The two writers had been employed at one time on Warner Bros. cartoons, noted for inside references hidden in the background art. We find the same thing in this short.
The broken-window rooming house behind Ronny the dog is the Lovy Arms, named for Alex Lovy, who directed this cartoon. As Lovy had no hair, maybe he was the inspiration for Baldy’s Beanery.
The sign behind the stairwell is for a bindery, “H. Binder Prop.” Henry Binder co-produced this cartoon with Ray Katz, Leon Schlesinger’s brother-in-law. The two had been in Schlesinger’s employ until he sold his cartoon studio to Warner Bros. in 1944.
Al Boggs painted the backgrounds from Jim Carmichael’s layouts. Grant Simmons, Paul Sommer, Chic Otterstrom and Jay Sarbry were the credited animators.
Mohr's narration is what puts this cartoon over the top for me; it's a real shame this was one of his few bits of cartoon work.
ReplyDeleteGreat cartoon noir! Did Mohr squeeze this in at Columbia between Lone Wolf assignments?
ReplyDeleteHe was doing radio work as well. I think that probably kept him busiest.
DeleteI think that's right. Between 1948 and 1950, Mohr played the lead in CBS' "The Adventures of Philip Marlowe" (a great series), and the series was revived for the summer of 1951. Granted, Mohr was also in the film "Gilda" in 1946, which may have partially informed "Flora," as well as the "Lone Wolf" series, as well as a lot of spot radio work. I'd say, though, he was possibly better known for the radio work, as you say. (He wasn't in 1944's "Laura," a classic film noir that was another source for this cartoon.)
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