Cartoon characters based on film stars!

[frootloops]

Here's what I have so far:

Merlin the Magic Mouse - W.C. Fields

Top Cat - Phil Silvers

Fancy Fancy (from Top Cat) - Carry Grant

Biggy Rat - Edward G. Robinson (although sometimes he reminds me more of Humphrey Bogart!)

Simon Barsinister (from Underdog) - Lionel Barrymoore

I'm looking for more older characters! I'm having an argument with my bro about how the best characters are complete originals! Although we both think the original Bugs Bunny is a crossover between Jimmy Cagney's persona and Frank McHugh's accent!

[nickramer]

:gandy: = Ed Wynn

Sourpuss= Jimmy Durante

[Fibber Fox]

I'm looking for more older characters!

There aren't terribly many. I'm sure someone will jump in to mention the Porky, Oliver Owl and Beans = the Our Gang shorts, and maybe raise some obscure Hepburnish incidental characters or celebrity caricatures, but most of the top old cartoon characters were borrowed from everywhere. Radio seems to have been more prevalent than pictures (Foghorn, Beaky, even Pete Puma).

I don't consider Phil Silvers, Wynn or Durante "film stars." While they appeared in films (Silvers even singing about his non-star status in the song 'Top Banana'), Silvers is primary known for television and Wynn and Durante for radio.

Snagglepuss might qualify as Bert Lahr was known for films (and potato chips) and maybe Olive Oyl when she sounded like Zasu Pitts, but neither of them were exactly stars.

F. Fox

[Matt the Y]

Yogi Bear - Art Carney
Snagglepuss - Bert Lahr
Wally Gator - Ed Wynn
Hokey Wolf - Phil Silvers
Super Snooper (From H-B's Snooper & Blabber) - Ed Gardner
The Honey-Mousers - Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, and Art Carney
Egghead - Joe Penner
Baloo (from The Jungle Book) - Phil Harris (OK, that was a little too easy!)

[LooneyLover81]

Bullwinkle J. Moose, Dynomutt: Dog Wonder and Cosmo Mutt: Red Skelton as Clem Kadiddlehopper

[Glowworm]

Bullwinkle J. Moose, Dynomutt: Dog Wonder and Cosmo Mutt: Red Skelton as Clem Kadiddlehopper
There was this great gag with this Bullwinkle puppet-an extra on one of my Rocky and Bullwinkle DVDs in which Bullwinkle remarks that people think he sounds like Clem Kadiddlehopper-so he tries to disprove it while speaking as himself and as Clem-his voice NEVER changes.:D

[Cartman]

Jenny Wren from the Silly Symphony WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN? is based on actress Mae West.

[Bugs Bunny]

Ant - Dean Martin
Aardvark - Jackie Mason

[The Silver Fox]

Fred, betty, barney, wilma - the Honeymooners

Chip - (CDRR) - IN Jones.

Flint Shrubwood(SP) (minor character) Gummi Bears - Dirty Harry/Man with no name(Blondie) the good the bad and the ugly - Clint Eastwood.

Mic - house of Mouse - The Late Rod Roddy - The Price is Right

The Inspector - Peter Selers(sp) (clouso) The Pink Panther Movie series (67 to early 80s)

Ardvarkk ( Ant and the Ardvarkk) - Jackie Mason

Rover Dangerfield - Rodney Dangerfield ( Caddy Shack)

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Chief Clancy Wiggums from The Simpsons -- Edward G. Robinson

[Alf]

Lippy Lion - Joe E. Brown
Yahooey - Jerry Lewis
Jabberjaw - Rodney Dangerfield
Clint Clobber (Terrytoons - Gene Deitch´s era) - Jackie Gleason
The Oddball couple (DePatie-Freleng) - Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
Baggy Pants (DFE) - Charlie Chaplin
The Nitwits (DFE) - Ruth Buzzi and Arte Johnson
:betty: - Helen Kane

By ze way, mes amis, I theenk eet ees strange zat no one has mentioned so far zees one:
:lepew: - Charles Boyer/Maurice Chevalier
(and I guess, ah says, I guess :foggy: doesn´t count, since he was based on Kenny Delmar, who was a radio celebrity, but not a film one)

[oceansoul]

I remember a lot supporting characters based on Peter Lorre, Edward G. Robinson or Jimmy Durante...

[Ray Pointer]

I don't consider Phil Silvers, Wynn or Durante "film stars." While they appeared in films (Silvers even singing about his non-star status in the song 'Top Banana'), Silvers is primary known for television and Wynn and Durante for radio.Snagglepuss might qualify as Bert Lahr was known for films (and potato chips) and maybe Olive Oyl when she sounded like Zasu Pitts, but neither of them were exactly stars.
F. Fox

The intention is not so much that these were "stars" of major magnitude, but they were indeed well known personalities, many already established in vaudville moreso than in films. Perhaps the correct term might be "personalities." That said, let's not forget the first to start this whole trend was BETTY BOOP, who was patterned after Helen Kane.

[Matt the Y]

I think the title character in "Bingo Crosbyana" (WB/1936) would be pretty relevant to this thread since he was based on Bing Crosby so much (and in such an unflattering way) that Crosby actually sued Warner Bros. after he saw the cartoon.

[jonmayo15]

(and I guess, ah says, I guess :foggy: doesn´t count, since he was based on Kenny Delmar, who was a radio celebrity, but not a film one)Although, the character of Senator Claghorn potrayed by Delmar appeared in some films. The only one I know of offhand is "It's A Joke Son."

[ohmahaaha]

Wasn't Huckleberry Hound a takeoff of Andy Griffith?

[larriva9/11]

The Oddball couple (DePatie-Freleng) - Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

Though that might be stretching it, considering that The Odd Couple was far more familiar (especially to kids) as a Randall/Klugman TV series by that point. (Then again, the characters might have been more Lemmon/Matthau in character; I'd have to watch again, not that I'm eager to.)

And a more extreme case at hand: the M*U*S*H segment in Uncle Croc's Block.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Though that might be stretching it, considering that The Odd Couple was far more familiar (especially to kids) as a Randall/Klugman TV series by that point. (Then again, the characters might have been more Lemmon/Matthau in character; I'd have to watch again, not that I'm eager to.)

And a more extreme case at hand: the M*U*S*H segment in Uncle Croc's Block.
Those were both parodies that acknowledge their source, though. The same with Bingo Crosbyana. That's a little different from "original" characters that were based on celebrities for the source of their personality -- like Gandy Goose, for instance.

Pepe Le Pew falls into both catagories. His name derives from the movie Pepe Le Moko (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029453/) -- but he's not entirely based on that one character. (As someone has mention, he's based on Charles Boyer/Maurice Chevalier, neither of whom starred in Le Moko.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

The bee in Porky's Pastry Pirates (1942) is based on James Cagney.

[iwerks321]

The Blue Racer-Paul Lynde
Babbit and Catstello-Abbott and Costello

[J. J. Hunsecker]

The Blue Racer-Paul Lynde
Babbit and Catstello-Abbott and Costello
Well, the latter were obvious caricatures of Abbott and Costello, not really original characters based on a celebrities voice and mannerisms.

[Bugsy-Kun]

I think Lucky Luke is based of John Wayne or Steve McQueen.

[Alf]

Lucky Luke is not based in any particular Western movie star -at least his creator Morris never said so-, not even Steve McQueen, who debuted in the late 50´s, while L.L. was created in 1946. However, in an interview Morris said that L.L.´s number one foes, the Dalton brothers, were inspired to him by the Ritz Brothers.

[Bugsy-Kun]

Lucky Luke is not based in any particular Western movie star -at least his creator Morris never said so-, not even Steve McQueen, who debuted in the late 50´s, while L.L. was created in 1946. However, in an interview Morris said that L.L.´s number one foes, the Dalton brothers, were inspired to him by the Ritz Brothers.

Thanks for the help Alf!
About the Dalton brothers, it was originally the cousins created by Morris of the original Dalton brothers inspired of the real Dalton brothers with the name of Bob, Grat, Bill and Emmet Dalton. Morris find them in the movie When the Daltons Rode, a forgotten western movie of all.

[PudgieDParrot]

The Goodfeathers (Animaniacs)--- The Goodfellas (DeNiro, Peschi, Liotta)

[Ratso]

According to Hanna Barbera's Iwao Takamoto (via Wikipedia), Penelope Pitstop was inspired by Natalie Wood's character in The Great Race.

[Ray Pointer]

Wasn't Huckleberry Hound a takeoff of Andy Griffith?
No

[drmark7]

According to Hanna Barbera's Iwao Takamoto (via Wikipedia), Penelope Pitstop was inspired by Natalie Wood's character in The Great Race.

I always presumed WACKY RACES was ENTIRELY based on (or was created because of the popularity of) THE GREAT RACE. With elements of other movies of the day: BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE ST. VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE, Pearl White serials (Penelope) and more...

[drmark7]

re: Was HUCKLEBERRY HOUND based on Andy Grifith... No

I disagree... He is... at least in part... Daws Butler was doing the southern voice character for a while. (Wolf in Droopy toons, Chilly Willy dog) But Huck even sings "Oh, My Darlin" (Clementine) as Andy might... in addition, there's elements of TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD's voice... "Ol' Ern" was popular on TV at the time. Huck's character was an "everyman"... but in the very first Huck toon... he was a policeman like Andy. That's quite a coincidence... as Huck came before the GRIFFITH tv show! But the voice was partly inspired by Andys pre-show comedian and recording personna. Andy was in movies first, too. NO TIME FOR SERGENT and A FACE IN THE CROWD! So he was a movie star before a TV one!

Questions?/Comments? * This Has Been e-mail From:
"Dr. Mark" Hill * The Doctor Of Pop Culture /*/ drmark7@juno.com

[Fibber Fox]

I disagree... He is... at least in part... Daws Butler was doing the southern voice character for a while.

Ray or DB Jr. will know better than I, but the impression I've been left with is Daws always insisted he based the voice on that of a neighbour, and used it in cartoons before most people had even heard of Andy Griffith.

F. Fox

[larriva9/11]

And remember: the voice dates from well before Huck, i.e. to the wolf in Tex Avery's "Three Little Pups"...

[Bobby Bickert]

Daws also used a variation of that voice in Stan Freberg's "Christmas Dragnet", though I don't know what year that was originally released.

[Matt the Y]

Actually, Daws first used that voice as far back as UPA's last Fox & Crow short, "Punchy DeLeon" [1950] in which the Crow briefly talks like a Southern state line patrol guard to trick the Fox out of his jug of Fountain of Youth water sample ("Florida state line inspection. What'chu got in thet jug? Gimme thet jug! Al'right! Pass on! Next!" :D ).

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Ren & Stimpy -- Peter Lorre and Larry Fine (at least their voices were based on those stars, not so much their personality)

Brain, from Pinky and the Brain -- Orson Welles

[Ratso]

We mustn't forget Stony Curtis and Ann-Margrock!

[LooneyLover81]

We mustn't forget Stony Curtis and Ann-Margrock!
Puns respectively: Sonny Curtis (of Buddy Holly & The Crickets; their lead singer died in a plane crash in 1959 along with Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper) and Ann-Margret.

[Fibber Fox]

Puns respectively: Sonny Curtis (of Buddy Holly & The Crickets; their lead singer died in a plane crash in 1959 along with Ritchie Valens and Big Bopper) and Ann-Margret.

Say what? The character is supposed to be Tony Curtis.

F. Fox

[larriva9/11]

While we're at it, we mustn't forget Jimmy Darrock = James Darren, either

[ohmahaaha]

Hmmm ... maybe Andy Griffith modeled himself after Huckleberry Hound?? :p

[Matt the Y]

Hmmm ... maybe Andy Griffith modeled himself after Huckleberry Hound?? :p

I think much more likely, Griffith and Hound are both supposed to represent the typical laid-back Southerner commonly encountered in that region of the U.S. In other words, a happy coincidence more than anything else. ;)

[Bobby Bickert]

Ren & Stimpy -- Peter Lorre and Larry Fine (at least their voices were based on those stars, not so much their personality)

A reviewer for The Tampa Tribune said that Ren sounded like Peter Lorre doing a bad impersonation of Speedy Gonzales.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

A reviewer for The Tampa Tribune said that Ren sounded like Peter Lorre doing a bad impersonation of Speedy Gonzales.
Was the reviewer referring to John K's version of Ren's voice, or Billy West's?