Great Big Bunch of Used

There’s no gang rescuing the girl for the hero in A Great Big Bunch of You but just about all the Harman-Ising clichés of 1932 show up in this cartoon. It’s your basic “everything comes to life and sings and dances” short.

Celebrity Takeoffs
The discarded department store mannequin portrays Maurice Chevalier, Ted “Is Everybody Happy” Lewis, borrows Walter Winchell’s “magic carpet” and “Okay, America!” from the Lucky Strike radio show of that period, and then sprouts curly red hair and plays the harp like a certain Marx brother.



Slide Step
I’ve lost track of how many cartoons had characters do that little stomp/slide step dance. Hugh and Rudy even had Cubby Bear do it in the cartoon they made for Van Beuren. The dummy does it in this one three times.



Chirping Female Chorus
The Rhythmettes (as identified by Keith Scott) showed up throughout the 1930s at a number of cartoon studios. Here they are mannequins.



Whoops My Dears!
This time the gay character is a cuckoo clock bird.



So Long, Folks!
Tom McKimson and Ham Hamilton are the credited animators.



By the way, the title is from a Harry Warren/Mort Dixon song copyrighted on May 6, 1932.

Rochester in Vancouver

Eddie Anderson was greeted thunderously wherever he went, whether on-tour with Jack Benny and other members of the radio cast or on his own.

In 1948 Anderson stopped in Vancouver for several weeks of appearances at the city’s number-one supper club, The Cave. All the papers covered his arrival and a few side-events as well. He made a public appearance at a kids swimming club, dropped by a local speedway and planned to do some fishing as well.

We’ll pass along some stories from the largest daily of the time, the Province (the Vancouver Sun and Vancouver News-Herald sent reporters out on the Rochester beat as well). The first is from July 5th, the second from July 9th and the third from July 17th. The second one may be the best. It’s funny enough some chap near Nanaimo and Dundas (a working-class section of the city in those days) owned a Maxwell but it’s more amusing the car wouldn’t work. Unfortunately there was no photo. The radio station referred to in the story was not the one that broadcast the Benny show, by the way.

The first story reveals Anderson and his wife (and the entourage, I would imagine) stayed at the city’s top hotel.

COMEDIAN MUM ON HIS PAY
‘Rochester’ Won't Tell on Benny’
By CLYDE GILMOUR
Eddie Anderson, the "Rochester" of the Jack Benny radio show, grinningly held three Vancouver reporters at bay today and refused to disclose how much Benny pays him.
"It wouldn't be ethical, it would spoil the gag," the croak-voiced Negro comedian told a press conference in Hotel Vancouver, where he and his wife are staying. Mr. Anderson is here to play a singing-dancing-clowning engagement opening tonight in the Cave Supper Club. He's on tour with an all-Negro revue during the summer radio layoff.
One newsman told Rochester he had read somewhere that Benny's radio valet-chauffeur gets $1000 a week for his contributions to the popular NBC program. Rochester shook his head and chuckled hoarsely.
"Uh-uh," he said, sounding exactly like Rochester on the radio. "That wouldn't be right. I'm not sayin', either. In the show Mr. Benny, is supposed, to be stingy with his employees, and I'm not gonna louse that up talking big money."
However, the natty 42-year-old entertainer mentioned casually that he owns five racehorses and a Lincoln car, and it takes no special intuition to figure out that he's doing all right.
Eddie Anderson has been Benny's imaginary right-hand-man for 11 years.
LONG TIME WED
"Funny, it only seems like 11 years," he cracked, following the remark with another . raspy chuckle; How long has he been married? "Well, we got a boy 19 years old, and he wasn't at the wedding." Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.
Rochester reported that it's quite fantastic the way many people believe everything they hear on a radio comedy show. For instance, thousands really think Jack Benny keeps a tame polar bear named Carmichael.
SOURCE OF GROWLS
Incidentally, Carmichael's heart-stopping growls are produced, according to Rochester, by Mel Blanc, the hundred-voiced fellow who also does Bugs Bunny.
"Next thing for me, I'm a motion picture director," Rochester confined. "Got me an outfit called Rochester Productions, and I'll direct a film called 'A Studio Murder.' It will have a mixed cast, too—not all-Negro."
He said Benny is "a nice guy to work for." But he's not Benny's valet. Not really. Heck, Rochester has a valet of his own. And very good, too.

ROCHESTER HELPS CAMPAIGN
Gag Backfires, But Maxwell Won't
By CLYDE GILMOUR
They dug up an honest-to-gosh Maxwell for "Rochester" today in Vancouver—but the engine wouldn't start when he tried to drive it.
At the city motor vehicle inspection station at Bidwell and Georgia, the good-natured Negro comedian did his stuff amid a blaze of camera flashguns to mark the official opening of a drive-safely campaign held by the Vancouver Traffic and Safety Council.

For the occasion, officials borrowed a real, made-in-1924 Maxwell car owned by Vincent Leo, 2508 Dundas. Mr. Leo, a carpenter, has had it for several years and uses it every day, even though it closely resembles the mythical, broken-down Maxwell driven by Rochester in the Jack Benny radio show.
Rochester, performing nightly at the Cave Supper Club, hadn't got to bed until 5 a.m. As a result he was 38 minutes late arriving for the "ceremony," set for 11.
Someone shut off the sweetly purring Maxwell engine a few minutes before the frog-voiced comic arrived. That did it. They couldn't start it again; and had to substitute manpower for four cylinders when the gag got under way.
Rochester, resplendent in a natty grey suit with dark sun-goggles, white straw hat and brilliant hand-painted tie, munched a big cigar and said traffic safety is a good idea, he's all for it.
He chatted amiably with four young admirers, honor guests at the campaign opening. They were members of Vancouver's diligent Schoolboy Safety Patrol, which has 1200 members in 41 schools under supervision of Constables Jack McKinnon and Alf Simons of the city police force.
Chosen for the ceremony were Ronnie and Donnie Johnson, 11-year-old Negro twins; Eddie Smith, 11, and Peter Dolman 12, all of Seymour school, which has had an outstanding record for successful patrol work.
Tall, jolly Inspector Harry S. Gray, in charge of the inspection station, pretended to rebuke Rochester for reckless driving, but burst out laughing before he could finish.
A recorded broadcast of today's campaign opening, including remarks by Rochester, will be given over CKMO at 6:45 p.m. Saturday.

Radio Stars Stud Bill At Minority Group Meet
Jack Benny's stooge "Rochester" who rose to fame on a two-minute Sunday night telephone conversation didn't run overtime Friday as guest speaker.
The gravel-voiced comedian told members of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Colored People that a Hollywood group was being formed to present more pictures starring minority groups in the near future.
He then rasped out a swift "thanks for the free lunch" and sat down.
Singer Ivy Anderson, former soloist with Duke Ellington's orchestra, said racial groups in the U.S. need individual convincing that they are entitled to live, work and enjoy their native land.
"We've got to keep fighting," chimed in Lilian Randolph, better known as "Birdie" on the Gildersleeve radio program and "Madam Queen" on the Amos and Andy show.

More and Better Cartoons!

Who made the best cartoons in 1952?

The correct answer is—Tex Avery. At least according to a survey by Boxoffice magazine in its edition of January 31, 1953.

The trade publication conducted an annual poll about short subjects, and while some live-action series made the list, cartoons were at the top.

The magazine put “Tom and Jerry” as the number-one series, though it used that as an umbrella name for all MGM cartoons. On the list of individual shorts, the Tom and Jerry cartoon The Two Mouseketeers was fourth. Number one and two were Car of Tomorrow and One Cab's Family. Compare that with the nominees for the Academy Award. The Avery cartoons weren’t on the list. Mouseketeers won.

We’ll reprint the article below. You may find the reference to “Bugs Bunny Specials” puzzling, because Warners released Bugs as part of the Merrie Melodies series (though he did get special opening title animation). But the trades always referred to both Bugs and the Blue Ribbon releases as separate series.

Evidently exhibitors weren’t all that enamoured with the one-shot UPA cartoons, though the Motion Picture Academy doted on them. Yet a Terry Bears cartoon made the list. Take that, pretentious studio!

And while various watchdog groups simply hated the Three Stooges being shown on television later in the decade, theatre owners thought they were great for business.

Sadly, less than six weeks after two of Tex’s cartoons were lauded by Boxoffice, his unit was disbanded at MGM.

Cartoons Lead Short Subject Parade
By VELMA WEST SYKES
SEE-SAWING back and forth between MGM Cartoons and Warner’s “Bugs Bunny” Specials, for first place in the series popularity of our annual shorts poll, still goes on. In this season’s poll of exhibitors to determine the relative popularity of short subjects, both as to series and singles, MGM Cartoons (which include Tom & Jerry) came in ahead. “Bugs Bunny” ran a close second and this is a reversal of last year’s results but parallels those of the year before. So far there has been no other serious contender for these two top positions.

However, the Woody Woodpecker Cartunes squawked up to third place this year, one notch higher than on any previous poll. This series drew several comments on ballots, such as this one from an Illinois exhibitor: “Patrons seem to enjoy the Woody Woodpecker comedies best of all.” And an Arkansas exhibitor singled out one of its late last year’s subjects for this remark: “ ‘Sling Shot 6 7/8’ had more laughs than I can remember.”
A little back-checking shows that Tom & Jerry started in 1940, and that “Bugs Bunny” as a character began cavorting in cartoons about the same time. By the 1943-44 season, he had also become the titular head of a series.
It is significant that the three top winners on the series list are “animal” cartoons, also that the top five on the same list are cartoons—in case you want to take it from there. Checking this scoreboard further, we find Warner Bros. is ahead numerically among series winners, having produced three of the top ten. MGM, Columbia and RKO have two each, U-I and Paramount one each.
Popeye Cartoons (Para), which came up to fourth position last year from sixth the year before, maintained that place in this year’s poll, but Disney Cartoons (RKO), which had been in third place for two years in the balloting, dropped back to the number-five position. Yet a Montana exhibitor wrote: “The name, Disney, and the True Life Adventures are better drawing cards than the features.”
The Pete Smith Specialities (MGM) lead in the live action field, taking sixth place in the series vote. The Stooge Comedies (Col) follow in seventh position. Merrie Melodies-Looney Tunes (WB) moved up one and tied for eighth place with Mr. Magoo (Col). Mr. Magoo, in case you haven’t noticed, placed on the poll for the first time—probably in his familiar, near-sighted fashion, just learning that a poll is carried on.
The Joe McDoakes Comedies (WB) moved up from tying for tenth position last year to ninth place in this year’s poll. Disney’s True Life Adventure (RKO) took tenth place on the best-ten list, but this series is only about three years old and had never placed before, so it seems to be growing in program importance.
The picture changes somewhat when we come to the study of the ten best single shorts, as indicated by the poll. Here MGM product wins first, second and fourth place. Disney’s True Life Adventure, “The Olympic Elk” (RKO), took third place on the singles.
RKO’s Special called “Here Comes the band” took fifth place. Sixth place for single shorts went to “Deep Boo Sea,” a Paramount Casper Cartoon, and this company also had a Grantland Rice Sportlight tied for tenth place, “Riding’ the Rails.”
The 20th Century-Fox Terrytoon, “Papa’s Little Helpers,” tied for seventh among the singles with Universal’s two-reeler, “Knights of the Highway,” tied for tenth place in the single-shorts poll. “Land of the Trembling Earth,” a Technicolor Special, a Warner Bros. product, was given eighth place and Columbia received ninth place for “Pest Man Wins,” a Stooge Comedy.
Comments were varied, and for the most part, brief. However, one South Carolina exhibitor evidently wanted to get this off his chest:
“One look at your list of product on the ballot will show what’s wrong with ‘program fillers.’ There is too much junk (I mean just that!) pushed onto the exhibitor, and there are far too few cartoons.
“We play, on the average, four changes per week and I find it impossible to play a new cartoon each change. I have to go back and pick up second run (not reissues), and so far as I know, there’s only one series I’m not playing.
“If Hollywood producers would concentrate on more and better cartoons and use their facilities in the production of these, they would be doing themselves and the exhibitor quite a favor. I do not mean there should be no other shorts. A few good ones are a help, to wit, Disney’s True Life Adventures.”
Other comments of a critical nature include these: “No originality in the production of shorts year after year.” (Va.) ... “We need more two-reel live action comedies.” (N.D.) ... “The biggest fault in the cartoon business is the reissue product.” (Calif.) ... “I really get some patched up cartoons.” (La.) Further selected comments were in praise of certain types of single shorts played recently, which pleased extra well:
“ ‘The Guest’ (20th-Fox featurette) pleased the adult trade more than any ever run in this theatre.” (Mont.) ... This appreciation of a serious short was followed by “Cartoons and comedies are favorites of all patrons.” (Minn.) ... “Tom & Jerry are the best we can put on our screen.” (Iowa) ... “The Tom & Jerry and ‘Bugs Bunny’ are the best-liked cartoons. Gil Lamb, I believe, had the best-liked two-reelers. (Iowa.)
“Color cartoons are probably the most successful for all kids from six to 50 years old.” (Wyo.) ... “The little skunk in ‘Little Beau Pepe’ has a French accent and is a riot. This character is becoming very popular.” (Ill.)
The Stooge Comedies were all good, clean pictures liked by both adults and children.” (Okla.) ... “Tweety Pie, Tom & Jerry, ‘Bugs Bunny’ and Stooges Comedies are the biggest favorites here and most requested.” (Tex.) ... “Tom & Jerry Cartoons are tops in this theatre.” (Ill.) ... “We get good comment on ‘Little Rascals.’” (Kas.) ... “Any Tom & Jerry would qualify as best.” (Mo.) ... “Cartoons hold our top place for consistency.” (Ark.)
And then there’s this comment from a Texas exhibitor, as expansive as the bigness of his state seems to call for: “All product this year was good.”

The Ten Best Short Series
1—Tom & Jerry (MGM) [including Tex Avery cartoons]
2—“Bugs Bunny” Specials (WB)
3—Woody Woodpecker Cartunes (U-I)
4—Popeye Cartoons (Para)
5—Disney Cartoons (RKO)
6—Pete Smith Specialties (MGM)
7—Stooges Comedies (Col)
8—Merrie Melodies – Looney Tunes (WB)
Mr. Magoo (Col)
9—Joe McDoakes Comedies (WB)
10—True Life Adventures (RKO)

The Ten Best Shorts
1—Car of Tomorrow (Cartoon) MGM
2—One Cab's Family (Cartoon) MGM
3—The Olympic Elk (True Life Adventure) RKO
4—The Two Mouseketeers (Tom & Jerry) MGM
5—Here Comes the Band (Special) RKO
6—Deep Boo Sea (Casper Cartoon) Para
7—Papa’s Little Helpers (Terrytoon) 20th-Fox
Danger Under the Sea (Two-reel Special) U-I
8—Land of the Trembling Earth (Technicolor Special) WB
9—Pest Man Wins (Stooge Comedy) Col
10—Ridin’ the Rails (Grantland Rice Sportlight) Para
Knights of the Highway (Two-reel Special) U-I

Waking a Bear

Anticipation drawing and extreme from The Unbearable Salesman, a 1957 Woody Woodpecker cartoon. Woody pounds on the door while the bear tries to sleep.



Bob Bentley and Les Kline are the only credited animators.

Pineapple is the Bomb

In How’s Crops? (1934), Cubby Bear and Cuddles take harvested produce like corn and turn it into fake unharvested produce (corn is glued onto a wiener or something and wrapped in brown paper). Naturally, they do it from some underground chamber accessed through a hollow tree stump.

I have a fondness for letter and punctuation formation gags. In this one, Cuddles paints TNT on a wall, Cubby rips the letters off and fashions them into sticks of dynamite, which he conceals in a fake pineapple that he uses as a hand grenade.



The grenade is lobbed toward the possum villain and his pick-up truck (which develops a face and starts sweating). Kaboom! Stolen vegetables go flying toward the camera. Two of them. This isn’t Disney, you know.



There’s some solid animation in this cartoon, directed by George Stallings. Steve Muffati gets the animation credit and since Gene Rodemich has been fired, Winston Sharples wrote the score (bereft of popular songs like Rodemich used). The raspy-voiced guy from the Tom and Jerry cartoons provides a few voices.

The Shows With a Gallop

It really was superfluous. Eventually, the TV networks figured it out.

In those great days of network radio, Andre Baruch would shout “Your Hit Parade!” Ken Carpenter did the same with “The Kraft Music Hall!” After all, on radio, you needed someone to introduce the programme.

On television, that was completely unnecessary. A title card could do the same thing. And you didn’t have to pay it every week or worry about it going on strike.

So what happened to the announcers? Frank Gallop answered that question. Gallop had been one of the big guns freelancing in New York. Here’s what he had to say in a story published November 12, 1957. There were still a few of them around on some TV shows, a leftover habit on series dominated by writers, performers and producers who had worked in radio.

Gallop Enjoys Role Of Being Mystery Man
By WILLIAM EWALD
United Press Writer
NEW YORK—The eyes have it since the advent of TV, but that doesn't mean the ears have had it.
So believes Frank Gallop, an announcer whose mellow tones have been caressing the nation's tympani for more than 20 years. Gallop, an alumnus of such radio shows as Milton Berle's, Gangbusters and the New York Philharmonic, currently works for television's Perry Como.
Gallop owns the mystery voice that booms out during the gag station breaks on the NBC-TV Como Show.
"Everybody keeps asking what's happened to the old-time announcer," said Gallop. "Well, the answer is nothing has happened to him. He's still with us on TV. The picture hasn't killed him at all. In fact, he's making more money than ever."
Work Is Harder
However, Gallop confesses TV has made work harder for the announcer. "You can take the Stella Dallas show I used to do on radio as an example," he said. "I'd walk into the studio 20 minutes before airtime, look ever my copy and that was it.
"On a television show like the Como hour, we work far harder. Unbelievably harder. There have been times when we've worked far into the night just blocking out camera moves."
Many of the new announcers spawned by TV are curly-haired, dimpled and darling, but Gallop points out that good looks alone won't sell a sponsor's product.
Belief Untrue

"One of the biggest fallacies about the television announcing business is the belief that we just walk out there, pick up a piece of paper and start reading and that's all there is to it," said Gallop.
"How untrue that belief is. You'll find that every successful announcer is the product of long years of work. A voice that has authority and ease is not something you can develop overnight.
"I can name you two handfuls of old-time announcers who are still working hard—fellows like Ben Grauer, Hugh James, Ed Herlihy, Don Wilson. I could tick off dozens more. They're working and will continue to work because they've labored long and hard to develop a flow that sounds effortless.
"That's why all the dimples and wavy hair in the world don't mean a thing if those looks aren't backed up with experience. That's why even 'Ghoul' Gallop goes on and on."
Ex-Bond Salesman
Gallop, a former bond salesman from Boston who got into the radio business in 1934, is rarely seen on camera on the Como Show. Strangely enough, he likes it that way.
"I have been seen on camera a couple of times, but frankly, I'd rather be kept way off in that unseen limbo or whatever you want to call it. There's a certain value to being a mystery person," he said.
"In fact, I think in this day of TV, it puts me in a kind of unique position—it's probably more valuable to be a mystery man on TV then it ever was on radio. I would be quite happy if the Como Show never showed my face again."

Ah, but Gallop did show his face again. The Como people took a page out of the Ed Wynn-Graham McNamee book. They made Gallop more than an announcer, he became part of the show.

The New York Daily News profiled his work with the Singing Barber in its Sunday feature second, November 4, 1962.

Frank Gallop doesn't say much, but his few words get lots of laughs and a nice income.
HIS SILENCE PAYS OFF
By BOB LARDINE
Perry Como's toughest job each week is trying to keep a straight face when his dandified announcer Frank Gallop gallops onto the set and says one word: "Rea-l-l-y!" Last year, Frank worked a little harder to break up the relaxed singer. He used three words: "Oh, come now!"
Frank's talent for putting Perry in stitches goes back to the time he started on the singer's popular nbc-tv show eight years ago. Somehow, Gallop's precise diction coupled with his penchant for sartorial splendor was enough to send Perry into a laughter spasm.
The natty spieler considers his job on the show as pure fun. "It's great to work for a guy like Perry," says Frank. "He's just as nice as everyone says he is. Perry's also just as relaxed as publicized. I remember a show four years ago when Perry had a group of Hollywood stars on as guests. They were all jittery before the program began, and one glamor gal asked Perry: 'Aren't you nervous?' Perry just chuckled: 'What's the use of being nervous? We'll be on the air in 20 seconds!'"
Ever since he first appeared on the Como show, Frank's been mistaken for an Englishman. He invariably wears a British bowler, and his speech seems to have been nurtured in the British Isles.
The announcer finds the whole concept "amusing." He says: "I was coming home last spring from Jamaica and was sitting next to an Englishman on the plane. We chatted a bit, and suddenly he blurted out: 'Are you English? No, I told him, I was born in the United States.
"We talked a bit more, and then he asked: 'Are you absolutely sure you're not English?"
Frank insists he was born and reared in Boston, and that his apprenticeship in a Beantown investment establishment accounts for his marked accent.
"But it's not an English accent," he says. "If you put me in London tomorrow, you'd know darn well I'm American. I'd be mistaken for an Englishman only as long as I kept my mouth closed."

The announcer confesses that he has worked diligently over the years to make his voice more commercial "I've eliminated certain inflections," he says. "If you had heard me 25 years ago, you might well wonder today how I stayed in this business."
But stay he has, and Frank's voice is one of the most easily identified on television. He rates David Ross, Ben Grauer, William B. Williams and Red Barber as being the top announcers in their fields.
"Ross voice is the greatest that radio and tv have ever known," says Frank. "It's rich and warm and has a fine tonal quality.
"Grauer boasts the most versatile voice in the industry. He can do anything from a symphony broadcast to a wrestling match.
"Williams' pleasing voice is just perfect for his job as disk jockey. He has style and manner, and uses an intelligent approach to his work.
"Barber's voice is one of authority. You accept and respect this man from the moment you tune in a sports broadcast."
In the 27 years that he has lent his mellifluous tones to radio and tv, Frank has performed such chores as announcing for the New York Philharmonic concerts, hosting the "Lights Out" and "Kraft Mystery Theatre" programs, and spieling the commercials on the Milton Berle telecasts.
During his show business career, Frank's paid close attention to his wearing apparel. As a result, he has gained the reputation of being one of tv's better dressed gentlemen.
"On the Como show," Frank says, "it's an important part of my character to dress meticulously. Off the air, I'm also very clothes-conscious. I have about two dozen suits, and they're all custom-tailored. I favor grays. I'm partial to cuff links and double-breasted vests, but I despise tie bars. I prefer to wear my cravats long and tuck them into the top of my trousers. I really don't follow current styles. I like to think I dress smartly conservative single-breasted, two-button suits. I rarely wear a hat, except for the bowler you see on the show. You say President Kennedy doesn't care too much for hats, either? Well, if I had his hair, I wouldn't even wear the bowler!"
Frank's quite content with his present television duties, and has only one ambition. "I'd love to have a show of my own," he laughs, "with Perry Como on every now and then as guest singer!"

In the 1960s, a few other long-time New York freelance announcers like Tony Marvin and Wesbrook Van Voorhis were finishing out their careers reading newscasts (about all that was left of regular network programming). Gallop scored a surprise hit by speak-singing a parody of “Big Bad John” called “The Ballad of Irving” in 1966 on the Kapp label. But by then, most newspaper stories where he is mentioned involve looking back on the old radio days. Gallop retired to Florida where he died in 1988 at the age of 87.

Where'd Those Guns Come From?

Yosemite Sam suddenly realises he’s dropping to Earth after Bugs Bunny ejected him from an airplane in Hare Lift (1952). He drops his guns and climbs through the air back into the plane.



“I’m-a takin’ over this flyin’ machine,” yells Sam as he leaps into the air.



Wait a minute! How did he get his guns back? And why doesn’t he have a holster for them? Oh, well, anything can happen in a cartoon.

Manny Perez, Ken Champin, Virgil Ross and Art Davis are the credited animators in this short by Friz Freleng’s unit.; I believe Warren Batchelder, Sid Farren and Sam Nicholson were assistants at the time.

The Same Old Stuff Over and Over

Red Riding Hood, the Wolf and Grandma complain to the narrator of Tex Avery’s Red Hot Riding Hood about Hollywood cartoon studios doing their story the same old way. The gripes end with Grandma shouting “It smells!” Here are some random frames by Ed Love. Great expressions and perspective animation.



“Okay, okay!” yells the narrator. Grandma is surprised her anger has provoked such displeasure from the narrator.



This is yet another cartoon you have to freeze frame to see Love at work. He has some character movement on twos, some on ones. He was still doing the same kind of thing with Mr. Jinks and other limited animated characters at Hanna-Barbera in 1959. Unfortunately he’s not credited on the cartoon, nor are Preston Blair and Ray Abrams, who animated with him.

The Cheese Vault

Routines familiar to fans of the Jack Benny TV and radio shows become animated in the Warner Bros. cartoon The Mouse That Jack Built (1959). Other than becoming rodentised (the characters are mice), the Benny bits are treated without much exaggeration or parody, unlike celebrity caricature cartoons of the 1930s.

The famous Benny vault bit makes an appearance in Tedd Pierce’s story. In this case, since we’re dealing with mice, Jack’s treasured valuables are cheese instead of money.



To stay safe, Jack trips all the anti-burglar devices before passing through. One is a guillotine. Jack stops and looks backs, then thinks about what could have happened before carrying on with his limp-wristed walk.



Next is a gun. Jack la-las the Warners song “We’re in the Money” along his journey.



Next is a mouse trap.



Finally, he reaches the vault. Just like on radio, the alarm is sounded when the door opens. Because we’re dealing with a 6½ minute cartoon instead of a 29½ minute radio show, the sound effects are reduced, though you’ll hear the Lifebuoy foghorn at the end.



Jack chats with Ed the guard (played by Mel Blanc instead of Joe Kearns, who did the radio version after Sandy Bickert left for New York). Otherwise, all the voices are handled by the radio/TV show actors.

The background artist in this cartoon is Bob Singer, a young artist at the time who was put into the McKimson unit, where a fellow named Bill Butler had been painting backgrounds. Not too long ago, Bob explained to me:

For the cartoon "The Mouse That Jack Built" I drew the Bg's of Jack's vault in colored pencil, the 1st time that Bg's were rendered that way.... Since the vault was made of wood I felt that the pencil treatment would work. I asked permission to do it that way and got approval first.

The animation was credited to Tom Ray, George Grandpré, Ted Bonnicksen and Warren Batchelder with layouts by Bob Gribbroek.