Droopy is an

animated character Character animation is a specialized area of the animation process, which involves bringing animated s to life. The role of a character animator is analogous to that of a film or stage actor and character animators are often said to be "actors ...

from the

golden age of American animation The golden age of American animation was a period that began with the popularization of Sound film, sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medi ...

. He is an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

white

Basset Hound The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of scent hound. The Basset Hound was developed in Great Britain from several now-extinct strains of France, French basset breeds. It was bred primarily for hunting rabbit and hare on foot, moving slowly en ...

with a droopy face. He was created in 1943 by

Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (; February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of America ...

for theatrical cartoon

shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ar ...

produced by the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio (also commonly referred to as MGM Cartoons) was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsi ...

. Essentially the polar opposite of Avery's other MGM character, the loud and wacky

Screwy Squirrel Screwy Squirrel (also known as Screwball Squirrel) is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic squirrel created by Tex Avery for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Among some of the more outrageous cartoon characters, Screwy's feats include pulling ob ...

, Droopy moves slowly and lethargically, speaks in a jowly monotone voice, and—though hardly an imposing character—is shrewd enough to outwit his enemies. When finally roused to anger, often by a bad guy laughing heartily at him, Droopy is capable of beating adversaries many times his size with a comical thrashing. The character first appeared, nameless, in Avery's 1943 cartoon ''

Dumb-Hounded ''Dumb-Hounded'' is a 1943 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery and written by Rich Hogan. It was the first cartoon to feature Droopy. The film was released on March 20, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Plot A wolf escapes from Swing Sw ...

''. Though he was not called "Droopy" onscreen until his fifth cartoon, ''Señor Droopy'' (1949), the character was already named "Droopy" in model sheets for his first cartoon. He was officially first labeled "Happy Hound", a name used in the character's appearances in ''

Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, who also pr ...

Comics''. He starred in 24 theatrical cartoons, ending in 1958 when MGM closed its cartoon department. The character has been revived several times for new productions including films and television shows also featuring MGM's other famous cartoon stars,

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, 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 ...

, either as their ally or adversary. He's also known to be the guider of

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

back when it first launched at October 1, 1992. In the cartoon ''

Northwest Hounded Police ''Northwest Hounded Police'' is a 1946 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Fred Quimby, and featuring Droopy and Avery's wolf character. A remake of Droopy's first cartoon '' Dumb-Hounded'' (also adopting elements from ...

'', Droopy's last name was given as "McPoodle". In ''The Chump Champ'', it was given as "Poodle". Nevertheless, Droopy is generally understood to be a Basset Hound.

History

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Droopy first appeared in the

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

cartoon A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently Animation, animated, in an realism (arts), unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or s ...

''Dumb-Hounded'', released on March 20, 1943. Droopy's first scene is when he saunters into view, looks at the audience, and declares, "Hello, all you happy people ... you know what? I'm the hero." In the cartoon, Droopy is tracking an escaped convict and is always waiting for the crook wherever he turns up. Avery had used a similar gag in his ''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

'' short ''

Tortoise Beats Hare ''Tortoise Beats Hare'' is a ''Merrie Melodies'' short film directed by Tex Avery and released on March 15, 1941. The short, loosely based on Aesop's fable ''The Tortoise and the Hare,'' stars Bugs Bunny and, in his first appearance, Cecil Turtle ...

'' (1941) starring

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is a cartoon character created in the late 1930s at Warner Bros. Cartoons (originally Leon Schlesinger, Leon Schlesinger Productions) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his featured roles in the ' ...

, which in turn was an expansion/exaggeration of the premise of his '' The Blow Out'' (1936) with

Porky Pig Porky Pig is a cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created man ...

. In fact, this cartoon shows that early ideas about Droopy's personality were already germinating, as that film's

Cecil Turtle Cecil Turtle is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of films. Though he made only three theatrical appearances, Cecil has the unusual distinction that he is one of the very few characters who ...

has similarities to Droopy. Droopy's meek,

deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of Comedy, comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant t ...

voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound produ ...

and personality were modeled after the character Wallace Wimple on the

radio comedy Radio comedy, or comedy, comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve variety show, sitcom elements, sketch comedy, sketches, and various types of comedy found in other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elemen ...

Fibber McGee and Molly ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (1935–1959) was a longtime American husband-and-wife team radio comedy program. The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most popular ...

''; actor Bill Thompson, who played Wimple, was the original voice of Droopy. While Thompson's served in the

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

during World War II, Droopy's voice was provided by other voice actors, including

Don Messick Donald Earle Messick (September 7, 1926 – October 24, 1997) was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons. His best-remembered voice roles include Scooby-Doo; Bamm-Bamm Rubble and Hoppy in ''The Flintsto ...

, who reprised the role in the 1990s. Avery's preferred gag man Heck Allen said that Avery himself provided the voice on several occasions, and "You couldn't tell the difference." Droopy himself was a versatile actor: he could play a

Mountie The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...

, a cowboy, a deputy, an heir, or a

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

-loving everyday Joe with equal ease. The same voice was used for Big Heel-Watha in the

cartoon of the same name and for a Pilgrim who chases a turkey modeled after

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side New York accent, accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

in Avery's 1945 short ''

Jerky Turkey ''Jerky Turkey'' is a 1945 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon directed by Tex Avery. ''Jerky Turkey'' is one of three MGM cartoons in the public domain in the United States as its copyright was not renewed. Plot In 1620, Pilgrims, riding a caricature ...

''. One of Droopy's more surprising traits is his incredible strength, given his diminutive stature and unassuming looks and personality, but this was usually reserved for when he was upset (with a few rare exceptions, where he very easily moved his adversary without harming him), at which time he would say in a monotone voice "You know what? That makes me mad" prior to thrashing the hapless villain of the piece. One such occasion was in ''Señor Droopy'', where he did this to a bull. It happened again in ''One Droopy Knight'', where a dragon was Droopy's victim. In the second case, he also broke the dragon's tail off and knocked him very far away with it like a baseball bat (apparently, it regenerated like a lizard's tail, given the unharmed dragon later became Droopy's servant/pet). This was also once done by a baby version of Droopy in the Western-themed short ''Homesteader Droopy''. One example of Droopy showing his strength without being provoked was in ''The Chump Champ'' in which

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (Broderick book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter ...

(as "Gorgeous Gorillawitz") stuffs an anvil in a speed bag. Droopy easily punches the bag several times but when Spike takes a swipe at it, half of him shatters to the ground. Another

running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...

that occurred during many of Droopy's cartoons was whenever Droopy's adversaries chopped down a tree. As the tree started coming down and was about to crush the unsuspecting Droopy, the adversary would run far the opposite way, point to the sky, and shout, "TIM.....". Then, in a moment of surprise, the tree would change direction and end up crushing the adversary instead and he would finish by saying, ".....ber" while still pointing to the sky with a look of confusion on his face. In most of his cartoons, Droopy matches wits with either a slick anthropomorphic

Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

(the Wolf character "portrays" the crooks in both ''Dumb-hounded'' and its semi-remake, ''Northwest Hounded Police'' (1946)) or a bulldog named "

", sometimes silent, sometimes sporting a

Gaelic Gaelic (pronounced for Irish Gaelic and for Scots Gaelic) is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". It may refer to: Languages * Gaelic languages or Goidelic languages, a linguistic group that is one of the two branches of the Insul ...

accent. Two Droopy cartoons – ''

The Shooting of Dan McGoo ''The Shooting of Dan McGoo'' is a cartoon directed by Tex Avery and starring Frank Graham as the Wolf. Both Bill Thompson and Avery himself voiced the lead character Droopy. Sara Berner did the speaking voice of Lou, while her singing was prov ...

'' and ''

Wild and Woolfy ''Wild and Woolfy'' is a 1945 animated cartoon short, one of six cartoons in which Droopy was paired with a wolf as his acting partner. It is one of a very few cartoons in the series where Bill Thompson did not voice Droopy, instead Tex Avery him ...

'' – also feature appearances from the curvy cutie of Avery's ''

Red Hot Riding Hood ''Red Hot Riding Hood'' is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released with the movie '' Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case'' on May 8, 1943, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994, it was voted number 7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoon ...

'' (1943) as a damsel in distress being pursued by the Wolf. Three later Droopy cartoons –''Three Little Pups'' (1953), ''Blackboard Jumble'' (1957), and ''Sheep Wrecked'' (1958) – feature a slow-moving southern wolf character. Voiced by

Daws Butler Charles Dawson Butler (November 16, 1916May 18, 1988) was an American voice actor. He worked mostly for the Hanna-Barbera animation production company and the Walter Lantz cartoon studio. He originated the voices of many familiar Hanna-Barbera ...

in a dialect Butler later used for

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

Huckleberry Hound Huckleberry "Huck" Hound is a fictional cartoon character, a blue dog who speaks with a North Carolina accent. He first appeared in the series ''The Huckleberry Hound Show''. The cartoon was one of six TV shows to win an Emmy Award in 1960 as a ...

, this wolf was a more deadpan character with a tendency to whistle " Kingdom Coming" (aka "Jubalio") to himself (much like Huckleberry would sing " Oh My Darling Clementine" to himself). Avery took a year-long break from MGM from 1950 to 1951, during which time Dick Lundy took over his unit to do one Droopy cartoon, ''Caballero Droopy'', and several ''

Barney Bear ''Barney Bear'' is an American series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by MGM Cartoons. The title character is an anthropomorphic cartoon character, a sluggish, sleepy bear who often is in pursuit of nothing except for peace and qui ...

'' cartoons. Avery returned in late 1951 and continued with Droopy and his one-shots until the Avery unit was dissolved by MGM in 1953. Michael Lah, an Avery animator, stayed on long enough to help

William Hanna William Denby Hanna (July 14, 1910 – March 22, 2001) was an American animator, voice actor, and musician who is best known for co-creating ''Tom and Jerry'' and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph B ...

and

Joseph Barbera Joseph Roland Barbera ( ; ; March 24, 1911 – December 18, 2006) was an American animator and cartoonist, best known as the co-founder of the animation studio Hanna-Barbera. Born to Italian Americans, Italian immigrants in New York City, Bar ...

complete ''Deputy Droopy'' after Avery had left the studio. Lah himself then left MGM, but returned in 1955 to direct

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic format, anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its cr ...

Droopy cartoons costarring either Spike (now called Butch because of the same-named bulldog in Hanna and Barbera's

cartoons) or the "Kingdom Coming"-whistling wolf. The opening title card was replaced with a newly drawn sequence in which Droopy gives his deadpan greeting: "Hello, all you happy people." Seven Droopy cartoons were created under the H-B production stable. One of these, ''One Droopy Knight'' (1957), was nominated for the 1957

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for Best Short Subject (Cartoons). However, by the time of ''One Droopy Knights release in December 1957, the MGM cartoon studio had been closed for six months, a casualty of corporate downsizing.

Later appearances

In 1980,

Filmation Filmation Associates was an American production company founded by Lou Scheimer, Hal Sutherland and Norm Prescott in 1962, before closing by Group W Productions on February 3, 1989. Located in Reseda, California, Filmation produced animated ...

produced a series of lower-budget Droopy

for television as part of its ''Tom and Jerry'' TV series ''

The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show ''The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show'' (also known as ''The New Adventures of Tom and Jerry'') is an American animated television series produced by Filmation in association with MGM Television featuring the popular cartoon duo Tom and Jerry. The show ...

''. In the 1990s

series ''

Tom & Jerry Kids ''Tom & Jerry Kids'' (formerly known as ''Tom & Jerry Kids Show'' in the first season) is an American animated television series co-produced by H-B Production Co. and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as ...

'', Droopy had a young son named Dripple (voiced by

Charlie Adler Charles Michael Adler (born October 2, 1956) is an American voice actor and voice director. He is known for his roles as Buster Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', the Bigheads on ''Rocko's Modern Life'', Ickis on ''Aaahh!!! Real Monsters'', Doc ...

), an older version of the infant we see in ''Homesteader Droopy''. The mild success of the show provided perhaps the most Droopy merchandise: plush toys, gummy snacks, figurines, etc. In 1993, ''Tom & Jerry Kids'' had a spin-off series, ''

Droopy, Master Detective ''Droopy, Master Detective'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons in association with Turner Entertainment, and a spin-off of ''Tom & Jerry Kids''. It debuted on Fox's Saturday morning block Fox Kids and r ...

'', which cast Droopy and son as film noir style detectives. Droopy also had cameos in two theatrical features: as an elevator operator in ''

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' by Gary K. Wol ...

'' (where he was voiced by the film's animation director Richard Williams), and in '' Tom and Jerry: The Movie''. Droopy also had cameos in all three subsequent

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

-produced

Roger Rabbit Roger Rabbit is a fictional animated anthropomorphic rabbit. The character first appeared in author Gary K. Wolf's 1981 novel, '' Who Censored Roger Rabbit?''. In the book, Roger is second banana in a popular comic strip, "Baby Herman". Roger ...

shorts, ''

Tummy Trouble The ''Roger Rabbit'' shorts are a series of three live-action/animated short films produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1989 to 1993. They feature Roger Rabbit, the animated protagonist from ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988), being enli ...

'' (again he's an elevator operator), ''

Roller Coaster Rabbit The ''Roger Rabbit'' shorts are a series of three live-action/animated short films produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1989 to 1993. They feature Roger Rabbit, the animated protagonist from ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988), being enli ...

'' (he plays a bad guy dressed as

Snidely Whiplash Snidely Whiplash is a fictional character who originally appeared as the main antagonist in the '' Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties'' segments of the animated television series '' The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show''. He is the archenemy of Dudley Do- ...

), and ''

Trail Mix-Up The ''Roger Rabbit'' shorts are a series of three live-action/animated short films produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1989 to 1993. They feature Roger Rabbit, the animated protagonist from ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (1988), being enli ...

'' (he plays a scuba diver), and the 1992 animated TV special '' The Rosey and Buddy Show''. Droopy also appears in the 2006 cartoon series ''

Tom and Jerry Tales ''Tom and Jerry Tales'' is an American Animated series, animated television series featuring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Entertainment Co., it is the seventh installment in the ''Tom and Jer ...

'', and has appeared in almost every ''Tom and Jerry'' direct-to-video movie, beginning with '' Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring'', either as an ally or an enemy. Droopy appeared on various

specials and bumpers throughout the 1990s. When the network launched on October 1, 1992, Droopy was the host of the special "Droopy's Guide to the Cartoon Network", which served as an orientation for the new channel. In 1997, Droopy appeared in the faux cartoon

blooper reel A blooper, or gag reel, is short clip from a film, television program or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or ...

bumper ''Bloopers of the Cartoon Stars''. Here, he says his signature line "I'm so happy" while actually smiling. In June 1999, Droopy appeared in a Cartoon Network short entitled ''Thanks a Latté'', in which he works at a coffee shop and forces a stingy wolf into giving him a tip. In said short, the character is depicted with a bald head and was voiced by

Jeff Bergman Jeffrey Bergman (born July 10, 1960) is an American voice actor who has provided the modern-day voices of various classic cartoon characters, most notably with ''Looney Tunes'' and Hanna-Barbera. Bergman was the first to replace Mel Blanc as th ...

. The short aired on Cartoon Network's sister channel

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

until 2015. During the same period, Droopy was also featured in

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as

dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...

and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...

's ''

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law'' is an American adult animated television sitcom created by Michael Ouweleen and Erik Richter for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. The first season of ''Harvey Birdman, Attorney ...

'' in the episode "Droopy Botox", voiced by

Maurice LaMarche Maurice LaMarche (born March 30, 1958) is a Canadian voice actor. Across a career spanning more than four decades he has voiced Chief Quimby on Inspector Gadget, Egon Spengler on ''The Real Ghostbusters'', The Brain on ''Animaniacs'' and its spi ...

. He is seen seeking a settlement after a cosmetic surgeon injected him with too much

botox Botulinum toxin, or botulinum neurotoxin (commonly called botox), is a neurotoxic protein produced by the bacterium ''Clostridium botulinum'' and related species. It prevents the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from axon endi ...

in this episode was the fact that Droopy was often seen crying despite having a huge grin frozen on his face, a reverse of the classic cartoons where a sad-faced Droopy often said, "You know what? I'm happy"). A memorable Cartoon Network promotional spot featured Droopy (voiced by Don Messick) and Shaggy from Hanna-Barbera's ''

Scooby-Doo ''Scooby-Doo'' is an American media franchise owned by Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Entertainment and created in 1969 by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears through their animated series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'', for Hanna-Barbera (which wa ...

'' parodying a dialog scene between Jules and Vincent in ''

Pulp Fiction ''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence ...

''. A three-issue Droopy comic book miniseries was released in the mid-1990s by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...

Voice actors

The following is the list of

voice actors Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...

who have portrayed Droopy, the years they regularly voiced the character, and the films and/or television series they did the voice in: * Bill Thompson (1943, 1945, 1949, 1951–1958; ''

'', ''

'' (one line reused from ''Big Heel-Watha''), ''Señor Droopy'', ''Out-Foxed'', ''The Chump Champ'', ''

Daredevil Droopy ''Daredevil Droopy'' is a 1951 animated cartoon short, one of the few cartoons in which Droopy was paired with the dog Spike. Plot When a circus arrives to town, it features its famous attractions, including "''The Great Barko and His Famous Acr ...

'', ''Droopy's Good Deed'', '' Droopy's Double Trouble'', ''Caballero Droopy'', ''The Three Little Pups'', ''Drag-A-Long Droopy'', ''Homesteader Droopy'', '' Dixieland Droopy'', ''Deputy Droopy'', ''Grin and Share It'', ''Blackboard Jumble'', ''One Droopy Knight'', ''Sheep Wrecked'', ''Mutts About Racing'', ''Droopy Leprechaun'') *

(1943, 1945–1946, 1955; enthusiastic screaming in ''Dumb-Hounded'', ''The Shooting of Dan McGoo'', ''

'', ''

'', ''Deputy Droopy'') *

Pinto Colvig Vance DeBar Colvig Sr. (September 11, 1892 – October 3, 1967), known professionally as Pinto Colvig, was an American voice actor, cartoonist, and circus and vaudeville performer whose schtick was playing the clarinet off-key while mugging. Co ...

(1945; howling in ''The Shooting of Dan McGoo'' (reused from ''

'')) *

(1949–1950, 1956, 1989–1993, 1997; ''Wags to Riches'', ''The Chump Champ'', ''Millionaire Droopy'', '' Hanna-Barbera's 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration'', ''

'', '' Tom and Jerry: The Movie'', ''

'',

bumpers) *

(1955; ''Deputy Droopy'') *

Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American actor who specializes in voice acting. He began his career in the 1960s, and held around 850 film, television, and video game credits as of 2020, making him one of the most prolific v ...

(1980, 2002; ''

'', '' Scooby Month'' promotion) * Richard Williams (1988–1989; ''

'', ''

'') *

Corey Burton Corey Burton is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transformers'', Brainiac in the DC Animated Universe, Count Dooku and Cad Bane in ...

(1990, 1993; ''

'', ''

'') *

Billy West William Richard Werstine (born 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor, comedian, radio personality, impressionist and musician. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'', the title characte ...

(1996–1997; ''

The Tex Avery Show ''The Tex Avery Show'' is an American animated showcase series of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. cartoon shorts prominently by animator Tex Avery (a.k.a. Fred Avery). In between the shorts, Don Kennedy gives short facts about the cartoons ...

'' promotion, '' Bloopers of the Cartoon Stars'') *

Marc Silk Marc Silk (born 14 September 1972) is a British voice actor. Career During his school years, Silk was a quiet student who was aspiring for creativity. He presented a mock radio show for his media course, in which he performed an "unusual mix" ...

(1997; Cartoon Network bumpers) *

(1999–2010, 2017–present; '' Thanks a Latté'', ''

Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes This is a list of feature-length films of the ''Tom and Jerry'' franchise. Theatrical films Direct-to-video films All direct-to-video films are produced by Turner Entertainment Co. and Warner Bros. Animation. ''Tom and Jerry: The Magic R ...

'', '' Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'', ''

Tom & Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, 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 ...

'') *Daren Tillinger (2001; '' Web Premiere Toons'') *

Jeff Bennett Jeff Bennett (born October 2, 1962) is an American voice actor. He voiced the titular character of ''Johnny Bravo'', Dexter and Dee Dee's Dad in ''Dexter's Laboratory'', List of The Powerpuff Girls characters#Ace, Ace, List of The Powerpuff Gi ...

(2002; '' Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring'') *

(2003–2004; '' Cartoon Network NBA All-Star Slam'', ''

'') *

Joe Alaskey Joseph Francis Alaskey III (April 17, 1952 – February 3, 2016) was an American actor and comedian. He was one of Mel Blanc's successors at the Warner Bros. Animation studio until his death. He alternated with Jeff Bergman, Greg Burson, Ji ...

(2004, 2010–2016;

UK and Ireland bumpers, ''

Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz This is a list of feature-length films of the ''Tom and Jerry'' franchise. Theatrical films Direct-to-video films All direct-to-video films are produced by Turner Entertainment Co. and Warner Bros. Animation. ''Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ri ...

'', '' Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse'', ''

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name. Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tom'' (1973 film), or ''The Bad Bunch'', a blaxploitation film * ''Tom'' (2002 film) ...

'', '' Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest'', '' Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz'') * Don Brown (2006; ''

'' (season 1)) *

Michael Donovan Michael Donovan is a Canadian voice actor and director. Filmography Television Film Video games Anime *''Dragon Ball''Master Roshi *'' Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies''Penny's father, Master Roshi *'' Dragon Warrior'' - Ado ...

(2007; ''Tom and Jerry Tales'' (season 2)) *

Joey D'Auria Joey D'Auria is an American actor, and writer best known for his role as Bozo the Clown in ''The Bozo Show'', succeeding original actor Bob Bell. He is also known as J.W. Terry, Joseph J. Terry, and Joseph W. Terry. Career D'Auria is best kno ...

(2018; '' The Tom and Jerry Show'') Voiced by in unofficial material: *

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...

(2009, 2014, 2017; ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...

'') *

Jim Meskimen James Ross ”Jim” Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist. He has appeared in films for director Ron Howard, as well as films by Paul Thomas Anderson and Garry Marshall. He has also been the voice ...

(2012; '' Mad'')

Filmography

The Droopy cartoons were directed by

(1943–1955), Dick Lundy (1952),

Michael Lah Michael Richard Lah (September 1, 1912 – October 13, 1995) was an American animator of Slovene origin. He is best remembered for his work at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio, primarily as a member of Tex Avery's animation unit. He first w ...

(1955–1958) and

and

(1956), at the

in Hollywood, California. All cartoons were released to theaters by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Fred Quimby Frederick Clinton Quimby (July 31, 1886 – September 16, 1965) was an American animation producer and journalist best known for producing the ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoon series, for which he won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Films ...

was the producer of the first 17 cartoons from 1943 to 1955. Quimby retired in 1955 and from 1956 to 1958, Hanna and Barbera produced the cartoons until MGM closed the cartoon studio in 1957, and the last cartoon was released in 1958. Most of these cartoons were produced in the standard

Academy ratio The Academy ratio of 1.375:1 (abbreviated as 1.37:1) is an aspect ratio (image), aspect ratio of a film frame, frame of 35 mm movie film, 35 mm film when used with negative pulldown, 4-perf pulldown.Monaco, James. ''How to Read a Film: The A ...

(1.37:1); seven cartoons were produced in widescreen

format only. Like any other studio, MGM reissued and edited its cartoons when re-released to theaters. Many pre-1951 cartoons were reissued with Perspecta Sound, which was introduced in 1954. MGM also reissued its cartoons before the introduction of Perspecta Sound. Because of the

1965 MGM vault fire On August 10, 1965, a fire erupted in Vault 7, a storage facility at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio (MGM) backlot (now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, California. It was caused by an electrical short that ignited flammable stored nitrate ...

, only backup prints of pre-1951 MGM cartoons exist.

Cameos

Home media

*Seven Droopy shorts on VHS as ''The Adventures of Droopy'' released in 1989. *Six Droopy shorts on VHS as ''Here Comes Droopy!'' released on October 10, 1990. *Four Droopy shorts on VHS as ''Droopy and Company'' released on February 29, 1992. *Seventeen Droopy shorts on LaserDisc as ''The Compleat Tex Avery'' released on January 13, 1993. *On May 15, 2007,

Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...

released all of Droopy's MGM cartoons on DVD as ''Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection'', complete and uncut. The seven Droopy cartoons produced in CinemaScope were released in their original widescreen versions, instead of the

pan and scan Pan and scan is a film editing technique used to modify widescreen images for display on a fullscreen screen. It involves cropping the sides of the original widescreen image and panning across it when the shot's focus changes. This cropping c ...

versions regularly broadcast on television.Back of DVD box for ''Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection''. *On February 18, 2020, four Droopy shorts appeared uncut and digitally restored in HD on ''

Tex Avery Screwball Classics ''Tex Avery Screwball Classics'' is a series of single-disc Blu-ray and DVD sets by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Warner Archive unit collecting various theatrical cartoons from animation director Tex Avery during his tenure at the Metro-Goldw ...

: Volume 1'' Blu-ray from

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

. An additional six Droopy cartoons appeared uncut and digitally restored on ''Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 2'' released on December 15, 2020. An additional five Droopy cartoons appeared uncut and digitally restored on ''Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 3'' released on October 5, 2021. These cartoons can also be found as extras on DVDs of classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films of the period: *''

'' is on the DVD of ''

Thrill of a Romance ''Thrill of a Romance'' (also known as ''Thrill of a New Romance'') is an American Technicolor romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by Tommy D ...

'' *''

'' is on the DVD of ''

Courage of Lassie ''Courage of Lassie'' is a 1946 American Technicolor MGM feature film featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Morgan, and dog actor Pal. Plot A young adult collie who is a descendant of Lassie is taken in by Kathie Merrick (Elizabeth Taylor) after bei ...

'' *'' Wags to Riches'' is on the DVD of ''

The Barkleys of Broadway ''The Barkleys of Broadway'' is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film from the Arthur Freed unit at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that reunited Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers after ten years apart. Directed by Charles Walters, the screenplay is ...

'' *''Senor Droopy'' is on the DVD of ''

That Midnight Kiss ''That Midnight Kiss'' is a 1949 Technicolor American musical romance film also starring Mario Lanza (in his first leading role) and Kathryn Grayson. Among the supporting cast were Ethel Barrymore, conductor/pianist Jose Iturbi (playing himself) ...

'' *''Out Foxed'' is on the DVD of ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' (; ), commonly known as simply ''Madame Bovary'', is the début novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond he ...

'' *''The Chump Champ'' is on the DVD of ''

Pagan Love Song ''Pagan Love Song'' is a 1950 American romantic musical film released by MGM and starring Esther Williams and Howard Keel. Set in Tahiti, it was based on the novel ''Tahiti Landfall'' by William S. Stone. It was the first major role for Rita Mo ...

'' *'' Droopy's Double Trouble'' is on the DVD of ''

Royal Wedding ''Royal Wedding'' is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Stanley Donen, and starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell, with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Set in 1947 London at the time of the wedding of Princess ...

'' *'' Dixieland Droopy'' is on the DVD of ''

The Long, Long Trailer ''The Long, Long Trailer'' is a 1954 American Anscocolor road comedy film based on a novel of the same name written by Clinton Twiss in 1951 about a couple who buy a new travel trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States.'' V ...

'' *''Blackboard Jumble'' is on the DVD of ''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brook ...

'' *''Millionaire Droopy'' is on the DVD of ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply Society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth, power, fame and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open ...

'' *''Deputy Droopy'' is on the DVD of ''

It's Always Fair Weather ''It's Always Fair Weather'' is a 1955 American Musical film, musical romantic comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. The film was scripted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, who also wrote the show's lyrics, with music by André P ...

'' *''The Three Little Pups'' is on the DVD of ''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. The plot follows an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will revive his career, but the play ...

References

External links

Tex Avery Tribute Website
at

Don Markstein's Toonopedia Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

Archived
from the original on May 5, 2016. {{Hanna-Barbera Animated film series MGM cartoon characters Animated characters introduced in 1943 Film characters introduced in 1943 Film series introduced in 1943 Anthropomorphic dogs Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films Comedy film characters Comedy television characters Male characters in animated films Characters created by Tex Avery Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio film series Tom and Jerry characters Slapstick comedy

History

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Later appearances

Voice actors

Filmography

Cameos

Home media

See also

References

External links