The door opens. A skeleton steps out. “A skeleton,” it answers.
Another skeleton steps out.
The pun is so obvious here (except for people who have never heard of comedian Red Skelton), I don't need to mention it.
In the MGM cartoon Who Killed Who? (1942), Tex Avery and uncredited writer Rich Hogan have come up with a fine send-up of murder mysteries, making fun of a pile of movie clichés, with Scott Bradley adding a solo organ score like you might hear on a radio detective story.
There are no credited animators.
Seemed to be a pretty popular quip in that era. Shemp Howard said in one of The Stooges' " Old Dark House " type shorts " Oh look.....it's Red Skelton ! ".
ReplyDeleteI remember that - the Stooges encounter a skeleton who introduces himself as "Red." And I recall Skelton published a book of scary stories, entitled "A Red Skel(e)ton in Your Closet."
DeleteWas that the one with Shemp and the talking knight?
DeleteYou should try and compare this to Screen Gem's Vitamin G-Man, which came out earlier that year. Vitamin G-Man is like this cartoon, but not as funny to Avery's take on the murder mystery clichés.
ReplyDelete"Groovy Ghoulies" swiped that gag nearly 30 years later.
ReplyDelete