On The Donald … the Real One

Background
Created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions

Voiced by Clarence Nash until Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)

Tony Anselmo (mentored by Nash) voiced starting with Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

First animated by Dick Huemer and Art Babbit

Dick Lundy developed Donald’s character.

Drawn in comics by Al Taliaferro, Carl Barks, and Don Rosa

Development

• Started as an extra character
• Appeared with Goofy as a supporting character to Mickey Mouse
• Eventually developed into the main character
• Followed a similar path in comics

Filmography
Appearing in over 150 theatrical films and shorts

Has the most theatrical appearances than any Disney character

First appeared in The Wise Little Hen (1934)

Second appearance in Orphan’s Benefit served as first encounter with Mickey Mouse

First appeared with Mickey and Goofy in Mickey’s Service Station (1935)

First star billing in Donald’s Ostrich (1937)

Personal/Personality
Middle name is Fauntleroy, thus the only major Disney character with an official middle name

Original name was Donald Oliver Duckling

Dressed in a blue sailor shirt, a white cap with a black or red bow tie

Most distinguishable characteristic is his speech

Personality described as mischievous, temperamental, a show-off, bragger, tenacious, and positive

Donald isn’t a sailor, but wears a sailor outfit because Daisy likes men in uniforms

Catch Phrases

• “What’s the big idea!?”.
• “Aw, phooey!
• “Hiya, toots!”.
• “So!!!”
• Muttering, “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

Family, Friends, and Foes
Nephews Huey, Louie and Dewey (introduced 1938)

Twin sister: Thelma (Della) Duck, but also referred to as Dumbella (introduced 1937)

Cousin Gus Goose (introduced 1939)

European Uncle Ludwig von Drake (introduced 1961)

Rich uncle Scrooge McDuck (introduced 1947)

Girlfriend, Daisy (introduced 1937), but was originally named Donna Duck

Family tree according to Carl Barks

Image from Wikipedia

Donald’s wants to be Disney’s biggest star, thus the rivalry with Mickey Mouse Throughout his career, which resembles the Bugs Bunny-Daffy Duck rivalry

Consider the Mouseketeers theme to “D-O-N-A-L-D D-U-C-K! Donald Duck!” … or the Mouseketeer theme with chants of “Donald Duck” after mentioning Mickey

Foes include Chip ‘n’ Dale, Humphrey the Bear, Spike The Bee, Mountain Lion Louie, Bootle Beetle, Witch Hazel (in Trick or Treat), Aracuan Bird, and Baby Shelby

Honors
Received 8 non-winning Oscar nominations for Good Scouts (1938), Truant Officer Donald (1941), Donald’s Crime (1945), Chip ‘n’ Dale (1947), Tea for Two Hundred (1948), Toy Tinkers (1949), Rugged Bear (1953), and No Hunting (1955)

Oscar winner for Best Animated Short Film: Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943), a parody of Nazi Germany

TV Guide’s list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time (#43) in 2002

He has appeared in more films than any other Disney character, and is the most published comic book character in the world outside of the superhero genre

A mini-series of seven short films following Donald’s life in the army from being drafted to basic training to being in an actual mission

Thanks in part to the mini-series supporting the war effort, Donald graced the nose artwork of virtually every type of WWII Allied combat aircraft

Miscellaneous
In the Disney Studios, Donald is often referred to as “The Duck”

Walt Disney described Donald Duck as Disney’s “problem child”

A duck skeleton that looks like Donald can be seen in James and the Giant Peach

Donald makes a cameo appearance in The Little Mermaid

Donald Duck is the only popular film and TV cartoon character to appear as a sports team mascot (Oregon Ducks at the University of Oregon)

Donald Duck Orange Juice, introduced by Citrus World in 1940.

A video game Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers

Below is a compilation tribute and the short earning his first Oscar nomination  (Good Scouts) … Enjoy

On a Foghorn Reprise

With his classic, That’s a joke… I say, that’s a joke son, plus numerous one-liners, Foghorn Leghorn is one of my favorite classics. As a matter of fact, he was an early honoree here, but that was before I developed the format I now use. With that in mind, it’s time to give him this overdue honor!

Background
A large, friendly rooster with an overbearing personality

Created by Robert McKimson

Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons for Warner Brothers

Original based on The Sheriff, a West Coast radio character, but after the growing popularity of Senator Claghorn, a classic radio character on the nationally syndicated Fred Allen Show, Foghorn followed Claghorn’s character

Original voice by Mel Blanc (1946-1987), followed by 9 others

Starred in 28 cartoons between 1946 and 1963
First: Walky Talky Hawky (August 31, 1946)
Last: Banty Raids (1963)

Walky Talky Hawky nominated for Academy Award, but lost to Tom and Jerry’s The Cat Concerto

Made a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and Space Jam (1996)

Appeared in commercials for GEICO, KFC, Oscar Meyer Hotdogs

Personal
Loves to hum Camptown Races, but only knew the words “Duh dah, Duh dah”

Appears with Henery Hawk – a young chickenhawk who usually is seen looking for a chicken to eat, but doesn’t know what a chicken looks like

Dog nemesis is Barnyard Dog (aka George P Dog)

Also appeared with Barnyard Cat, Bill the Weasel, Poppy and Elvis (Enjoy this classic rant with Barnyard Cat

In attempting to woo the widowed Miss Prissy, he babysits her son, Egghead Jr

Moves around a lot – one address is Cucamonga, California where he received a telegram from Rhode Island Red, but also flies south of the “Masie-Dixie Line” to get “out of the deep freeze and into the deep south”

Went to Chicken Tech and with his chum, Rhode Island Red

Grandfather to Feather Buster

Classic Quotes
Foghorn Leghorn has many classic one liners … enjoy the video with a collection, as well as the list below.

Okay, I’ll shut up. Some fellas have to keep their tongues flappin’ but not me. I was brought up right. My pa used to tell me to shut up and I’d shut up. I wouldn’t say nothin’. One time darn near starved to death. Wouldn’t tell him I was hungry.

Boys as sharp as a bowling ball.

Pay attention, boy!

Boy’s like a dead horse — got no get-up-and-go.

That boy’s as strong as an ox, and just about as smart.

That boy’s like a tattoo … gets under your skin.

Go away boy. Ya bother me.

This is gonna cause more confusion than a mouse in a burlesque show!

You’re doing a lot of choppin’, but no chips are flyin’. I’m cuttin’ but you’re not bleedin’!

Clunk enough people and we’ll have a nation of lumpheads.

Aaaaaahhhhh, shuuutupp!!

Nice girl, but about as sharp as a sack of wet mice.

That womans as cold as a nudist on an iceberg.

She reminds me of Paul Revere’s ride – a little light in the belfry.

Gal reminds me of the highway between Ft. Worth and Dallas – no curves.

Boy’s like a dead horse – got no get up and go.

That kid’s about as sharp as a pound of wet liver.

If kid don’t stop talkin’ so much he’ll get his tongue sunburned.

That dog’s as subtle as a hand grenade in a barrel of oat meal.

Look sister, is any of this filtering through that little blue bonnet of yours?

I’ve got this boy as figgity as a bubble dancer with a slow leak.

You look like two miles of bad road.

I-I-I know what you’re gonna say son. When two halves is gone there’s nuthin’ left – and you’re right. It’s a little ol’ worm who wasn’t there. Two nuthins is nuthin’. That’s mathematics son. You can argue with me but you can’t argue with figures. Two half nuthins is a whole nuthin’.

Enjoy the full episode of PoP Goes the Weasel (1953)

On a Sweety Tweety or Tweety Sweety

Background
Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated cartoons.

The name Tweety is a play on “sweetie” and “tweet”

His characteristics are based on Red Skelton’s famous Mean Widdle Kid

Directors: Bob Clampett, Fritz Freleng (vast majority), Chuck Jones, Gerry Chiniquy

Voices: Mel Blanc (42-89), Jeff Bergman, Bob Bergen, Joe Alaskey, Eric Goldberg, Billy West, Samuel Vincent, Greg Burson

Many of Mel Blanc’s characters are known for speech impediments. One of Tweety’s most noticeable is that /s/, /k/, and /g/ are changed to /t/, /d/, or (final s) /θ/ (so is he actually named Sweetie?

In Canary Row and Putty Tat Trouble, Tweety sings, “I’m a tweet wittow biwd in a gilded cage; Tweety’th my name but I don’t know my age. I don’t have to wuwy and dat is dat; I’m tafe in hewe fwom dat ol’ putty tat.” (Translation: “I’m a sweet little bird in a gilded cage, Sweety is my name but I don’t know my age. I don’t have to worry and that is that. I’m safe in here from that old pussycat”)

Personal
A male yellow canary

Originally not canary, but simply a generic (and wild) baby bird in an outdoors nest – naked (pink)

In his early appearances cartoons, Bob Clampett made Tweety aggressive

Friz Freleng made Tweety more cutesy … and even more so when Granny was introduced

On the original model sheet, Tweety was named Orson

Tweety’s voice and some of this attitude resembles Bugs Bunny as a child

Learn how to draw Tweety

Filmography
49 episodes in the Golden Age
First: Tale of Two Kitties (November 21, 1942)
Last Golden Age: Hawaiian Aye Aye (1964)

In his debut, a not-yet-named Tweety is against two hungry cats (Babbit and Catstello)

The second Tweety short, Birdy and the Beast, finally bestowed the baby bird with his new name (here’s a clip)

Honors
#33 (with Sylvester) in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters

Academy Award Winner (Best Short Subject, 1947, Tweety Pie) – teamed with cat (later to be named Sylvester) for the first time

Time proves Sylvester and Tweety are a successful pair (I honored Sylvester in this June 2012 post)

Most of their cartoons followed a standard formula: A hungry Sylvester wanting to eat the bird, but some major obstacle stands in his way (Granny, her bulldog Hector, other dogs, or other cats)

Sylvester’s schemes resemble those of Wile E. Coyote’s efforts with Roadrunner

Famous Quotes
“Awww, the poor kitty cat! He faw down and go (in a loud, tough, masculine voice) BOOM!!” and then grins mischievously.

“I tawt I taw a puddy tat!”
“I did! I did taw a puddy tat!”
“Oh, hello, Puddy Tat. What you doin’ up there?”
“Bad ol’ puddy tat!”
“Uh oh, wecked the puddy tat. You know, I lose more puddy tats that way.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“Well, whaddya know? I got an admirer!”
“You cwushed my wittle head!”
“My poor, wittle cranium.”
“I wonder what that puddy tat up to now?”
“Now, how do you suppose I got my wittle self in such a pwedicament?” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“Uh-oh, that Puddy Tat after me again.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“That old puddy tat is never gonna find me in here.” ~Bad Ol’ Putty Tat
“You bad ol’ puddy tat!”
“You can’t catch me!”
“Take that! Bad ol’ puddy tat!”

Originally Tweety said, “I did! I taw a puddy tat!”n… but somehow, overtime, an extra ‘did’ appears …”I did! I did taw a puddy tat!”

Other Appearances
A small part in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Tweety appears as part of the TuneSquad team in Space Jam

A 1995 Frosted Cheerios commercial with Sylvester

A 1996 Christmas commercial for Target with LeAnn Rimes had Tweety giving her a kiss on the cheek as the other Looney Tunes characters line-danced to Rimes’ song Put a Little Holiday In Your Heart

The following video games: The Bugs Bunny Birthday Blowout, Looney Tunes: Acme Arsenal, Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters, Looney Tunes: Space Race, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, and The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2

British artist Banksy’s 2008 The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill – Click here to see  a video of the work

Comics: Dell Comics Four Color series #406, 489, and 524, Dell Comics (#4-37, 1954–62), and Gold Key Comics (#1-102, 1963–72).

Enjoy this tribute to Tweety Bird and Sylvester