Category: Willoughby

Dogs are smart, but sometimes you get the exception. This dog is that exception.

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Of Fox and Hounds

“Well, thanks a lot George! Thanks a lot!”

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7u0q0c

Supervision by Fred Avery; Story by “Draft No. 1312”; Animation by “Draft No. 6102”; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Merrie Melody released on December 7, 1940.

Mornings are so peaceful. So serene. So nice to sleep right through. And if you’re not allowed to do that, you try to ruin it for everyone. And so, the fox hunters blowing their ungodly horns and bringing their hounds along for a round of “kill the animal for sport.” One hound, is a bit slow. And I do mean both ways. His name is Willoughby and he is making his screen debut here. He’s packing quite a bit of meat here, (making him look an awful lot like a St. Bernard) and his coat has more white than his later years. (Huh. Usually it’s the other way round.)

Willoughby takes off after the rest, and he has some pretty decent luck, as he almost immediately finds a fox. But he doesn’t know that, and asks the fellow, (named George) if he’s seen a fox. George, (who is to Bugs what Foxy was to Mickey: a ripoff desperately wants some love.) gives him directions. Just past a stump up ahead, and on the other side of a rail fence. Willoughby takes off, jumps the fence and falls off a cliff. At the bottom, he realizes that the chap he was talking to was actually the fox of which he seeks.

He heads back in a murderous fury, but finds another hound. It’s George in disguise, but he doesn’t know that and asks the fellow if he’s seen a fox. George, (not even bothering to disguise his name) gives him directions. He just has to pass a stump up ahead, and he’ll find the fox on the other side of a rail fence. Willoughby heads off, leaps over the fence, and falls off a cliff again. He doesn’t catch on this time. (I do love his little resigned sigh. Sometimes that says it all.)

He returns to George to tell him the directions were faulty, and the little dog decides to go with him this time. But while squeezing through a log, his costume comes off and Willoughby catches on again. (The costume loses a leg for a brief second, and this scares the dog so badly, that his ears turns white.) He chases the vulpine, waking a bear in the process, and barricades off the hole George is hiding in with a boulder. He happily tells the bear what he’s done, before realizing it’s a bear and climbs a tree. (A good safety tip. You can learn a lot from cartoons.)

George is able to move the boulder, and sees the ursine and the treed canine. Some might say it’s a conscience thing, but I think George just can’t resist the opportunity he has here, and gives the bear a hot foot. ( A great reaction I’m not spoiling if you choose to read this synopsis before the watching the short.) Willoughby tries to act cool, but faints in relief. NEXT MORNING! Those cruel hunters are at it again, and Willoughby is once more the last one out. But this time he has George with him, as the two live together now.

Still, a hound has to do what he was bred to do, and he asks George for directions towards the nearest fox. (Preferably one that he isn’t on a first name basis with.) George tells him to head for a stump, turn past it, and he’ll find the fox on the other side of a rail fence. Willoughy heads out, leaps the fence and there is no crash. The dog is learning, and this time he left some mattresses to cushion his landing.

Favorite Part: The little chuckle George gives when pranking the bear. He kinda sounds like a marmoset.

Personal Rating: 3. Sad really. I saw this one all the time back in the day on Cartoon Network, and was looking forward to seeing again for the first time in twenty-one years. I remembered it being a lot funnier, George. A lot!

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Fifty years of Bugs Bunny in 3 1/2 minutes

“The King! Your Majesty!”

This… is one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life. If not the greatest, then probably the ninth. A 50 year tribute to the world’s most popular toon in such a compact time limit? It’s everybodies life mission to see it at least once. And since I was able to find both the American and Austrailian versions, you can enjoy both at any time! Since I have seen every Bugs Bunny short, I am going to list all that are here. (If I screwed up, please feel free to correct me. It’s the only way I’ll learn.)

“Rabbit Hood”, “Elmer’s Pet Rabbit”, “The Old Gray Hare”, “A Wild Hare”, “Rabbit Of Seville”, “Rabbit Rampage”, “Rabbit Seasoning”, “Rabbit Fire”, “Duck! Rabbit, Duck!”, “Person to Bunny”, “Rabbitson Crusoe”, “Wild And Woolly Hare”, “Big House Bunny”, “Mississippi Hare”, “Operation: Rabbit”, “Compressed Hare”, “Rabbit’s Feat”, “Bowery Bugs”, “Hare Splitter”, “Hare-Breadth Hurry”, “Sahara Hare”, “Long-Haired Hare”, “A Witch’s Tangled Hare”, “Foxy By Proxy”, “Barbary Coast Bunny”, “Big Top Bunny”, “Apes of Wrath”, “Homeless Hare”, “Haredevil Hare”, “Rabbit Punch”, “Hair-raising Hare”, “Bill of Hare”, “The Fair-Haired Hare”, “Bunny Hugged”, “Bugs Bunny Rides Again”, “The Bugs Bunny Show,” “What’s Up, Doc?”, “8-Ball Bunny”, “What’s Opera, Doc?”, “Bully For Bugs”, “Bunker Hill Bunny”, “Roman Leigon-Hare”, “Knights Must Fall”, “Knight-Mare Hare”, “Rebel Rabbit”, “Bedeviled Rabbit”, “Horse Hare”, “Lighter Than Hare”, “A-Lad-In His Lamp”, “Lumber Jack-Rabbit”, “14 Carrot Rabbit”, “The Million Hare”, “Which is Witch”, “Hot Cross Bunny”, “High Diving Hare”, “Captain Hareblower”, “Hare Trigger”, “Racketeer Rabbit”, “Acrobatty Bunny”, “The Heckling Hare”, “Bewithced Bunny”, “From Hare To Heir”, “Mad As A Mars Hare”, “The Grey Hounded Hare”, “Hare Do”, and in the Aussie’s case, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. All set to “The Barber of Seville” and “Hungarian Rhapsody Number 2” Which is the superior version? I can’t choose. Tell me what you think.

Personal Rating: 3

Hopefully you’re not too worn out of Bugs shorts. We’ll switch it up again next week.

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An Itch in Time

♪”Oh there’s food around the corner, food around the corner, food around the corner for me, (hallelujah brother.) food arund the corner, food around the corner, food around the corner for meee!”♪

Directed by Bob Clampett

Sorry for lack of update last week. (To the two people who visit this place, I was just on a family trip.)

Been awhile since we had a good old screwy Clampett short, eh? In Elmer’s home, Fudd is happily reading Looney Tunes comics. His dog (Willoughby) at his feet. (Or at least a very similar looking dog) Also in this house is a flea. (which some signs point out for us) His name is A. Flea. (A for amusing?) He’s excited because he’s found himself a feast of the grandest proportions: Dog Butt. He hurries over, makes sure the dog is asleep and goes to work. (Singing a song, that I DARE you to get out of your head.)

He gets some salt, ketchup, mustard and bread and puts it around some dog dermis. A bite causes the dog to yelp in pain and try to get the flea, but he only ends up biting himself. Elmer pours flea powder on him, (which A. treats as snow) and warns him that if he scratches once more, its a bath! The dog swears to not scratch. Which is near impossible with A. mining his meat. Elmer is keeping a close eye on him, and Willoughby turns different colors trying to stay strong. He kicks the cat (which A. didn’t want for some reason) who scratches for him. A glare from Elmer makes them both shrink into little masses.

A. sets off some explosives and the dog can’t take it anymore and he scoots around on the floor. (“Hey, I better cut this out. I may get to like it.”) Elmer comes to make good word of his promise, but A. moves onto him. (For the record: fleas rarely bite people, and I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t if there were two pets in the house.) Willoughby gleefully takes his master to the tub, and slips on a bar of soap landing them both in the water. A. puts them on a “blue plate special” and carries them off. (To eat I presume. If the cat wasn’t still there, I’d complain that parasites don’t try to kill their hosts as it destroys their home as well) Having seen all this, the Cat shoots himself.

This scene is of course censored today, because some people thought it’d be a bright idea to kill themselves. As such, everyone is too afraid to laugh at this. If you play it for laughs, (like here) it is FUNNY. I only care so much, because lets say you watch stuff like this all the time and make a suicide joke. Not aware that people’s sensibilities have changed, and now it makes you look like the evil one. Rant over.

Personal Rating: 4

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What’s up, Doc? A salute to Bugs Bunny

Our documentary begins with Friz Freleng telling us of the first Looney Tunes character, Bosko. Bob Clampett tells us how they ended up in Termite Terrace and why they named it that. Tex Avery tells what it was like working for Leon Scheslinger. The narrator says that although the cartoons were great, they wouldn’t come close to touching Disney until they created our favorite bunny of all time, Bugs. It then plays “A Wild Hare.”

We are told about what inspired Bug’s habits of chewing on a carrot and declaring war. It’s also discussed that Proto-Bugs was very different from the one we know today. ( By that, I mean Classic Bugs) He was extremely hyper.  Pretty much Daffy Duck in a bunny suit. Mel Blanc explains how he came up with a voice for Bugs, and we are also told that it took a while to give Bugs his name. “A Corny Concerto” is talked about being a Fantasia parody, and how Tex was the anti-Disney. “The Heckling Hare” is shown next and we learn that Clampett took over Avery’s unit when he left for MGM. Seeing as how he would later leave himself, we’re shown Clampett’s last short with WB, “The Big Snooze.”

At this point in history, Bugs was now the #1 cartoon star in America. Chuck Jones says he was always concerned with his character. He established the fact that Bugs is a pretty easy going guy. Get him angry and it’s your funeral, however. Friz says that even with that, they still needed him to be fun to watch and listen to. After showing “Hair raising Hare” Friz tells about how he thought Elmer was an idiot. That’s why he created Yosemite Sam. We are then shown Sam’s debut cartoon “Hare Trigger.” We also are told that one thing that makes Looney Tunes so great is that they are fun to hear as well watch.

After mentioning the not talked about enough Treg Brown and Carl Stalling, we learn that many live action stars helped model for Bugs. It also sings praise to some of Treg’s greatest sound effects. From the *zrp* of a character running off, to the *fweefweefweefweefwee* of a character spinning, to the *hubbida hubbida* of something going up and down fast. No doubt that his most famous was the *bay-whoop* for irising in and out. We also learn that Mike Maltese, Tedd Pierce, and Warren Foster were the silhouettes that appeared in many shorts.

Then we learn of the man himself, Mel Blanc. His debut in “Picador Porky” and Clampett telling us of his supposed carrot allergy. They say that he was almost every main character. Except Elmer, played by Arthur Q. Brian. They even mention how Elmer was modeled after Bryan for a few shorts. (Not the only time that kinda thing happened. Remember “Wackiki Wabbit?” the castaways were caricatures of Mike and Tedd, the guys playing the two. Thanks to SuperJNG18 for this tidbit.)

Finally we are left to wonder Bug’s future. Personally, I think he will continue to be the king of cartoons. For as long as the human race shall live. (Even if people think otherwise.)

Personal Rating: If you’re a historian, (like me) it’s a 3. Otherwise, it’s a 2.

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Hare Force

“Heavens to Betsy! A poor, little, rabbit out in the cold!”

It is a cold evening. Our setting is a house that is home to a Proto-Granny and a dog named Sylvester. (Proto putty-tat? I’ll leave that up to you. He looks more like Willoughby to me) Sylvester is happy to be in front of a toasty fire but is angered when Bugs is found at the door and he is instructed to take care of the rabbit. As soon as the old lady leaves, he throws Bugs out. Bugs makes a snowman in his likeness and when the guilt-ridden dog brings it in, he flips out when it melts.

Bugs tells him to hide outside, but when he hears the granny returning, he pretends the frozen dog is posing for a picture. After getting put out again, Sylvester jams a stick in the door frame to keep the door open, but Bugs closes the bottom half anyway. Later, Bugs feels guilty and when he goes to let the dog in, he gets put out. They continuously throw each other out until the woman gets fed up and decides to throw them both out. They form a truce and toss her out instead.

Personal Rating: 3

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The Hep Cat

“Say, are you followin me?”

In this, the first Looney Tune in color, (the ones before were Merrie Melodies) A cat walks by a doghouse to the tune of “5 o clock whistle.” The dog (Willoughby, but he is here named Rosebud) chases after him, but fails. A bird tells him he almost got the cat, but the dog says that this happens every night. Out of danger, the cat begins to sing about how irresistible he is to females. Cue girl.

This cat is creepy! Look! Her feet have stilettos! She literally gives him the cold shoulder, but his luck seems to change when he gets a note calling him over the fence. He gleefully runs over, only to run into Rosebud and they chase again. Later, he sees a hot girl and begins to make out with her. He doesn’t realize its Rosebud with a puppet until its too late. They chase again, and the cat loses the dog on a clothesline. He goes back to his make out session. (Okay, that puppet is hot.) The bird comes back to tell him its not real. This does not bother him in the slightest.

Personal Rating: 3

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The Heckling Hare

“Uh… flowers.”

Willoughby is out sniffing and, finding a hole, decides to dig for whatever reason. Bugs appears and the chase is on. After that, Bugs starts imitating his adversary’s faces and pretty soon, he gets Willoughby to copy him. He then clobbers him with a bat. Bugs dives into a lake and the chase briefly continues underwater.

After they get out, Bugs dives behind a tree while Willy reaches into the knot hole for him. Bugs puts a tomato in his paw and when he squishes it, he pines for the rabbit he “crushed.” Of course, once he realizes it was a trick he digs again only, to dig through a cliff! He manages not to fall but ends up walking off the cliff. Bugs is not remorseful but doesn’t watch his step and winds up falling too!

It’s too bad that Avery’s initial choice of ending; wherein the two would land safely, only to fall off another cliff was frowned upon. This would eventually lead to Avery leaving for MGM. It’s not like his work there could be considered bad cartoons (“King Sized Canary” is one of my favorite films, ever.) but it would have been great if Tex stayed. I’d really like to see how that reality would have panned out.

Personal Rating: 3, but it probably could have reached 4 if Avery had been allowed to end it how he wanted to.