Your thoughts about Avery's final four Lantz cartoons

[houserunner]

I love all of Tex's work. His Warner days has many well-known classics but also many lesser-known gems, too. I agree Avery's heyday is without a doubt MGM days. In MGM, He made some of the greatest, funniest cartoons of all time. But, I believe his final four cartoons with Lantz studio are all masterpieces. Maybe, only I'm cold is a minor one. The Legend of Rockabye Point, Crazy Mixed up Pup, Sh-h-h-h-h-h - all incredibly funny and highly inventive shorts. It's simply amazing Avery still made top-rated cartoons in his final days as a animation director. I love Crazy Mixed up Pup especially. Actually it's my second favorite Avery cartoon - next to King Size Canary - But, The Legend of Rockabye Point and Sh-h-h-h-h-h, both cartoons also memorable, brilliant shorts.

I'm very happy Lantz dvd set is finally happening. Especially, four Avery shorts see the dvd lights of day, it's delightful.

Anybody loves Avery's final four Lantz shorts as much as his MGM shorts? I do. Please let me know your opinions about Tex's final Lantz cartoons, thanks.

[oceansoul]

All of them are great, but Legend of Rock-a-bye point is a real masterpeice.

[MF TOON]

They're all exceptional, but "Crazy Mixed Up Pup" and "Sh-h-h-h-h-h" are masterpieces and among my favorite cartoons of the studio's output!

I enjoyed the Chilly Willy shorts more as a kid, I think. In fact, it was probably among my favorite series when I used to catch re-runs of TWWS in elementary school. It's still great but I find the shorts a bit more formulaic nowadays. But Avery's two Chilly Willy's are definitely among the best!


I can't wait for the upcoming Lantz boxset, this is the most exciting DVD-related news in a looong time for me! The earlier Lantz/Universal shorts are absolutely tops in my book, the best of the studio is definitely on par with anything from Warner Bros. or any of the other majors!

The early-forties Andy and Woody Cartunes are my absolute favorite theatrical shorts next to the early Popeye Fleischers and a handful of Disneys.

I mostly can't wait to have all those Swing Symphonies, Musical Miniatures and Foolish Fables in one set, uncut and remastered - It's a dream come true!

:rabbit::andy::woody::chilly:

[Duck Dodgers]

I mostly can't wait to have all those Swing Symphonies, Musical Miniatures and Foolish Fables in one set, uncut and remastered - It's a dream come true!

:rabbit::andy::woody::chilly:


Er....I hope this does not sound like an offense, but everyone is becoming crazy for this set:D .

Who told you that "all those Swing Symphonies, Musical Miniatures and Foolish Fables" will be in the set?

As said, the set will include SOME Swing Symphonies, the first 45 Woody Woodpecker cartoons, the Avery Lantz cartoons.
The set is going to have 75 cartoons.
Sooooooooo, 45 Woodys and 4 Averys leaves space for 26 cartoons.
This 26 cartoons will be some b/w Oswald and Pooch the Pup as well as some Swing Symphonies and other cartoons.

But in no way the set is going to have "all those Swing Symphonies, Musical Miniatures and Foolish Fables". But SOME of them I guess;)

[MF TOON]

Well if all four Averys are included... and some Foolish Fables, I'd take a swing at guessing that the remaining two might see release as well. ;)

As for the Swing Symphonies and Musical Miniatures, I have faith in Jerry that we'll at least see release of a number of the best entries!

And hopefully at least a few of the Cartune Classics make the cut...


In the end, I know I'll be happy with whatever is released!

[Matt the Y]

Getting this thread back on topic, my favorite Avery-directed Lantz short is "Crazy Mixed-Up Pup", hands down. That cartoon is just pure Avery!

He takes a simple situation (a man and his dog are run over and accidentally have the wrong species plasma injected into them which results in a man occasionally launching into canine tendencies and vice versa) and turns a six-minute cartoon into a manic, over-the-top screwball comedy! I mean, you gotta love the running gag about whoever witnessing the screwiness just looking into the camera with flags waving out of their ears, cuckoos coming out of their scalps, a fiery tongue waving out of their mouth, and tiny explosives occurring around their heads. Again, that is 100% bonafide Tex Avery!!!!

[MF TOON]

I love the design of 50's style animaton in those two shorts.

[houserunner]

I totally agree MF TOON, Matt the Y's opinions. If I made rankings about Avery's Lantz shorts, it's gonna be 1.Crazy Mixed Up Pup 2.Sh-h-h-h-h-h 3.The Legend of Rockabye Point 4. I'm Cold. Some said Legend of Rockabye Point is Avery's best Lantz short, but I'm not agree about that opinion. In spite of Great short, Legend of Rockabye Point's many gags feel repititive after several viewings. I think LORP's ending is one of cartoon history's greatest endings. Very funny but at the same time very sad ending, truly unique achievement for a cartoon. But, as a whole short, LORP has almost same kind of plot structure and gag style in Avery's many MGM shorts. But, Sh-h-h-h-h-h is a much more dynamic and inventive cartoon. And, my favorite Avery Lantz cartoon, Crazy Mixed Up Pup is a one masterful short. I'm very surprised this short not appeared Jerry Beck's greatest cartoons book list. Maybe this cartoon is too much modernish. Possibly most boderline cartoon Avery made between classic cartoon/modern cartoon.

[Eugene the Jeep]

Legend of Rockabye Point and Crazy Mixed-Up Pup are among my favorites. I enjoy the other two very much, as well.

[J. A. Boschen]

Crazy Mixed Up Pup is without doubt one of the funniest 1950's lantz cartoons I have ever seen.

[classicsJR]

Why is the beginning of "I'm Cold" missing its opening? It looks like the picture starts wrong. Anyone

[Thad]

I love them all. :chilly:

[Chow Hound]

I love them all (from my vague memories of them - haven't seen them in years) but I like Pup the most. It stands out in my memory the most.

[Chow Hound]

In fact, I like them so much I'm willing to buy the whole Lantz set just to get these 4 gems (mainly for Pup though).

[BloodyChamp]

Yeah...those cartoons are phenominal, minus "I'm Cold," which is still pretty good. For a long time, they had this rep of being just the last 4 cartoons Tex ever made. It seems as though that's becoming a thing of the past and I'm happy about that. This DVD set will seal it imo.

[lonesome-lenny]

I agree that "I'm Cold" is the most conventional of the four Avery Lantz cartoons. But that's almost an academic point. They're all great, and are each certainly quite funny.

I couldn't see Avery staying with Lantz for too long. Even if he hadn't had that blowup with Lantz, I don't think he'd have stayed more than four years or so.

I don't think he ever quite got over that nervous breakdown (or whatever happened) that caused him to take a year off from MGM, circa 1951. I'm sure that being an animation director is high-stress work, and he'd been steadily directing cartoons for 20 years by the time he came to Lantz's studio.

As well, I think the limitations of the budgets, and the toll this took on the quality of animation might have gotten to him after awhile... Lantz did still have some solid animators on their payroll, but it must have been a bit of a comedown to Avery, after the lush, big-budget MGM years. I believe he commented on this in one of his interviews with Joe Adamson.

"Crazy Mixed Up Pup" is one of Tex Avery's best pieces of work. The moment where the wife is tip-toeing around the dog, and he then suddenly breaks into that dead-pan soft-shoe dance routine... that's pure genius!

And, yes, as houserunner noted, the ending to "Legend of Rockabye Point" is tinged with melancholy. "Sing it to me again, Charlie..."

I'm tickled pink to know that these will be out on DVD later this year. Man, there's going to be so many great classic animation sets out in '07... :D

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Avery was sorta forced into directing cartoons with Chilly Willy. Lantz wanted cartoons starring the cute penguin. Avery felt a person couldn't do anything with a "Cute Fuzzy-Wuzzy" character as the star, so he made the dog the character that got the laughs. (I'm paraphrasing from my memory of the Joe Adamson book.)

I'd rate the Avery Lantz cartoons as follows:
Crazy Mixed-Up Pup
Legend Of Rock-A-Bye Point
I'm Cold
Shhhhh...

[Fibber Fox]

But in no way the set is going to have "all those Swing Symphonies, Musical Miniatures and Foolish Fables". But SOME of them I guess;)

And, DD, there's no guarantee they'll be uncut, is there?

I'll pass on the Foolish Fables, to be honest.

FF

[Studio Toledo]

Of course if I have to rate 'em now, here's what I'd have...

1. SH-H-H-H-H-H
2. Crazy Mixed-Up Pup
3. The Legend of Rock-A-Bye Point
4. I'm Cold

[Jack G.]

Crazy Mixed-Up Pup and The Legend of Rock-A-Bye Point are great.

I've seen I'm Cold but I can't remember much about it.

SH-H-H-H-H-H didn't work for me. I think Avery said it was a miss as well.

[BloodyChamp]

"Crazy Mixed Up Pup" is one of Tex Avery's best pieces of work. The moment where the wife is tip-toeing around the dog, and he then suddenly breaks into that dead-pan soft-shoe dance routine... that's pure genius!


That's my second favorite cartoon of all time and that gag is indeed genious, complete with the "hiss" part in there. That's one of them any examples of how Tex used the element of silence to be funny. It was the most useful when he was working with a cheaop budget, hence all 4 of his Lantz cartoons.

[Mark J]

These are all great - I actually like these more than anything he did at MGM, and I like his MGMs a lot.

[Studio Toledo]

SH-H-H-H-H-H didn't work for me. I think Avery said it was a miss as well.
I'm not sure why I felt rather interested in that one personally. I guess I felt Avery was going somewhere with that one.

[Mr. Semaj]

While the ending was kinda funny, I never liked S-h-h-h-h-h! that much either. How was it the doctor and nurse got away with making so much noise in a hotel that had a strict silence code?

Out of all of these, I enjoyed I'm Cold the most. It felt very much like an MGM cartoon, certainly different from what Lantz's cartoons were doing at the time. It also established what would be used for the remainder of the Chilly Willy series, both creatively and artistically.

The only one of these I haven't seen was Crazy Mixed-Up Pup.

[BloodyChamp]

While the ending was kinda funny, I never liked S-h-h-h-h-h! that much either. How was it the doctor and nurse got away with making so much noise in a hotel that had a strict silence code?

Out of all of these, I enjoyed I'm Cold the most. It felt very much like an MGM cartoon, certainly different from what Lantz's cartoons were doing at the time. It also established what would be used for the remainder of the Chilly Willy series, both creatively and artistically.

The only one of these I haven't seen was Crazy Mixed-Up Pup.

I thought it was because they thought it was funny to screw with people nad they just hadn't gotten in trouble for it yet. Then, they see that it's their own Mr Kimble about to explode and before they can calm him down, he does!

[Matt the Y]

I thought it was because they thought it was funny to screw with people nad they just hadn't gotten in trouble for it yet. Then, they see that it's their own Mr Kimble about to explode and before they can calm him down, he does!

That's pretty much it. Also, whoever would have suspected that the two people who have been driving Mr. Twiddle insane all night long were really (of all people) his doctor and the nurse all this time??? Cruel irony, that's for sure!

I myself have always liked "Sh-h-h-h-h" and I don't quite understand those who don't. It certainly ranks up there among Avery's best work, IMHO. I do admit that elements of it are downright disturbing (the OKEH Laughing Record which plays throughout the picture and also the ending where Mr. Twiddle just... explodes!!!!) but there are also moments of sheer brilliance as well (like the very idea of a hotel where NO noise is ever allowed!).

[BloodyChamp]

That's pretty much it. Also, whoever would have suspected that the two people who have been driving Mr. Twiddle insane all night long were really (of all people) his doctor and the nurse all this time??? Cruel irony, that's for sure!

I myself have always liked "Sh-h-h-h-h" and I don't quite understand those who don't. It certainly ranks up there among Avery's best work, IMHO. I do admit that elements of it are downright disturbing (the OKEH Laughing Record which plays throughout the picture and also the ending where Mr. Twiddle just... explodes!!!!) but there are also moments of sheer brilliance as well (like the very idea of a hotel where NO noise is ever allowed!).

I actually shouted out the words "O My G_D" when I saw it for the first time a couple years ago (since I was 3 or 4 anyway...). It really is creepy and disturbing. I have since prayed about what I said and all is well though.

All personal junk regarding this cartoons aside, this is actually one of the best cartoons to show someone who your trying to maybe get into cartoons. If you can get them to watch it for a minute, they'll be intrigued. Everything's so unusually quiet they'd want to see what happens to the poor little man. The end, as I saw for myself, is insane but I think even narrow minded people could see how brilliant the cartoon is.

[Studio Toledo]

I actually shouted out the words "O My G_D" when I saw it for the first time a couple years ago (since I was 3 or 4 anyway...). It really is creepy and disturbing. I have since prayed about what I said and all is well though.
Ironically, I remember being 4 or 5 when I used to see this cartoon a lot, since my mom bothered having taped it off a TV station broadcast 25 years ago! I still have that tape too!

All personal junk regarding this cartoons aside, this is actually one of the best cartoons to show someone who your trying to maybe get into cartoons. If you can get them to watch it for a minute, they'll be intrigued. Everything's so unusually quiet they'd want to see what happens to the poor little man. The end, as I saw for myself, is insane but I think even narrow minded people could see how brilliant the cartoon is.
I just consider it brilliance, as a nice little swansong Avery left us once he departed from theatrical cartoons entirely. The short kinda reminded me of the later work of Italian Bruno Bozzetto whom produced a number of short films featuring a character name Mr. Rossi whom often got into different situations and didn't always came out lucky in the end.

[frizfrelengfan]

I haven't seen "Crazy Mixed-up Pup." Of the others, I like "Rockabye" best. I especially love the clarinet gag - I think it's very clever and funny.

As for "I'm Cold," the premise of a penguin being cold is kind of silly. But I enjoy listening to Daws Butler doing his Huckleberry Hound voice, and the cartoon does have some clever gags.

[BloodyChamp]

Mr Rossi~!

I still have Mr Rossi Searches for Happiness on a dub from the Disney Channel. I think I heard that they were released on DVD in France, with an English audio option. I need to find those.

[Studio Toledo]

Mr Rossi~!

I still have Mr Rossi Searches for Happiness on a dub from the Disney Channel.
I remember watching these on Disney Channel myself (have a copy of "Mr. Rossi's Vacation"). The earlier shorts though were a riot for the sadistic level Bozzetto used to impose on the character. My favorite of them is "Mr. Rossi Buys a Car". Here's a clip from "Mr. Rossi at Camping" (http://www.bozzetto.com/movies/Rossi_Camping.mpg) that rather shocked me the first time I saw it!

I think I heard that they were released on DVD in France, with an English audio option. I need to find those.
Heh, best I have are the German DVDs that have both Italian and German language tracks. The individual shorts produced between 1960-75 were also included as extras on each! These DVDs though are sadly out of print.

A company in the US that's supposed to have most of Bozzetto's library for distribution purposes is Italtoons Corporation (http://www.italtoons.com/).
listing of shorts (http://www.italtoons.com/a_sh/bozzetto1.htm)
listing of features (http://www.italtoons.com/MIKI/PRODUCTS/ANIMFEAT.HTM)

It looks like they don't mind selling video copies to those that might ask them, though it would've been neat to see DVD box sets of this stuff at Best Buy anyway!

[houserunner]

I never seen Mr.Rossi cartoon. Actually I saw only two Bruno Bozetto cartoons with bad video tape quality. Is Bozetto's short cartoons entertaining? I saw some Bozetto LD in ebay, anybody have or saw many Bozetto's cartoons, please let me know about his cartoons. That helps me a lot, thanks.

[Eugene the Jeep]

As for "I'm Cold," the premise of a penguin being cold is kind of silly.Not as silly as a penguin and a polar bear living anywhere near each other.

[Studio Toledo]

I never seen Mr.Rossi cartoon. Actually I saw only two Bruno Bozetto cartoons with bad video tape quality. Is Bozetto's short cartoons entertaining? I saw some Bozetto LD in ebay, anybody have or saw many Bozetto's cartoons, please let me know about his cartoons. That helps me a lot, thanks.
I pretty much saw most of Bozzetto's efforts already. It's rather hard to explain Bozzetto personally, but I find him to work best by just watching his films. He tends to wanna inject global issues like the environment, war, and other mankind problems into his shorts. Often I want to say he 'gets it' over most other animators who would rather just give you the gag, without any other meaning or insight into it. One such film he did in the '60's, "Man and His World", last only a minute, but reveals the nature of what Bozzetto set out to do within the time frame, and I often find myself awestrucked over that.

Bozzetto once stated the creation of Mr. Rossi came more by accident as he didn't create the series first for that character, but rather, he just wanted to make a film initially over the troubles of making a film ("An Award for Mr. Rossi", 1960). Later on he wanted to do a film about skiing, and stuck the same character in there to emphasis the situation, and so on and so on. The later film trilogy of sorts (Mr. Rossi Looks for Happiness, Mr. Rossi's Dreams and Mr. Rossi's Vacation) tend to wanna tone down the character's angst and made him a bit likeable (not to mention a voice non-present in previous work), let alone sticking in a dog who is given the ability to talk in the first film. These films though were broken down into individual TV episodes when they were aired in Europe such as in Germany.

Bozzetto did one film that had a rather Averyesque style of gag structure entitled "Tennis Club", though often it's said the Italian equivilent to Tex Avery would be a former collaborator of his name Guido Manuli (http://www.michaelspornanimation.com/splog/?p=485), whom also produced films on his own, albeit, a little raunchy and far-out over what Bozzetto might do.

Incidentally, most of Bozzetto's works are up on YouTube anyway, so you can just go there, but here's links to some to check out!

Sottaceli/Pickles (1971) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaHk-88vPLs)
Opera (1973) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9SbzfmsuSs) (collaboration with Guido Manuli)
Self Service (1974) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_AZnGnYIbk)
La Piscina/The Swimming Pool (1976) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9EIItCiqoU)
Striptease (1977) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhB-Y7RfN0Q) (not work safe, also collaboration with Guido Manuli)
Baby Story (1979) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r48yXWMh8qU)
Sigmund (1984) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSPBJbP93DE)
Beaus (1987) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owZjVre-7Ik)
Mister Tao (1988) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W3j-kvmARg)
Cavallette/Grasshoppers (1990) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHC3PsebxL0)
Dancing (1991) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBfNlSWUpa8)
Drop (1993) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H5AZkso2pE)
Europe & Italy (1999) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBKbS8lZuf0)
Yes & No: A Dysfunctional Roadshow (2001) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1242ehufYo)
History of The World for Those Who Are In A Hurry (2001) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO4IuqzMncI) (in Italian)
Adam (2002) (http://www.rivelazioni.com/mm/bozzetto/adam.shtml)
Olympics (2003) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PEy4YOG7_Q)
Life (2003) (http://www.bozzetto.com/Flash/Life.htm)
Neuro (2004) (http://www.bozzetto.com/neuro.htm)
Female & Male (2005) (http://www.bozzetto.com/flash/fem_male.htm)
Freedom (2005) (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2971956022653180240)
Mister Otto in 17 (2006) (http://www.bozzetto.com/flash/otto17.htm)
Il Bello della Differenza/The Beauty of Difference (2006) (http://www.bozzetto.com/flash/differenza.htm)

Heh, someone stuck up "Allego Non Troppo" (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=845797769651045995) on Google Video, get it while it lasts! There's also been a torrent file (http://torrents.thepiratebay.org/hashtorrent/3570879.torrent/rossi.%5Bsignor.mister.monsieur.herr%5D.bruno.bozz etto.7.shorts.1960.3570879.TPB.torrent) a couple months back featuring the 7 Mr. Rossi short films I mentioned before.

More links/info on Bozzetto:
Official Web Site (http://www.bozzetto.com/)
Wikipedia Entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Bozzetto)
A couple GAC-ers reviewed "TAPUM! The History of Weapons" (http://classiccartoons.blogspot.com/2006/01/tapum-history-of-arms.html) on their blog. Only wish I could find that personally (rather they YouTube/Google Vid it). Tapum! was one of Bozzetto's earliest animated efforts that was screened at Cannes back in '58.

Incidentally, if you like to see what Guido Manuli was able to do on his own, be my quest (but not always work-safe, especially the last clip)...
Fantabiblical (1977) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ua0A11VIww) (slightly edited)
Incubus (1985) (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8448863190101956127)
Use Instructions (1989) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbq9uoGGqz0)

OK, that should cover things! :cool:

[houserunner]

Sorry, everyone. But I must thanks for Studio Toledo.
What a great answers to my questions.
I have enough information about Bruno Bozzetto right now:)
Thank you, Studio Toledo.
That'll helps me a lot. Thanks.

[Studio Toledo]

Sorry, everyone. But I must thanks for Studio Toledo.
What a great answers to my questions.
I have enough information about Bruno Bozzetto right now:)
Thank you, Studio Toledo.
That'll helps me a lot. Thanks.
Figures I did the right thing! you didn't have to apologize to the others, though perhaps I do know a little bit much about foreign animation otherwise.

[rp-j]

I love all four of the Avery/Lantz shorts, but "The Legend Of Rockabye Point" is a bit of a favourite, so has the edge for me. (I suspect my avatar might have given that away!):chilly:

[gdX]

Just a slight nod to Pup, but all four are great.

Unlike many of the other name directors, Tex finished very strong in theatricals.

Looking forward to having all four titles in one place on the DVD.

[Steve Stanch]

If you are interested in studying animation timing (or showing animation students some thoughts on comic animation timing), Pup and Rockabye point are especially helpful. They have simple design and easy to follow principals (and many examples of differant ways to time takes/ reactions, especially helpful for a beginning animator.