A diminutive penguin that is persistent in his quest for food and warmth
Created by Paul Smith for Walter Lantz (1953)
Appeared in 50 cartoon shorts
First appearance: Chilly Willy (1953) – Last Appearance: The Rude Intruder (1972)
First episode at the South Pole, but moved to Alaska (where his penguin type is not found) – also an episode was in Switzerland (definitely no penguins there)
Common nuisance to Smedly (dog), who commonly either throws Chilly out the door or takes far away – but they commonly end as friends
Friends to Maxie (polar bear) and Gooney (albatross also called Gooney Bird), but the three only appeared together in two episodes
Occasionally deals with hunter Colonel Pot Shot
Spoke in the first episode, but was mute in most cartoons in the 50s and early 60s. When we returned to speaking, he sounds like Elroy Jetson
Nominated for an Academy Award for The Legend of Rockabye Point (1954) – so watch below
A Frank Angle 
I should know this little guy, but I don’t – thanks for making the introduction!
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LouAnn,
Here’s an old one, and not a top headliner from years gone by. Nonetheless, glad to expand your world. 😉 Thanks for commenting.
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This is what I enjoy about YouTube: you get to see so many videos that bring back childhood memories. I enjoyed watching these.
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Colline,
Absolutely agree as it is such a treasure trove … of course sifting through it can be both a hassle and part of the fun. Glad you liked these and thanks for visting.
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Wow…I totally forgot about Chilly willy. My favorite by Walter Lantz, of course, was Woody Woodpecker.
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Hansi,
Hooray to me for getting one by your fav, the great Walter Lantz. Thanks for commenting.
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That’s what I always say when the cold weather rolls in: “It’s Chilly Willy the Penguin out there!”
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Budget,
Ha ha … so the next time someone wonders what you are talking about, send them to this post. 🙂 Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Very cute cartoons today. I’ve always heard “Chilly Willy” growing up. Now I will think of this cartoon when I hear “Chilly Willy.” :+)
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Oh fun. THe memories continue. Who couldn’t love a Chilly Willy. Have a great weekend Frank.
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Mobius,
Chilly Willy definitely is a likable character … so glad I was about to spark the memory bank. Thanks for visiting.
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Internet too slow here to watch, but it won’t be long now until I’m over there with great American ‘Speedy Gonzales’ internet. Have a great weekend, Frank. 🙂
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Paradise,
Because you mentioned Speedy Gonzalez, here’s a past post. 🙂 https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2010/05/22/on-speedy-gonzalez/ When does your US time begin? Thanks for stopping by.
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We arrive in Miami on 16th October. I’ll check out your SG post. I used to love him to bits. 🙂
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I ♥ Chilly Willy. Thank you, Frank, for another good memory. 🙂
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That pancake clip is my all-time favorite. Mr. Weebles rolls his eyes whenever I start with the “more butter, more syrup” routine.
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Weebs,
Now you can show Mr. Weebles the clip, too!!!
BTW – Another reason to hate Bud Selig – Teams with the 1st and 2nd-best records in each their leagues starting the playoffs on the road. … PS: I hope you saw my response to you on yesterday’s OITS. Thanks for visiting.
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Another one from the vaults. Haven’t seen Chilly Willy for ages. Reminds me of one winter I was in Calgary and ….naw, never mind 😉 Good cartoon choice though!
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Fasab,
One thing for sure about your winters(s), they were a bit more nippy than what you get now! Glad you enjoyed Chilly Willy, and thanks for commenting.
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Now this is a character I remember seeing years ago, but one I’d forgotten about! Thanks for reminding me, Frank!
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Tom,
Awesome news that this post triggered your memory cells … which is one of my aims with this series. 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
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I wonder how Chilly got from Antarctica to Alaska! That’s quite some journey. What a cute cartoon xx
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Spiced,
Interesting that if a place is cold, there must be penguins! Hope you shared it with Alfie! Thanks for visiting.
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Gee Frank, I don’t remember Chilly Willy at all! But I did recognize the music – it is by Clarence Wheeler, who also did the music for the Woody Woodpecker show and many of the Walter Lantz cartoons. Here is a cool little article on composers for early cartoon animation. http://www.digitalmediafx.com/Features/animationcomposerp.html
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Lynn,
Amazing how your ear picked up the composer. Because Wheeler worked with Lantz, there’s the connection. Great link with an interesting article! Thanks for sharing!!!
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morning frank.. c
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Good Morning Celi. Isn’t it interesting that the blogging is timeless. Thanks for the hello!!!
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This was excellent Frank! I had never seen The Legend of Rockabye Point before. It’s great. Chilly Willy was terrific, but the polar bear had the more Laurence Olivier-type part i.e., the more demanding role. The bulldog delivered a terrific yawn, too. Nice use of Tex Avery’s trademark stretch and squash. Tex Avery was one of my favorite Warner Brothers animators. I saw that it somehow lost the Academy Award to Speedy Gonzales, but I could not find that cartoon on YouTube. When I was a kid I was always hoping for a Speedy cartoon when my parents took me to see a movie, but this one has really stood the test of time, even if the ice berg at the end has probably long since melted.
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Lame,
There is no doubt that Tex Avery is a legend on the human side of cartoons! Great that you enjoyed Rockabye Point – especially because you haven’t seen it before!
You mentioned Speedy Gonzalez. FYI: He was one of the early honorees here … https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2010/05/22/on-speedy-gonzalez/ … Enjoy.
Glad you enjoyed this post!
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I enjoyed this post a lot — it’s my current favorite cartoon post of yours. Thanks for sharing the Speedy Gonzales link, but the “Speedy” clip you embedded is not called “private” and no longer available. What a bummer!
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Lame,
Thanks for letting me know about the video is no longer available. Good news … I not only replaced it with a short clip AND a full feature. 🙂
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Wow, I know this little guy too. Maybe there were a FEW too many afternoons spent in front of the TV in my youth, eh? 😉
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John,
Yep … that habit started the neuron decline. 😉 Thanks for commenting.
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I remember Chilly Willy, but I had forgotten all about the little guy! I’m glad he made it to the top of this week’s honor roll!
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Debra,
Does the current heat wave have anything to do with forgetting him? 😉 I could resist! Thanks for visiting.
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Thank you for the great childhood memories! I loved Chilly Willy and had forgotten all about him.
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Val,
Glad this post was able to remove Chilly Willy from your forgotten file. 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
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Thanks for this cheerful post Frank!
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Mimo,
My pleasure … thanks for visiting.
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Frank, you always take me back laughing. Thanks!
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Elyse,
Yep —- cheer and laughter is one of the purposes of this series! Thanks for commenting.
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Is there no end to cartoon characters I grew up without?
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Cuttlefish,
Ha ha … therefore, I’ve only scratched the surface! 😉 Thanks for stopping by.
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I’d never heard of Chilly Willy. When I read the title of your post in my inbox, I thought it was about the drop in temperature in our part of the woods. How funny! Thanks for the intro. Frank!
Hugs,
Kathy
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Hi Kathy,
Oh my … I didn’t think about that timing! Honestly, a total coincidence. Meanwhile, glad I was able to introduce you to Chilly. Thanks for commenting.
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i much prefer the very short-lived character by the name of “playboy penguin.” he can be seen in only two cartoons that i know of. “fridig hare” and “8 ball bunny.” he had a top hat, didn’t talk, and drove bugs nuts when bugs tried to get him home after he fell off a circus train. bugs helped him get to the north pole, and then the penguin showed him a picture that explained he was from the south pole. thus prompting bugs to utter the two famous lines: “ooooh, i’m dYing!” and “ooooh, i’m dYing again!”
http://www.bcdb.com/bcdb/cartoon.cgi?film=603
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Rich,
Wow …. Tidbits with a reference!!! Many thanks. Wonder if this is it (below)? I haven’t watched yet because the video connection is a bit slow for me this time of the day. Thanks for sharing!
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