Walter Lantz-o-pedia - 11/13/04

[Jon Cooke]

As we get closer to that time of the year where many of us spend times with the family, we thought now would be a nice time to focus on... the Beary Family! Enjoy two Beary clips sure to get you into the Thanksgiving spirit (or, at least, make you thankful that we only salute the Beary Family once a year ;) ).

First, it's the return of a Lantz-o-pedia Thanksgiving tradition: the annual performance of the beloved song, "Don't Eat Turkey", by 'Red Neck Rudy' (from "Jerky Turkey").

Next, it's an all-new, heartwarming clip from 1972's "Unlucky Potluck" (the final Beary cartoon ever made) where Charlie tries to impress his boss by inviting him over for a turkey dinner. This touching clip also shows us why Charlie should never, ever use an electric knife.

Stay tuned later this month for an appearance by another Lantz-o-pedia Thanksgiving treat. :woody:

http://lantz.goldenagecartoons.com

[David Gerstein]

Whoa! "Don't Eat Turkey", a pretend protest song from the 1960s, is really "Don't Bring Lulu", a jazz tune from 1925. You can hear the original here (http://www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/littleramblers/dontbringlulu.ram) (wait for the vocalist to start in on the chorus...)

[Jon Cooke]

Whoa! "Don't Eat Turkey", a pretend protest song from the 1960s, is really "Don't Bring Lulu", a jazz tune from 1925. You can hear the original here (http://www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/littleramblers/dontbringlulu.ram) (wait for the vocalist to start in on the chorus...)

Wow, you're right. I never made that connection before you pointed it out.

The song, "Don't Eat Turkey", is credited to Walter Greene. You can see he is also credited with a few other songs from the later Lantz years on this biography website (http://www.metamovie.de/film/misc/greene.html) including "Wackity Woody" and "The Hippie Song". Green also composed the cues for the Format Films Road Runner shorts.


-Jon

[Ray Pointer]

When I was going through college, I worked as a theatrical projectnist in the 1970s. At that time, only two releasing companies offered "new" cartoons.
United Artists had THE BLUE RACER and TIAJUANA TOADS from Depatie-Freleng, and Universal offered WOODY WOODPECKER and THE BEARY FAMILY. The latter was a tired concept based on the old radio and later television series, THE LIFE OF RILEY, which starred William Bendix in the role of the frustrated factory worker, Chester A. Riley. It first went to television in 1948 with Jackie Gleason in the title role since Bendix's contract prohibited him from appearing on television at that time. The series later returned to television with Bendix in the role. He had a wife, Peg, played by Margery Reynolds. They had two children, Babs and Junior. Although a success in the 40s and 50s, this concept seemed worn out by the 1970s, in light of the tremendous success of a contemporary television show, ALL IN THE FAMILY.

A year after the successful debut of ALL IN THE FAMILY, Depatie-Freleng had an animated NBC series called THE BARKLEYS. It was ALL IN THE FAMILY as dog characters, with the lead character, Arnie Barkley. Catch the similarity
to Archie Bunker? This character was a bus driver, and the cathc phrase was
"Arnie Barkley's bark is worse than his bite."

But in reference to THE BEARY FAMILY, it was also known as "The Dreary Family." The shorts, though competently produced, we dull, slow paced, and simply not funny.:woody: