''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated series of comedy

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

s produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the

golden age of American animation The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the late 1960s, where theatrical animated shorts began losing popularity to the ...

, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 1970s to the late 1990s, as well as other made productions beginning in 1972. As with its sister series, ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series '' Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation. ...

'', it featured cartoon characters such as

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merr ...

, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and

Elmer Fudd Elmer J.'' Hare Brush'' (1956) Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes''/'' Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon panthe ...

. Between 1934 and 1943, the ''Merrie Melodies'' series were distinguished from the black-and-white, Buddy or Porky Pig–starring ''Looney Tunes'' shorts by an emphasis on one-shot stories in color featuring Warner Bros.–owned musical selections. After Bugs Bunny became the breakout recurring star of ''Merrie Melodies'', and ''Looney Tunes'' went to color in the early 1940s, the two series gradually lost their distinctions and shorts were assigned to each series more randomly. ''Merrie Melodies'' was originally produced by Harman–Ising Pictures from 1931 to 1933, and then Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944, and the newly renamed

Warner Bros. Cartoons Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was ...

continued production until 1963. It was outsourced to DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and

Format Productions Format Films was a television animation studio which was founded by Herbert Klynn in 1959 with Jules Engel as vice president, Bob McIntosh and Joseph Mugnaini, all of whom were animators. It was most active during the 1960s, producing episodes o ...

from 1964 to 1967, and Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Animation resumed production for its final two years.Merrie Melodies
. Bcdb.com, April 12, 2012 Three of the ''Merrie Melodies'' films (''

Tweetie Pie ''Tweetie Pie'' is a 1947 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on May 3, 1947, and stars Tweety with Sylvester the Cat, who is called "Thomas" in this cartoon. ''Tweetie Pie'' marks the first ...

'', '' Speedy Gonzales'' and '' Birds Anonymous'') won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and another three (''

Duck Amuck ''Duck Amuck'' is an American animated surreal comedy short film directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on January 17, 1953 as part of the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, and stars Daffy Duck. In the cartoon, ...

'', ''

One Froggy Evening ''One Froggy Evening'' is a 1955 American Technicolor animated musical short film written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones, with musical direction by Milt Franklyn. The short, partly inspired by a 1944 Cary Grant film entitled ''Onc ...

'', and '' What's Opera, Doc?'') have been inducted into the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

of the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

. In 2013, ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

'' ranked the Warner Bros. Cartoons (ranked as ''Looney Tunes'') the third Greatest Cartoon of All Time (out of 60), one of only six film series to make the list (the other five being the ''

Pink Panther ''The Pink Panther'' is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the classic film ''The Pi ...

'' series, ''

Popeye the Sailor Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Mighty Mouse'', '' Woody Woodpecker'' and ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the ...

'').

Background

Producer Leon Schlesinger had already produced the music-based ''

'' series, and its success prompted him to try to sell a sister series to Warner Bros. His selling point was that the new cartoons would feature music from the soundtracks of Warner Bros. films and would thus serve as advertisements for Warner Bros. recordings and sheet music. The studio agreed, and Schlesinger dubbed the series ''Merrie Melodies''.

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

had already scored with their '' Silly Symphonies''. Since cartoon production usually began with a soundtrack, animating a piece of music made it easier to devise plot elements and even characters. The origins of the ''Merrie Melodies'' series begin with the failure of a live action series of musical shorts called ''

Spooney Melodies ''Spooney Melodies'' was a series of live action musical shorts produced for Warner Bros. aimed to showcase popular tunes of the day. Only the first entry in the series bore the title "Spooney Melodies." Subsequent releases, of which there we ...

,'' which featured popular songs of the day. These shorts included segments with a popular artist singing along with appropriate background sequences. Warner Bros. wanted to promote this music because they had recently acquired (in 1930) the ownership of Brunswick Records along with four music publishers for US $28 million. Because of the success of their ''Looney Tunes'' series, Warner Bros. decided to develop a new series of animated musical shorts called ''Merrie Melodies''.

Hugh Harman Hugh Harman (August 31, 1903 – November 25, 1982) was an American animator. He was known for creating the Warner Bros. Cartoons and MGM Cartoons and his collaboration with Rudolf Ising during the golden age of American animation. Career He b ...

and Rudolf Ising led the development. It was meant to be a series of musical cartoons that featured hit songs of the day, especially those then owned by Warner Bros. and featured in their musical films. In 1931, many of the shorts featured the orchestra of

Abe Lyman Abe Lyman (August 4, 1897 – October 23, 1957) was a popular bandleader from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including ''Your Hit Parade''. His name at birth was Abra ...

, one of the most famous band leaders of his day. The first cartoon of the new ''Merrie Melodies'' series was '' Lady, Play Your Mandolin!'', released in 1931. Ising attempted to introduce several characters in his ''Merrie Melodies'' films, such as Piggy, Foxy, and

Goopy Geer Goopy Geer is an animated cartoon character created in 1932 for the ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. He's a singing, dancing, piano-playing dog who is considered to be "the first ''Merrie Melodies'' star", although he only ...

. Eventually however, the series continued without any recurring characters. The shorts proved to be enormously popular with the public. In 1932, a ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, entitled '' It's Got Me Again!'', was nominated for the first

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

to be given for animation. When Harman and Ising left Warner Bros., in 1933, they took with them all rights to the characters they had created. Leon Schlesinger had to negotiate with them to keep the rights to the name ''Merrie Melodies,'' as well as for the right to use the slogan, ''So Long Folks,'' at the end of the cartoons. In 1934, Schlesinger produced his first color ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts, '' Honeymoon Hotel'' and ''Beauty and the Beast'', which were produced in two-strip

Cinecolor Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two-color motion picture process that was based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and the 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and ...

(

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

then had exclusive animation rights to the richer three-strip Technicolor process). Their success convinced Schlesinger to produce all future ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts in color, using two-strip Technicolor. ''Looney Tunes'' continued in black and white until 1943. In 1936, the cartoons began to end with the slogan "That's all Folks!" which had previously only been used on the ''Looney Tunes'' series. The old slogan "So Long, Folks!" was completely abandoned at this time. The same year, ''Merrie Melodies'' began using the ''bulls-eye'' opening and closing title sequences (in 1942, ''Looney Tunes'' would use the same titles, usually in thicker rings). Also by 1936, Disney's exclusivity on the three-color Technicolor process was lifted, allowing ''Merrie Melodies'' a full color palette for the first time, hence the use of the blue concentric rings (as a technical test) for the rest of the 1935–36 season and the 1936–37 season. The Warner Bros. shield was later that year changed to cyan before definitely changing back to red in 1938. Contractually, ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons were obligated to include at least one full

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

from a Warner Bros. song. Warner Bros. requested that these songs be performed by name bands whenever possible, but this lasted only through the first few shorts. The policy annoyed the animators of ''Merrie Melodies'', since the songs often interrupted the cartoons' momentum and pacing (the 1938 Merrie Melodie ''

A Feud There Was ''A Feud There Was'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Tex Avery. The short was released on September 24, 1938 and features the fourth appearance of an early version of Elmer Fudd. Plot The short begins with an establi ...

'', for example, sarcastically uses the obligatory musical number as a shift in the action, with the lead characters singing the number into a KFWB microphone and ceding the mike to an announcer who reads a commercial). By 1939, the animators had been released from this obligation, and the ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts came to resemble more closely the black-and-white ''Looney Tunes'' series. In addition, several new characters were created to (initially) appear exclusively in the ''Merrie Melodies'' series, such as Egghead,

Inki Inki is the lead character in an animated cartoon series of Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' short films by animator Chuck Jones. Five Inki cartoons were made between 1939 and 1950. History and description Inki, created for ...

, Sniffles, and even Warner Bros.' most popular cartoon star,

. In 1943, Schlesinger began producing ''Looney Tunes'' in color as well, and the two series became virtually indistinguishable except by their theme music and opening titles – in addition, characters once exclusive to one series began regularly appearing in the other as well. In 1944, the studio went to an all-color schedule; though for the first year of this, Bugs still appeared mainly in the ''Merrie Melodies'' series (not appearing in a ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon until the end of August), whereas Daffy Duck and Porky Pig (who each appeared in a few ''Merrie Melodies'' prior to mid-1942) appeared mainly in ''Looney Tunes'' that year. It was not until 1945 that the two series appeared completely indistinguishable, and that Bugs appeared in more ''Looney Tunes'' than ''Merrie Melodies''. By 1937, the theme music for ''Looney Tunes'' was " The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin, and the theme music for ''Merrie Melodies'' was an adaptation of " Merrily We Roll Along" by

Charles Tobias Charles Tobias (August 15, 1898 – July 7, 1970) was an American songwriter. Biography Born in New York City, United States, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters. He started h ...

, Murray Mencher and

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

(the original theme was " Get Happy" by Harold Arlen, played at a faster tempo). This continued until 1964, when the WB cartoon logos were modernized, and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" became the theme for the ''Merrie Melodies'' as well. When the studio went to full color, even the animators themselves did not make any creative distinction between the two series, as evidenced in an interview quote from director

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ...

, "I never knew if a film I was making would be ''Looney Tunes'' or ''Merrie Melodies'', and what the hell difference would it make, anyway?". The last ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon was '' Injun Trouble'', released in 1969. The ''Merrie Melodies'' theatrical cartoons didn't start up again until 1987 with only two cartoons made, ''

The Night of the Living Duck ''The Night of the Living Duck'' is a six-minute 1988 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon starring Daffy Duck, directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon. It was released to theatres as a part of ''Daffy Duck's Quackbusters'' on September 24, 1988 and precedes ...

'' (1987) and ''

(Blooper) Bunny ''(Blooper) Bunny'' is a ''Merrie Melodies'' animated short film directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon, with music by George Daugherty, produced in 1991 by Warner Bros. Animation. Featuring the voice talents of Jeff Bergman and Gordon Hunt, th ...

'' (1991). ''The Night of the Living Duck'' got a theatrical release through the compilation film '' Daffy Duck's Quackbusters'' (1988), while ''(Blooper) Bunny'' was shelved from its intended 1991 release until it premiered on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...

on June 13, 1997.

Blue Ribbon reissues

Beginning in late 1943, WB, in a cost-conserving effort, began to reissue its backlog of color cartoons under a new program that they called ''Merrie Melodies'' "Blue Ribbon" classics. For the reissue, the original front-and-end title sequences were altered. The revised main title card began with the "zooming" WB logo, followed by the title logo set against a background featuring a "blue ribbon" (hence the re-release program's title) and a Grand Shorts Award trophy, followed by the name of the cartoon. This revised title sequence eliminated the opening technical credits. The ending title card was also revised, replacing the original versions. Also, sometimes the title of the short was slightly altered for the rerelease; the "Blue Ribbon" version of the

short '' A Wild Hare'' was retitled ''The Wild Hare'' for reissue, for example. Many of these "Blue Ribbon" prints were the versions used for television broadcasts for many years until Warner Bros. began a restoration program in the early 2000s as part of the '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection'' DVD releases. Only cartoons made in color were eligible for the program. None of the black-and-white cartoons were re-released under this program. Starting after 1964, when the original Warner Bros. studio lot closed, the reissues were untouched, and kept their original titles. In 1968, the reissues ended, a mere year before the last short came out, although the time frame is 46 years counting the soaphrical shorts.

Filmography

Characters

Accolades

TVLine lists the theme song from the series among the best animated series themes of all time.

Inducted into the National Film Registry

* '' What's Opera, Doc?'' (1957), inducted in the 1992 list. "In this animation classic, Elmer Fudd's pursuit of Bugs Bunny is set to opera music and plays out on a Wagnerian scale. The film features such now-classic lines as "Kill the wabbit!" and is one of only three cartoons in which Elmer Fudd bests his rival Bugs. Directed by renowned animator Chuck Jones and his team at Warner Bros., this seven-minute short film is often considered to be Jones' cinematic masterpiece. It also holds the distinction of being the first cartoon selected for inclusion on the National Film Registry." * ''

'' (1953), inducted in the 1999 list. The description reads: "One of the defining examples of Chuck Jones' irreverent creativity, "Duck Amuck" (a Warner Bros. "Merrie Melodies" animation) stars Daffy Duck, as brought to life by master voice artist Mel Blanc. Jones' gives the audience a convincingly fleshed-out character with true personality, regardless of plot or setting. Daffy begins the film as a Musketeer before his animators get the best of him by forgetting to draw in his backgrounds or supply him his voice. Extraordinarily self-reflexive, "Duck Amuck" does more than pierce film's fourth wall, it demolishes it, full send Daffy on a series of surreal misadventures." * ''

'' (1955), inducted in the 2003 list. The description reads: "A cartoon on every short list of the greatest animation, this classic Chuck Jones creation features crooning amphibian Michigan J. Frog, who drives his owner insane by singing only in private, but never in public."

Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Cartoon)

* ''

'' (1947) * '' Speedy Gonzales'' (1955) * '' Birds Anonymous'' (1957)

Academy Award nominations

* '' It's Got Me Again!'' (1932) * '' Detouring America'' (1939) * '' A Wild Hare'' (1940) * ''

Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt ''Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt'' is a 1941 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. Mel Blanc voiced all characters. This film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (cartoons). This was the first Bugs Bunny cartoon di ...

'' (1941) * ''

Rhapsody in Rivets ''Rhapsody in Rivets'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on December 6, 1941. Plot At a busy urban construction site in a world of anthropomorphic animals, an appreciative crowd of ...

'' (1941) * '' Pigs in a Polka'' (1943) * '' Greetings Bait'' (1943) * '' Life with Feathers'' (1945) * '' Walky Talky Hawky'' (1946) * ''

Canary Row ''Canary Row'' is a 1949 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' short directed by Friz Freleng and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on October 7, 1950, and stars Tweety and Sylvester. This is the first Sylvester and Tweety cartoon to f ...

'' (1950) * '' Beep Prepared'' (1961) * '' Nelly's Folly'' (1961)

References

Bibliography

* Beck, Jerry and Friedwald, Will (1989): ''Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons''. Henry Holt and Company. * Goldmark, Daniel (2005). ''Tunes for ’Toons : Music and the Hollywood Cartoon''. Berkeley: University of California Press. * Schneider, Steve (1990). ''That's All Folks!: The Art of Warner Bros. Animation''. Henry Holt & Co.

External links

The Big Cartoon Database entry for ''Merrie Melodies''
{{Warner Bros. franchises 1931 establishments in California 1931 establishments in the United States Animated film series Censored films Film series introduced in 1931 * * Television censorship Warner Bros. Cartoons