Risqué Toons

[Bugsmer]

On Ebay a month or two ago, someone was selling a silent animated pornographic film and posted a few pictures of it. This got me thinking. Who could have made the cartoon? The pictures were very cartoon-like, and it looked professional. As a matter of fact, the best people to make a cartoon are the professionals. Therefore, could the studios around in the 20's and before that (it could have been made later, naturally) have made a little money making short pornographic animated films. Who could they have sold them to? My guess is private rich people. Since a cartoon takes so much time and money to make, only someone with a ton of money would dare to have somebody make him a private film, and since he'd want it done right, he would most likely choose a professional. What did the Fleishers, the people at Van Buren's, those at Disney, Lantz, and even Warners do in their spare time? They weren't highly paid, so mightn't they have done a litte work on the side? A Rockerfeller has probably owned one, and Woolworth. Film has never really been cheap, and neither were early scyscrapers. Anyone who can spend millions on a scyscraper wouldn't balk at a personally-tailored adult film.

I've never heard anything on the subject, save Fleisher's Secret. Has anyone further knowledge on the subject?

...

A little off-topic: does anyone know the foul words Bugs is mouthing at the end of "Rhapsody Rabbit?"

[cbrubaker]

Holy crap...I thought the topless scenes in Pvt. Snafu toons were the most risque in classic animation history, but.........:eek:

BTW, what's this about Fleisher's Secret?

[J. B. Warner]

A little off-topic: does anyone know the foul words Bugs is mouthing at the end of "Rhapsody Rabbit?"
He's probably just grumbling. It's standard procedure in cartoons to have curse words be represented by grumbling - note when Baby Face Finster accidentally stabs himself in the rear in "Baby Buggy Bunny".

[The G Man]

Bugsmer, the film you're referring to is called "Buried Treasure." I've seen it, and it did not amuse me one bit. I believe it's on this tape called "Sextoons."

[Tom Stathes]

I bet the film being sold was Buried Treasure from 1928 starring Everready Harton, am I right? Turns up often enough on 8mm and 16mm. Being a collector of film, though, I haven't seen any more animated films of the type show up.
-Tom

[J Lee]

Originally Posted by Bugsmer
A little off-topic: does anyone know the foul words Bugs is mouthing at the end of "Rhapsody Rabbit?"
He's probably just grumbling. It's standard procedure in cartoons to have curse words be represented by grumbling - note when Baby Face Finster accidentally stabs himself in the rear in "Baby Buggy Bunny". ...though Freleng wasn't above going a little further, as you can tell by watching the scene where the Indian gets shot in the back of the head in "The Hardship of Miles Standish". If you haven't seen it, the line is similar to Porky's line in the WB blooper reel, but mouthed silently and with the invocation of the deity to boot. Carl Stalling even provides approprate wah-wah horn music so there's no way you can't figure out what he's trying to say.

Of course, if J.L. allegedly didn't want Bugs to end a cartoon falling off a cliff in 1941, odds are he wouldn't have wanted him to end "Rhapsody Rabbit" by shocking the families in the audience with a potty mouth, so Friz just settled for some generic mumbles.

[Kaleido]

I've read many old cartoon studios created extremely short (a few seconds long) cartoons featuring characters having sex. They were never released to the public (obviously) and were only seen within the studio and by close friends of employees.

From what I understand, the alleged Fleischer porno was an exception: it was long and involved.

[Geezil]

[...]Of course, if J.L. allegedly didn't want Bugs to end a cartoon falling off a cliff in 1941, odds are he wouldn't have wanted him to end "Rhapsody Rabbit" by shocking the families in the audience with a potty mouth, so Friz just settled for some generic mumbles.
IIRC, the "Heckling Hare" objection was from Leon Schlesinger, not J.L. :bugs2:

[David Gerstein]

you can tell by watching the scene where the Indian gets shot in the back of the head in "The Hardship of Miles Standish". [...] the line is similar to Porky's line in the WB blooper reel, but mouthed silently and with the invocation of the deity to boot. Carl Stalling even provides approprate wah-wah horn music so there's no way you can't figure out what he's trying to say.This wasn't a first! Over at MGM in the Bosko short RUN, SHEEP, RUN (1935), Bruno mouths the same words silently to us after being taunted by the mischievous black sheep, with the same wah-wah horn music behind him.
It's more surprising coming from Harman in 1935 than from Friz in 1940, isn't it?

[Leviathan]

IIRC, the "Heckling Hare" objection was from Leon Schlesinger, not J.L. :bugs2:
J.L. told Leon to Tell Tex Avery to cut the Ending, or as the story goes.

[J Lee]

This wasn't a first! Over at MGM in the Bosko short RUN, SHEEP, RUN (1935), Bruno mouths the same words silently to us after being taunted by the mischievous black sheep, with the same wah-wah horn music behind him.
It's more surprising coming from Harman in 1935 than from Friz in 1940, isn't it? Definitely for a 1935 cartoon, since that was one year post-code. Had it been in an early 30s H-I cartoon for Warners, it would have been less surprising.

As for the Jack Warner objection to "The Heckling Hare" that comes from Joe Adamson's book on Bugs Bunny's 50th anniversary. Since Adamson also did the Tex Avery biogrpahy in 1975, I'm assuming the J.L. reference is accurate.

[epidicus]

A comprehesive history and possible origins of the aforementioned "Buried Treasure" cartoon can be found in Karl Cohen's book "Forbidden Animation", along with a whole lot more information on some of the censorship battles fought by classic animators. I highly recommend it . It definitely caused me to search out & look at some off my favorite shorts a second time....:bosko:

[Bugsmer]

Thinking back on it, it was the film "Buried Treasure". I figured animated pornographic horts were rare back then, and they're still rare now. As I recall, this short was one of the few such films made at the time. I guess the professionals might have added the odd scene or two into one of their shorts as a gag for the censors (like Bob Clampett did) and spent most of their time working out stories and gags.

[cbrubaker]

I looked into BURIED TREASURE and wow! I thought smut in cartoons didn't exist until FRITZ THE CAT...and Fleischer did a porn too!? There must've been market for animated sex.......................:eek:

[Cartman]

Going slightly off-topic: I have never seen (or heard of) this cartoon, but have run into some pretty sick stuff on the internet that features porno of classic characters. I just cannot believe there are sick weirdos out there who are aroused by that sort of stuff. It's a disgrace to the characters and the people who created them.

[Mac]

A few years ago Channel 4 (U.K TV channel) did a documentary called "Cartoons Kick Ass" which was about 'subversive' animation. It was a really interesting documentary and it had a bunch of clips from BURIED TREASURE. I have to admit some of the dirty jokes did make me chuckle. Apparently it was intended to be shown at bachelor parties and the like. As soon as I get a chance I'll rewatch the documentary and report back with any facts that haven't already been posted. (the documentary had some good clips inluding little interview bits with Jerry Beck, Ralph Bashki and Karl Cohen. It also had the Porky Pig clip and even showed the infamous Jessica Rabbit scene frame by frame).

[absolutpaul]

I saw Buried Treasure at a Reg Harrt festival in Toronto many years ago. It was pretty funny back then. What's funniest is that dirty jokes haven't changed a bit in all these years!

[The G Man]

There must've been market for animated sex.......................:eek:There probably was ... at the screening I attended, after Buried Treasure we saw another series of animated sex scenes from the same time period, ending with a shot of Ignatz "giving it" to Krazy Kat. I'm not joking. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Bobby Bickert]

I figured animated pornographic horts were rare back then, and they're still rare now.

I've seen, via the Internet, a clip from an X-rated cartoon version of Jack and the Beanstalk. What's really bizarre is that visually it looks like a 1970's-vintage Hanna-Barbera cartoon, and the sound effects are definitely Hanna-Barbera. (You DON'T want to know what they acompanied.:eek: ) I have no idea when or where it was made. It was in German, but that could be dubbing.

[cbrubaker]

There probably was ... at the screening I attended, after Buried Treasure we saw another series of animated sex scenes from the same time period, ending with a shot of Ignatz "giving it" to Krazy Kat. I'm not joking. :eek: :eek: :eek:George Herriman must be rolling in his grave...even though this was porbably made when he was still alive................

[The G Man]

George Herriman must be rolling in his grave...even though this was porbably made when he was still alive................Yes, I'm sure it was ... the characters look like they do in the comic strip.

[Mac]

There probably was ... at the screening I attended, after Buried Treasure we saw another series of animated sex scenes from the same time period, ending with a shot of Ignatz "giving it" to Krazy Kat. I'm not joking. :eek: :eek: :eek:

I think a clip of this may have been on the documentary I mentioned - if I remember correctly the mouse ends up getting lost!! Some people tend to think that in the "olden days" people were more innocent, but of course they weren't. Just as some people made dirty websites about as soon as the internet was invented, some people started making dirty films when that technology was first invented too.

[ThePeterNetwork]

I've seen, via the Internet, a clip from an X-rated cartoon version of Jack and the Beanstalk. What's really bizarre is that visually it looks like a 1970's-vintage Hanna-Barbera cartoon, and the sound effects are definitely Hanna-Barbera. (You DON'T want to know what they acompanied.:eek: ) I have no idea when or where it was made. It was in German, but that could be dubbing.
Er....

Um...

I don't know how to put this just right, but...

I saw the same dirty Jack and the Beanstalk cartoon. :shame:

I was over a friend's house, we were watching videos, and he put this cartoon on. I swear to Mel, I had no idea what I was getting into. The lip-synch was off, the imagery was very un-toonlike, and you don't even want to hear the dialogue.

My personal opinion: toons & sex just don't mix.

[J. B. Warner]

I just pray that the "son of a b-b-gun" thing is the worst to come from the Warner crew...I never imagined some of these classic cartoon studios doing anything like this.

[cbrubaker]

I think that Jack in the Beanstalk flick you're refering to is "Once Upon a Girl" and it was directed by Don Jurwich, and stars Hal Smith as Mother Goose. It was made during the X-rated cartoon craze in the 1970s. It wasn't made at Hanna-Barbera although many people says it does.

[J Lee]

If the "Jack and the Beanstalk" cartoon is the one I'm thinking of -- which was shown in part on one of the HBO late night sex-around-the-world shows last year -- there's actually a book version of the cartoon that was offered in the 1980s (and yes, the designs for Jack and for the giantess he is, uhm, "used by" do look a lot like the designs Hanna-Barbera's Australian studio was using in the 1970s). :eek::eek::eek::eek:

[UncleJunior]

"(and yes, the designs for Jack and for the giantess he is, uhm, used by do look a lot like the designs Hanna-Barbera's Australian studio was using in the 1970s)."

Ugh. That's the worst animation studio ever. They were the ones who animated the crappy 2nd year of the Scooby Movies.

Every scene had at least one mistake.

[Bobby Bickert]

The Australian studio also worked on "The All New Popeye Hour".

[Mac]

Here's a bit of info about Buried Treasure (which is most likely the film mentioned in the orginal post). According to the documentary I saw it was made circa 1928 and the animators are unknown - the title card is shown which reads "Climax Fables present Buried Treasure featuring Eveready Harton". Jerry Beck says on the documentary that it was a gag film intended to be shown to Winsor McCay: 'It was there way of saying "thank you for starting animation, look what we've done to it"' The film wasn't copyrighted and gathered something of a reputation being widely circulated in 16mm versions and shown in theatres and at bachelor parties.

The documentary had quite a few rude silent clips, including some which I'm not sure if part of Buried Treasure or not. One featured Adam and Eve, another featured two faces, one was the Krazy Kat one and there was yet another clip, but they're all too crude for me to discuss any further!

[mmm...donuts]

From what I understand, the alleged Fleischer porno was an exception: it was long and involved.Woa! Did the Fleischer studio really make a porn cartoon? I never heard about it! :eek:

[cbrubaker]

just curious, anyone got a list of "naughty" silent cartoons besides Buried Treasure, because judging by what I heard, there seems to be several.

[Bugsmer]

For those of you who want some info on the Fleisher sex movie go here:

http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=73384&highlight=pornographic

Remember, also, that some of our favourite Clampett cartoons might have had sex scenes added into it for the benefit of the censors. In Michael Barrier's interview with Clampett in the '70s, Bob said that if he wanted a certain scene to remain in the film, he added in a few much more shocking and risqué scenes that would cause the censors to forget about those he wanted to keep. (It didn't always work though: take "Hare Ribbin'" into consideration.)

[J. B. Warner]

Remember, also, that some of our favourite Clampett cartoons might have had sex scenes added into it for the benefit of the censors. In Michael Barrier's interview with Clampett in the '70s, Bob said that if he wanted a certain scene to remain in the film, he added in a few much more shocking and risqué scenes that would cause the censors to forget about those he wanted to keep. (It didn't always work though: take "Hare Ribbin'" into consideration.)
I assume this is where "Hey, I better cut this out, I might get to like it" came from.

[Bugsmer]

I assume this is where "Hey, I better cut this out, I might get to like it" came from.
Mmmmmmmmmm...could be!

[Mac]

I assume this is where "Hey, I better cut this out, I might get to like it" came from.

According to John Kricfalusi (in the 'Cartoons Kick Ass' documentary I've been going on about) this scene was indeed placed in the cartoon so that it would be cut out and the gags Clampett really wanted would be left in. However, the censors some how missed it or didn't get the gag and it got by!