Curious Puppy Backgrounds

Paul Julian is probably known best for his background art seen in cartoons directed by Friz Freleng after World War Two. However, he worked on Warner Bros. cartoons before then. Julian was Chuck Jones’ background artist before leaving the studio to paint murals as part of the war effort.

Julian’s work wasn’t given screen credit then. All background artists at the studio suffered the same fate. One of the shorts he worked on was The Curious Puppy, a 1939 effort. Jones put two dogs in several cartoons that may have been his version of Disney’s Pluto. They don’t talk. They react to situations. This cartoon has a lot of doggie head-shaking.

The Curious Puppy was released many years ago on laser disc. Fortunately, Strummer has sent me a restored copy and the colours are much brighter than on the murky disc.

Here is some of Julian’s art from this cartoon.

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This was the last cartoon from the Jones unit to be released in 1940. Julian was soon gone, replaced by Gene Fleury in February 1941. The layouts for this short were by John McGrew, who told historian Mike Barrier he became Jones’ layout artist in 1939 and Julian began to paint the backgrounds. Julian revealed to Barrier that McGrew provided “small color sketches I would turn into backgrounds.” You can get an idea of McGrew’s and Julian’s creativity from the frames above.

Mutiny on the Bunny Backgrounds

Paul Julian was a master of highlights and shadows in his background paintings for the Friz Freleng unit at Warner Bros.

Here is some of his work in Mutiny on the Bunny (released in 1950). First is a long background that was panned in the opening.



A few more. Some of Hawley Pratt's layouts have the audience look up at the action.



The short was copyrighted in 1948, so you can see how long it took for some cartoons to be released.

Knights Must Fall Backgrounds

Paul Julian’s audience members look like they belong in a UPA cartoon, not a Warner Bros. short. But that’s what you can spot in Knights Must Fall.

I couldn’t get the colours to match so the pan of the background has been split in two.



By the time this cartoon was released in 1949, Julian was already at UPA.

Rabbit Every Monday Background

A not-too-well snipped together background of the opening pan from Rabbit Every Monday (1951). The rotisserie, etc., are on cels over top of the background.



This is the work of Paul Julian.

The Devil You Say

A pan to the right reveals the Devil reading and lighting a cigarette on a nearby flame at the start of the Private Snafu short Hot Spot (1945).



Friz Freleng cuts to a closer shot and you’ll see something on the cave wall that isn’t in the pan shot—a woman with her breasts exposed. That’ll keep those military boys awake!

Paul Julian is likely responsible for the background from a layout from Hawley Pratt. Hal Peary, the Great Gildersleeve, plays the Devil.

Baseball Bugs Backgrounds

Mike Maltese may have been a security guard in You Ought To Be in Pictures (1940), but in Baseball Bugs (1945), he’s a detective. Well, on the wall out of the outfield fence, anyways.

Maltese wrote the cartoon but Paul Julian is responsible for the ads in the background.

Here’s Bugs (in a hole in the outfield?). There’s an ad I can’t snip together with this compilation frame grab for “Tudor Boy.” I can’t explain the other ads except for “Filboid Studge.” It’s from the short story Filboid Studge, the Story of a Mouse That Helped by H. H. Munro. I love how Bugs has his carrot in a hot dog bun. Is this Virgil Ross’ animation?



The next background fits in an inside reference to Virgil Ross. Do I need to explain Camuels? “Lausbub” is a German word. I found a reference to it in a number of old New York City newspapers which gave the translation as “prankster” or a “lousy boy.” See how educational cartoons are?



Oddly, the background changes when a Gas House Gorilla is on the mound. We never see enough of the background to know what word ends in “albo.”



Who needs rum and Coca-Cola when you can have Rum Cola? Note the little bottom trail on the “a” like Coke uses.



A Cal Dalton inside joke.



A Calvert dry gin parody next to more Filboid Studge.



A building across the street from the back of the Polo Grounds (which look more like Yankee Stadium) reads “Julius Food” something. I suspect Julian is making fun of his own name.



Could this be a switch on the RKO Theatre? The buildings are stylised, kind of a proto-UPA (which is where Julian ended up after leaving Warner Bros.).



Gerry Chiniquy’s thin-headed, cross-eyed version of Bugs can be seen in some scenes, and Manny Perez and Ken Champin also animated in this very fine cartoon by Friz Freleng. Frank Graham and Bea Benaderet join Mel Blanc in providing voices, and Tedd Pierce briefly appears as one of the Gorillas. If you’re wondering, the music over the opening titles is Sousa’s Sabre and Spurs March, and we get to hear Ahi Viene La Conga as well.

Paul Julian Rides Again

“Bugs Bunny Rides Again” is about as perfect a cartoon as Friz Freleng ever made. It’s packed with funny scenes and dialogue from start to finish.

Here are some of Paul Julian’s backgrounds. What a shame the full, long paintings don’t exist any more. There’s a beautiful interior of the saloon that’s quickly panned (the frame with the piano below part of it) I’d love to study.



Is that “Slosburg Harness”? Any idea who’s being referenced? How about Josiah Cheever?



P.J. (Paul Julian) to the left of Bugs. Mike Maltese, 1870, Friz Freleng and Tedd Pierce to the right. 1870? Virgil Ross is the animator.



This town ain’t big enough for the two of us! It ain’t?



Now is it big enough?



Ken Champin reference.



Hawley Pratt (feed), Bill Melendez (bulqueria) and Gerry Chiniquy (blacksmith) references. Sam’s expression as he dances off, stage right, is an all-time classic.



Manny Perez doesn’t rate a background reference. Neither does Virgil, it seems.

Hidden Jones and Freleng

Friz Freleng’s “All Abir-r-r-d” doesn’t just have references to staff members in the opening (see this post) but during the baggage car scenes.



Here’s a parcel sent by Mel Blanc to “Fred Fraling.” I can only imagine the variety of ways people mispronounced Friz Freleng’s name. The cartoon studio was at 1351 North Van Ness.



Here’s a crate for another resident of 1351 N. Van Ness—one C. Martin Jones. I suspect you know which cartoon director he is.



The trunk is on its way to Friz Freleng of Pratt Falls, Wisconsin. There may not be a Pratt Falls, but there is a Hawley Pratt who laid out this cartoon.



The label on the green case reads “Tedd Pierce.” Pierce wrote the cartoon. The rest of the label isn’t very readable but it says “Low” and “Nevada.” I presume it’s a Las Vegas/Low Wages gag. I can’t read the label on the red hat box.



“Anyone can ? this one for free”.



Gower Gulch was the nickname of the area at Gower and Sunset, not all that far from the Warner Bros. cartoon studio. At one time, it’s where cowboys hung out to get work as extras in silent westerns.

The inside jokes are again from the brush of background artist Paul Julian.