Today's Radio Reference

Radio references found their way into countless cartoons (well, I guess you could count them, but it would take a while). Some were indirect (ie. having a character do a spoof of the Lucky Strike tobacco auctioneers), some were borrowed catchphrases (ie. “hmmm...could be!”), and some were direct takeoffs or impressions of personalities on the air, like Jack Benny, the Great Gildersleeve, Jerry Colonna and many more.

Here’s an example from the Columbia cartoon Tooth or Consequences (1947). Yes, the title is a play on Ralph Edwards’ audience participation show but that’s not what I’m referring to.

This is a short starring the Fox and Crow, the latter heckles the former. In this plot by Cal Howard, the crow has decided to pretend to be a dentist to harass the dimwit fox. He tells the fox to open his mouth wider, and wider, and wider, creaking every time it opens. The fox looks at whomever is actually watching this cartoon, points and says “Inner Sanctum” and then laughs and pokes his head at the camera.



“Inner Sanctum” was a dramatic anthology show that opened with a squeaking door. It lasted on radio until 1952.

Howard Swift directed the short, with Grant Simmons and Paul Sommer getting animation credits and Darrell Calker coming up with another score that could fit in a Dick Lundy Woody Woodpecker short.

For some reason, Frank Graham is not voicing either character for a change. I can’t tell if Will Wright is sped-up and doing the crow. The fox has the same dullard voice as the dog in Kitty Caddy and Up N’ Atom (also released in 1947) as well as Meathead in the MGM Screwy Squirrel cartoons.

Today’s coincidence: Cal Howard later went to work for Ralph Edwards on Truth or Consequences.