away. Ralph grabs onto a tree and the rocks finally squeeze through the opening, and Ralph ends up against another cliff, with all the debris smashing into him. Later, as the two pals walk home, (Ralph with a sling and black eye) Sam tells him to take the next day off. He’s been working too hard and Sam can handle both jobs. Ralph thanks his friend and stumbles home.

Personal Rating: 4

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Rocket Squad

“A cop’s life isn’t all b-beer and skittles, you know.”

Directed by Chuck Jones

Our hero’s of this picture are two cops. Joe Monday (Daffy) and Schmoe Tuesday (Porky). Yes, they are smoking cigarettes. It’s stupid how everyone is so scared that they can’t ever show a cigarette in a cartoon. I think non-smokers will know better than to take it up, and kids are smarter than we give them credit for. (Knowledge wise, when it comes to entertainment kids are morons.)

Back on topic. The two are called by their chief to solve a case. They arrive at a building (heavily influenced by “Duck Dodgers in the Twenty fourth and a half Century“) and learn that the Flying Saucer Bandit is on the loose. They take a convenient evaporator that takes them directly to the scene of the crime. The acme clue collector is there, and gives them all the clues it’s gathered. They feed it to a machine which gives them some sheet music. They play it and this leads them to figure out it was George Machree. (the song playing was “Mother Machree”)

They go to the file of known criminals, (among which is Tedd Pierce, Chuck Jones, Eddie Selzer, and my idol: Mel Blanc) This tells them that their suspect is ordering from a sandwich machine. (I want one) You choose a filling, bread, and condiment. (Why is butter an option? Does it go with any of those fillings?) They arrive one minute too late and begin chasing. They find him using some smog as camouflage, and arrest him. Despite the fact he says he’s innocent. They take him to court and wouldn’t you know it? He WAS innocent. Because of the false arrest, the pair are sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Personal Rating: 3