Classic Cartoons About Television

[Stanislav]

There are several classic 1950's cartoons that deal in one humorous way or another with television. The popularity of TV had skyrocketed during the decade, making the medium ripe for satire, yet there are not proportionally a lot of animated theatrical shorts that lampoon the medium. This may be due to the fact that the motion picture industry saw TV as an unwelcome competitor, and even cartoons making fun of TV might remind theatergoers of the magic box that kept them homebound instead of standing in line at the box office.

What are some of your favorite TV-related classic cartoons, or even cartoons that just had a good TV gag or two in the mix? I can think of several, but I will start with one of my favorites: Tex Avery's "Cellbound" (1953, though not released until 1955). One of the last two cartoons Avery did for MGM (and actually completed by assistant Michael Lah after Avery left the studio), the plot involves an anthropomorphic dog who is a prison convict. He spends years digging an escape tunnel and, upon making it outside the fence, hops aboard a freight train, where he rips out the innards of a large console TV and hides inside. Unfortunately, as it turns out, this particular set is destined to end up in the prison warden's office!

The canine convict, realizing his dilemma, is forced to act out various stereotypical TV genres to avoid detection as the warden flips through the channels, schedule in hand, trying out the set. Using a variety of props and costume changes (made only slightly believable because the dog took his box of "disguises" with him when he broke out), he acts out such programs as a Western (using black and white hats, a fake mustache, and a Shirley Temple wig to play the good guy, bad guy, and damsel in distress), a music program (using all manner of instruments, at one point playing four simultaneously, one with each limb), and a boxing match (in which he keeps one gloved hand off-screen and repeatedly punches himself in the face from the side). There is a double-cross surprise ending that I will not give away in this "spoiler."

Sure, it sounds silly and contrived -- and it is -- but in the hands of a genius like Tex Avery, it is a minor masterpiece. Go ahead and watch it sometime -- I defy you not to laugh.

Any other TV-themed cartoons or gags that y'all find amusing?

 

[bpatrick]

What's the one where Daffy Duck brings Bugs Bunny
onto Elmer Fudd's "The Sportsman's Hour" in hopes of
collecting when Elmer shoots Bugs? It ends up in a
chase all over the TV station: Bugs as Groucho on "You
Beat Your Wife," "You're Asking For It" (where Elmer gets
a pie in the face), and "Were You There?" ("You Are There").
However, rabbit season becomes duck season, so guess who
Elmer ends up shooting. I think there were actually two of
these: one is called "People Are Bunny," where "Art Lamplighter"
asks Bugs a difficult math question and Bugs bats off the answer
("If there's one thing us rabbits know how to do, it's multiply").

Bob McKimson did a series of cartoons called "The Honeymousers."

Also, "The Mouse That Jack Built," where Jack Benny dreams that
he, Mary Livingstone, Rochester, and Don Wilson are mice; the real
Jack Benny wakes up just before the mice are eaten; sees two of the
mice scampering before him, and gives that famous Benny stare.

And how about "The Flintstones," where Barney takes Fred's place
on "The Prize Is Priced" (don't have to tell you what that really is)
and wins a yacht. They then bicker over the ownership, because
Barney got in on Fred's ticket to begin with.

 

[Stanislav]

It ends up in a chase all over the TV station: Bugs as Groucho on "You
Beat Your Wife....."

A scene, alas, heavily edited when broadcast today, even to the extent of blanking out the "You Beat Your Wife" logo on the podium. Political correctness, you know... :

".....You're Asking For It" (where Elmer gets
a pie in the face), and "Were You There?" ("You Are There").
However, rabbit season becomes duck season, so guess who
Elmer ends up shooting. I think there were actually two of
these: one is called "People Are Bunny," where "Art Lamplighter"
asks Bugs a difficult math question and Bugs bats off the answer
("If there's one thing us rabbits know how to do, it's multiply").

Weren't these shows depicted as airing on station "QTTV?" (Three guesses which L.A. station was being lampooned there...)

Bob McKimson did a series of cartoons called "The Honeymousers."

Also, "The Mouse That Jack Built," where Jack Benny dreams that
he, Mary Livingstone, Rochester, and Don Wilson are mice.....

McKimson seemed to do most of the TV parodies at Warner Brothers. I can't think offhand at any Freling or Jones directed cartoons that were so heavily based on TV shows and genres.

 

[mleach]

Though "not exactly" a cartoon, but the Three Stooges did a "TV gag" in one of their movies from the 40s.

Its been awhile since Ihave seen this short but I believe the Stooges were at some ladies function at some rich woman's house The rich woman had a TV set, turned it on and was watching a scene of a waterfall. Then the water comes out of the set.

I am pretty sure the originial Curly was in this short and since he had became ill and left the Stooges in 1946...Gee...this short must had came out in the early 40's, back when most folks never even heard of TV much less seen TV.

I have to wonder what the audience reaction outside the Northeast was to this? Did many of them still believe TV was a "joke"? Something way off into the future? Better yet what made the The Three Stooges to feature a scene involving a TV set back in those WW2 days?

 

[cee]

Its been awhile since Ihave seen this short but I believe the Stooges were at some ladies function at some rich woman's house The rich woman had a TV set, turned it on and was watching a scene of a waterfall. Then the water comes out of the set.

I am pretty sure the originial Curly was in this short and since he had became ill and left the Stooges in 1946...Gee...this short must had came out in the early 40's, back when most folks never even heard of TV much less seen TV.

It was an original Curly. They were plumbers("A Plumbing We Will Go"?) and they messed up everything(as usual) and the pipes were connected into the electrical system and water was coming out in unlikely places throughout the mansion. I believe the set up had the off-screen tv announcer say: "we take you now to scenic Niagara Falls" followed by Niagara Falls being seen on the tv screen and suddenly a geyser of water flows out of the screen and hits all the rich snobs in their faces. Classic stooge moment.

I have to wonder what the audience reaction outside the Northeast was to this? Did many of them still believe TV was a "joke"? Something way off into the future? Better yet what made the The Three Stooges to feature a scene involving a TV set back in those WW2 days?

I guess TV is no different from the original VCRs, Computers, High Def TV and everything else. At first the price is too high for the average person, then the prices come down and sales increase. Weren't the original radios expensive too?

 

[Corky Marlowe]

The Bugs Bunny "Sportsman's Hour" toon was awesome!

"We're starting you at the top...We like you!"

Liberace: "Oh, George! That's my brother George. Here, George...Take this candelabra to moth-er."

Candelabra explodes,then..."I did that because I always wanted my program to go over with a bang...Tee-hee-hee."

There were some other TV based eps of "The Flintstones"; Fred's barbershop quartet appearing on "Hum Along With Herman", the episode with "Alvin Brickrock", and weren't Samantha and Darrin on once, too?

Does Rocky and Bullwinkle's search for "The Kurwood Derby" count?

 

[wbhist]

What's the one where Daffy Duck brings Bugs Bunny onto Elmer Fudd's "The Sportsman's Hour" in hopes of collecting when Elmer shoots Bugs? It ends up in a chase all over the TV station: Bugs as Groucho on "You Beat Your Wife," "You're Asking For It" (where Elmer gets a pie in the face), and "Were You There?" ("You Are There"). However, rabbit season becomes duck season, so guess who Elmer ends up shooting. I think there were actually two of these: one is called "People Are Bunny," where "Art Lamplighter" asks Bugs a difficult math question and Bugs bats off the answer ("If there's one thing us rabbits know how to do, it's multiply").

Both of the cartoons were set in the fictitious "QTTV" (whose call letters were an apparent parody of Los Angeles station KTTV, and their studio building a dead ringer for CBS's Television City). The one with Bugs and Daffy was indeed People Are Bunny (1959) - but the 'toon where Bugs was eluding Elmer, with the "You Beat Your Wife," "You're Asking For It" and "Liverace" parodies, was Wideo Wabbit (1956).

Oh, and in People Are Bunny, it's a different hunter-host, modeled somewhat after longtime Jack Benny sidekick Frank Nelson.

 

[bpatrick]

Right. I sometimes confuse those two cartoons
because of their similarity. I also think McKimson
did do the TV parodies; there are a couple that are
largely forgotten: "China Jones" (a takeoff on a syndicated
show called "China Smith") and "Wild Wild World" (Dave
Garroway's "Wide Wide World"). In the latter, watch for
some Stone Age gags that will remind you of "The Flintstones."
There's also one that, strictly speaking, is about a radio show.
"The Ducksters" has Porky as a contestant on "Truth Or AAAAAGHHH!"
with Daffy as host. Porky wins enough money to take over the
show and give Daffy a taste of the humiliations he's been dishing
out. I include it because the source parody, "Truth Or Consequences,"
moved to television the same year this cartoon came out, 1950.
Daffy's "Stupor Duck" parodies the George Reeves "Superman" episodes.

Speaking of "The Flintstones," did anyone mention "Shinrock," a parody
of "Shindig" (then-popular) with host Jimmy O'Neillstone? Or
the time Fred's soft-drink formula left him miniaturized, and he
acted as dummy for ventriloquist Barney on "The Ed Sullystone
Show"? Or how about detective Aaron Boulder, who'd make some
observation and then say, "Boulder's Rule" (a parody of "Burke's
Law")? And attorney Perry Masonary (he never lost a case)?
And the time the Flintstones and Rubbles encountered the Cartrocks?
"The Flintstones" did a bunch of TV parodies.

 

[Braves2005]

There's a 1958 Chilly Willy cartoon called "Little Televillian" that's really funny. Smedley is working at the TV station and the producer tells Smedley that he doesn't want anyone to be auditioned and doesn't want to be disturbed or Smedley will be fired. Just then, Chilly comes in with his trumpet wanting an audition and starts playing and Smedley takes him outside and tells him that there's no auditions today. Then, Chilly locks the door at the TV station and then Smedley comes with a large log and breaks everything inside the studio and eventually lands at a home where someone is watching TV. Back at the station, Smedley starts looking for Chilly and goes on stage looking and then Chilly starts fooling with the TV camera and makes Smedley fatter, thinner, smaller, bigger, wiggly lines all over the place and closeup.

Next, Smedley takes a look at the monitors on TV and Chilly runs and interferes in several commercials including a commercial for cigars, a used car commercial where Chilly runs and demolishes the car, a lipstick commercial where Chilly runs across the lady and smears lipstick all over her, and a vitamin commercial with an old cowboy singer and Chilly is under his hat. Then Smedley chases Chilly with both of them going into a refrigerator while a lady models it telling how cold it is inside and Smedley is frozen solid and Chilly escapes. Meanwhile, the producer is laughing his head off because of Smedley's antics which gives him an idea for a TV show. The show is called "The I Love Smedley Show" where Smedley gives smacked with pies by Chilly.

 

[anotherguyTN]

There was a Bugs Bunny cartoon with two hoboes based on Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton trying to catch Bugs on a freight train.

There was also a Road Runner cartoon with two little boys watching the Road Runner on TV. I don't remember the title on this one, or if it came out after Looney Tunes started being shown on TV, or if it was before that.

TV of Tomorrow, another Tex Avery classic, is on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUArCmcpwuA&feature=PlayList&p=18CF0AF25520D824&playnext=1&index=94

 

[Tim L]

All this Cartoon/TV talk reminds me of one Looney Tune in the 1950's..Can't remember the title but one of the first scenes is the main character (I think Bugs Bunny) reading a newspaper..One of the headlines reads:

"SMELLOVISION REPLACES TELEVISION

Carl Stalling sez it'll never work"

I know I remember seeing that but cant think of what cartoon it's from..

 

[mleach]

Speaking of "The Flintstones," did anyone mention "Shinrock," a parody
of "Shindig" (then-popular) with host Jimmy O'Neillstone? Or
the time Fred's soft-drink formula left him miniaturized, and he
acted as dummy for ventriloquist Barney on "The Ed Sullystone
Show"? Or how about detective Aaron Boulder, who'd make some
observation and then say, "Boulder's Rule" (a parody of "Burke's
Law")? And attorney Perry Masonary (he never lost a case)?
And the time the Flintstones and Rubbles encountered the Cartrocks?
"The Flintstones" did a bunch of TV parodies.

The Flintstones sure did a bunch of them...Bewitched was another one complete with Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York doing the voices.

Of all the shows the Flintstones did a parody of, for many years I have heard there were actually a number of shows/stars who for one reason or another refused to be featured on The Flintstones. Dick Clark I have heard was one ( not really a surprise there ). Jerry Mathers I believe many years back had claimed HB wanted to put Beaver & Wally on the Flintstones but it never worked out.

Back when Nick@Nite was airing Mr. Ed, I seem to remember hearing an interview on the radio with Alan "Wilbur" Young where he claimed there were plans for him, Connie Hines, and of course of course Mr. Ed to play themselves on The Flintstones. But Young said no because he didn't want to do at the time cartoons. Very ironic considering that Young himself in his later years DID do cartoons such as the Smurfs for example.

 

[wbhist]

All this Cartoon/TV talk reminds me of one Looney Tune in the 1950's..Can't remember the title but one of the first scenes is the main character (I think Bugs Bunny) reading a newspaper..One of the headlines reads:

"SMELLOVISION REPLACES TELEVISION

Carl Stalling sez it'll never work"

I know I remember seeing that but cant think of what cartoon it's from..

This was actually from wild and crazy Bob Clampett's 1944 'toon The Wild Grey Hare, where Bugs and Elmer Fudd are portrayed as senior citizens; in fact, it was Elmer who read that newspaper headline. Moreover, it was issued in the "Merrie Melodies" series.

 

[Tim L]

All this Cartoon/TV talk reminds me of one Looney Tune in the 1950's..Can't remember the title but one of the first scenes is the main character (I think Bugs Bunny) reading a newspaper..One of the headlines reads:

"SMELLOVISION REPLACES TELEVISION

Carl Stalling sez it'll never work"

I know I remember seeing that but cant think of what cartoon it's from..

This was actually from wild and crazy Bob Clampett's 1944 'toon The Wild Grey Hare, where Bugs and Elmer Fudd are portrayed as senior citizens; in fact, it was Elmer who read that newspaper headline. Moreover, it was issued in the "Merrie Melodies" series.

WBHist:
Thanks for that reminder..I figured it could have been a Merrie Melodie but when referring to The Warner Brothers Cartoons as a whole, I tend to refer to them all as Looney Tunes.

 

[bpatrick]

Just thought of two more "Flintstones" TV parodies:
when Fred and Barney are mistakenly drafted into the
Army and put into the first-man-on-the-moon program,
their sergeant is an animated Phil Silvers (Bilko), and in
the Hoagy Carmichael episode, "The Hit Songwriters,"
Fred and Barney hear their song performed at the Piltdown
Hotel, where the orchestra is led by an animated Lawrence
Welk (Daws Butler doing the voice), and the bubbles coming
from a prehistoric elephant who sticks his trunk into some
sort of liquid and blows them out.

 

[onairb]

'The Flintstones' also spoofed a couple of popular animal shows, with Dino having a crush on 'Sassy'(until she snubbed him when he met her); and Fred taking Pebbles to a water park to meet 'Dripper' the dolphin.

 

[cowboybud]

Another Flintstones TV parody: Wilma is hired as the "Happy Housewife", sponsored by Rockenspiel:
Keep your happy hubby
Keep your hubby happy
When he's a little chubby
He's a happy pappy
With Rockenspiel
Why I remember that, I have no idea.

 

[Robnoxious]

"SMELLOVISION REPLACES TELEVISION

Carl Stalling sez it'll never work"

"BING CROSBY'S HORSE HASN'T COME IN YET?"

 

[mleach]

Ok maybe not a 'classic" but the cartoon "Wait til Your Father Gets Home" did a great show about Monty Hall and his "Let's make A Deal". Harry Boyle had this idea that his wife and Hall were having a fling and flies out to Vegas to get his wife back. What happened was his wife appeared on the show and only to get a bowling ball stuck on her ( and Hall's ) finger and Hall had to fly to Vegas in a hurry of course with Boyle's wife in tow.

Another "WTYFGH" I remember about TV was the one where Harry Boyle was mad about all the "sex" he sees on TV. Commericals where people were making out and such. Then he and his wife goes out for a drive ( maybe this scene was before they turned on the TV ) only to take a trip through their downtown and notices all the theatres showing X-rated movies. My dad over the years had told methat he remembers seeing in the original broadcast some of those theatres the Boyles drove by actually showed titles of themovies they were playing such as "Deep Throat" and "Behind The Green Door". Not sure if my dad was "seeing things" LOL but years later when I saw this episode on the Cartoon Network, I only remember those "X's popping up on the screen, not those titles.

 

[bpatrick]

Two more Bugs Bunny TV parodies that come to mind:
Bugs is the honoree on "This Is A Life?" ("This Is Your Life"),
hosted by Elmer (Ralph Edwards) Fudd. Elmer and Yosemite
Sam ("we, your fwiends") want to give Bugs a present: a time
bomb, and Daffy (who thinks he should have been the guest of
honor) rushes up, grabs the box, and blows himself up.

Also, "Person To Bunny" ("Person To Person"), where Bugs is
interviewed by "Ed Burrows" (Edward R. Murrow).

And I remember one where Sylvester and Sylvester Jr. are looking
for a home. An older lady takes Junior, but doesn't want Sylvester.
When she goes to watch her favorite Western, "Cheyenne McMaverick,"
Sylvester gets inside the TV and does this jingle:

"Pussykins Cat Food tastes real good.
Satisfies cats like a cat food should.
Harder muscle, softer fur,
Pussykins Cat Food makes cats purr."

Pussykins is what the lady calls Junior.