| The
10 most Overlooked Cartoons of Chuck Jones |
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It's
amazing. Twenty years ago, the name Chuck Jones would bring up blank stares
and question marks. Nowadays, the name is more easily recognized and given
the respect it deserves. However, to most people, the name Chuck Jones
is synonymous with only a handful of cartoons - Duck Amuck, One
Froggy Evening, What's Opera Doc, Duck Dodgers in
the 24-1/2 Century, and Bully for Bugs among a few other famous
ones. Here is a man that directed well over 200 of the funniest cartoons
around, and most people don't know about them.
His other cartoons are often ignored by the general
public and to only the true cartoon lovers are some of his other great
productions known. I've undertaken the task of selecting in what is my
opinion, ten of Chuck Jones' best and most overlooked cartoons.
You won't find any of the regulars here that fill other lists, just great
cartoons that would make anyone's cartoon library complete. |
(Note:
The cartoons are not ranked in any particular order.) |
| 1. The Dover Boys
(1942) -This cartoon preceded the limited-animation
era of UPA Studios by more than a decade. This was a landmark film that
employed the use of "smear" action where characters go from on pose to
another with only a few frames of animation between each position. John
Kricfalusi once made a comment on this film saying "The Dover Boys is responsible
for inspiring John Hubley and the other artists who went on to found UPA
years later, although I don't think there is one UPA cartoon that is as
entertaining or well executed as its inspiration |
| 2. Another Froggy
Evening (1995)- This was the
second animated theatrical short directed by Chuck Jones for Warner Bros.
through his production company, Chuck Jones Film Productions. This film
clearly shows that Chuck still has his wit and sense of humor at 84 years
of age. The film is absolutely delightful following Michigan J. Frogs'
life in the past everywhere from the time of the Neanderthals to the ancient
Rome. During the film, look for Chuck Jones and the rest of his production
staff in togas. Very funny. |
| 3. Feed the Kitty
(1952) - The best in the series about
a ferocious bulldog, Marc Anthony and an innocent little kitten, Pussyfoot.
Everything about this film works and the simple story is magnificent. A
hilarious sequence occurs when the dog thinks the cat has been baked into
a batch of cookies. The best thing about the film though is that the bulldog
isn't named Spike like every other cartoon dog. |
| 4. Jumpin' Jupiter
(1955) - The third and final in the series
featuring Porky Pig and Sylvester. The cartoon has them being abducted
by aliens and poor Sylvester is stuck with a pig who doesn't even realize
they're on another planet. Jones was obviously trying to do something more
radical than the first two, Scaredy Cat (1948) and Claws for Alarm (1954),
where they get trapped in haunted houses. It amazes me why no other director
at Warners discovered the delightful combination of these two characters
put together. |
| 5. A Bear for
Punishment (1951) - What can
I say about this one? The Three Bears, are in my opinion, the best characters
Chuck Jones created and this fifth and final one is absolutely amazing.
Junyer, the oversized baby, and Maw make many idiotic attempts at honoring
Paw for Father's Day including dropping his breakfast all over him and
trying to shave him with a razor that has a broken edge. The high point
is Ken Harris' animation of Junyer and Mama doing a number of dances for
the grand finale. On a side note, Stan Freberg (also Pete Puma's voice)
provides Junyer's voice, not Mel Blanc. |
| 6. Long-Haired
Hare (1949) - In the 16th Bugs
Bunny cartoon that Jones directed, Bugs Bunny meets one of his best antagonists
yet, Giovanni Jones, the opera singer. Bugs declares war on the singer
only after he has smashed three of his instruments. That night, Bugs dresses
as the conductor "Leopold" and enters the Hollywood Bowl prepared to get
his revenge on Jones. He then makes Jones hold a note for so long that
eventually the whole Hollywood Bowl collapses reminding us that if you
mess with Bugs, you better watch out. Chuck Jones says that this was the
first cartoon that in which music was the dictating factor. |
| 7. No Barking
(1954) - Here's an example of a truly
funny cartoon that hardly ever gets mentioned. There's no dialogue in it
; just an overactive puppy named Frisky who's barking spasms send Claude
Cat flying into oncoming elevated trains among other places. Ken Harris
who did all the animation in this film does an absolutely wonderful job
of giving Frisky Puppy a memorable personality. |
| 8. From A to
Z-Z-Z-Z (1954) - This Academy
Award nominee is a tour de force in design. The story is about little Ralph
Philips who has wild daydreams in class about being a Pony Express rider
of the old West, a junior Jacque Cousteau and even Douglas MacArthur among
other things. The film is absolutely delightful and wildly imaginative |
| 9. Fastest with
the Mostest (1960) - Here Chuck
Jones breaks the usual formula for the Wile E. Coyote (Carnivorous Slobbius)
and Road Runner (Velocitus Incalculus) cartoons and does something surprisingly
different. All the Road Runner cartoons consist of usually 8-11 quick blackout
gags but here Jones opts to have Wile attempt to catch the Road Runner
in 3 long scenes. This break from the usual formula works out quite well
and the cartoon is quite funny as well making it one of the better entrys
in the series. |
| 10. Bewitched
Bunny (1954) Broomstick Bunny (1956)
- Both of these cartoons are standouts because they feature the hilarious-looking
Witch Hazel (June Foray) and Bugs Bunny. The main meat of both cartoons
is Witch Hazel chasing Bugs Bunny and as usual Bugs getting the best of
his rival. The stylized design is what makes these cartoons so great. Witch
Hazel's design is very atypical of the traditional Warner characters; and
atypical of Chuck Jones' characters as well, and the backgrounds look like
something M.C. Escher would have designed. |