In choosing The Five Best Cartoons, I considered the quality and popularity of the cartoons, heavily tinged by the fact that they are my favorites. It will not be hard to figure out that Warner Brothers' fantastic cartoon shorts rate high on my list. There are so many really good cartoons, from the movies and from television, and everybody has at least five they love. Here are my top choices:
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"Oh Bwunhilde, you're so wuvwy!"
"Yes I know it, I can't help it!" |
(1)
What's Opera, Doc (1957). Directed by the great Chuck Jones, I believe it to be Number One in cartoon creations. The voice we all love, Mel Blanc, is in top form with this spot-on hilarious spoof of Wagnerian opera, with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd in their greatest roles. Elmer's "Kill the Wabbit!" has become one of the most well-known cartoon quotes ever. IMBD's succinct and hilarious description of this cartoon is worth a quote:
Bugs is in drag as the Valkyrie Brunhilde who sits on an overwieght (sic) horse. "She" is pursued by Elmer playing the demigod "Siegfried".
Interesting fact: This cartoon has approximately 104 cuts, more than any other Warner Brothers cartoon.
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| "That lovin' R-A-A-A-G !!" |
(2)
One Froggy Evening (1955). Director Chuck Jones again, this time with the story of the most lovable and frustrating frog that ever lived. Only one voice is ever heard in the cartoon, that of Michigan J. Frog, the eternal little amphibian who sings and dances, but only when nobody but his owner is listening. Michigan's singing voice is provided by Bill Roberts, popular '50s nightclub singer, in a series of great old songs, including "I'm Just Wild About Harry" and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone." His most famous is "The Michigan Rag", which sounds old but was actually written for this cartoon.
Interesting Fact:
Due to the cartoon, "Dancing Frog" is now computer terminology for a computer problem that will not appear when anyone else is watching. (Quoted from IMDB.) Happens to me all the time!
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| "That's strange. All of a sudden I don't quite feel like myself." |
(3)
Duck Amuck (1953). Who else? ... Chuck Jones and Mel Blanc. Daffy Duck finally got the starring role he always dreamed of when he had to play second banana to Bugs. This is a most unusual cartoon short, spotlighting the ability of the invisible cartoonist to make Daffy do anything he wants, and tearing down the usual "fourth wall" between film and audience. Poor Daffy. He just goes through hell in this hilarious cartoon. In one burst of extreme frustration, he screams, "... I've never been so humiliated in all my life!", only to realize that his invisible nemisis has taken away the sound.
Interesting Fact:
This cartoon nearly didn't get made because there was resistance to the idea of using Bugs Bunny in such a limited role near the end. (Quoted from IMDB.) Poor Daffy ... he just can't get out from under Bug's shadow!
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| "Leopold!" |
(4)
Long-Haired Hare (1949). (I won't even bother to name them again.) Bugs Bunny at his tormenting best, this time bedeviling an opera singer trying to practice at home, while nearby, Bugs is playing the banjo and singing at the top of his voice. Bugs even follows the enraged and nervous singer to the Hollywood Bowl for his performance. With hair and tuxedo disguise, Bugs appears to the orchestra. He says nothing, but the musicians whisper "Leopold!" in awe, convinced that Bugs is the great Leopold Stokowski. Bugs' conducting style and what he does to that poor man on the stage is no less than comedy at its best. The voice of singer Nikolai Shutorov is heard as the opera singer belting out the longest one-note in cartoon history.
Interesting fact:
Leopold Stokowski never conducted with a baton. This is the reason why Bugs Bunny breaks the baton before conducting. (Quote from IMBD.)
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| These guys look even creepier when they walk! |
(5)
Popeye In Goonland (1938). Directed by the marvelous Dave Fleischer, and with the unforgettable voice of Jack Mercer, I just plain love this one from my days as a kid watching cartoons on TV. Even then, my favorite Popeye cartoons were the old black and whites, with the credits displayed behind ship cabin doors that open and bang shut. Nobody could mutter like Popeye, and it is imperative to listen carefully to his hilarious mumbling to really get the fun that is Popeye. In this story, Popeye is forced to go to Goon Island to rescue his Pappy. Those goons just creeped me out when I was little. Actually, they still do!
Interesting Fact:
This short marked the first animated appearance of both Poopdeck Pappy and of the Goons, both of which Popeye comic strip creator 'Elzie Segar' introduced in the late nineteen thirties. (Quote from IMBD.)
All of these cartoons are available on Youtube. I have the best versions of each saved in my Favorites, and would be happy to provide the links to anyone who is interested.
(Th-that-th-that-th-that-that's all, folks!)
