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Buddy (Looney Tunes)
Encyclopedia
Buddy is an animated
cartoon
character
in the Warner Bros.
Looney Tunes
series of cartoons.
s Hugh Harman
and Rudy Ising
from producer
Leon Schlesinger
. Without his animators and Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid
, the star character they had taken with them, Schlesinger was desperate to build his own cartoon studio and maintain his contract with Warner Bros.
He lured in several animators from other studios, among them Tom Palmer
from Disney. Schlesinger told his new employees to create a star character for the studio, and Palmer created Buddy in 1933. The character had a troubled beginning, as Warner Bros. refused to accept his first two cartoons, resulting in Palmer being fired and Friz Freleng
being called in to re-edit and condense them into a single short. In the book Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, animator Bob Clampett
is quoted as describing Buddy as "Bosko in whiteface". Despite these initial problems, Buddy would go on to be the studio's linchpin character for the next two years.
Music dominates in Buddy's world. The characters add visuals to the soundtrack
and participate in gags. Buddy is usually accompanied in his films by his flapper
girlfriend, Cookie, and his dog, Towser
. The character would go on to star in 23 cartoons from 1933 to 1935 before he was retired to make way for new character called Beans the Cat, who became the third Looney Tunes
star. Buddy's voice was performed by animator Jack Carr
.
cartoon "Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name
", in which mermaid characters resembling Buddy and Cookie find a treasure trove, was Buddy's first color appearance; however, that the short should be considered official is in doubt, as the characters are not named.
, where he appeared in the episode "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special," broadcast on May 23, 1994. In this episode, it was revealed (in the series' fictional history) that Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
were created to spice up Buddy's dull cartoons; these series of Buddy-Warner shorts mainly consisted of the Warners smashing Buddy on the head with mallet
s. After Buddy was dropped by the studio in favor of the Warners, Buddy retired to become a nut
farmer in Ojai, California
, but hated the Warners for ruining his career, and made a failed attempt at the Anniversary Special to enact revenge on the Warner Siblings for ruining his career 65 years ago. Jim Cummings
provided Buddy's voice here.
On the PBS series History Detectives
, a collection of Buddy cel
s was the focus of one episode of the series in 2010.
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
series of cartoons.
Looney Tunes
Buddy has his origins in the chaos that followed the severing of relations between animatorAnimator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
s Hugh Harman
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
and Rudy Ising
Harman and Ising
Hugh Harman and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising were an American animation team best known for founding the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation studios...
from producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger was an American film producer, most noted for founding Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the golden age of Hollywood animation.-Early life and career:...
. Without his animators and Bosko the Talk-Ink Kid
Bosko
Bosko is an animated cartoon character created by animators Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising. Bosko is the first recurring character in Leon Schlesinger's cartoon series, and is the star of over three dozen Looney Tunes shorts released by Warner Bros...
, the star character they had taken with them, Schlesinger was desperate to build his own cartoon studio and maintain his contract with Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
He lured in several animators from other studios, among them Tom Palmer
Tom Palmer (animator)
Anthony "Tony" Pipolo, known professionally as Tom Palmer was an Italian-American animator who was active in the 1930s and worked at several animation studios. He was born with the surname of "Pipolo" but changed his name to Palmer...
from Disney. Schlesinger told his new employees to create a star character for the studio, and Palmer created Buddy in 1933. The character had a troubled beginning, as Warner Bros. refused to accept his first two cartoons, resulting in Palmer being fired and Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
being called in to re-edit and condense them into a single short. In the book Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, animator Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
is quoted as describing Buddy as "Bosko in whiteface". Despite these initial problems, Buddy would go on to be the studio's linchpin character for the next two years.
Music dominates in Buddy's world. The characters add visuals to the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
and participate in gags. Buddy is usually accompanied in his films by his flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
girlfriend, Cookie, and his dog, Towser
Buddy and Towser
Buddy and Towser is an American animated short film released on 24 February 1934 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Friz Freleng and animated by Jack King and Robert McKimson. The musical score was by Norman Spencer. It was a Looney Tunes cartoon, featuring Buddy.-Summary:Buddy enlists...
. The character would go on to star in 23 cartoons from 1933 to 1935 before he was retired to make way for new character called Beans the Cat, who became the third Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
star. Buddy's voice was performed by animator Jack Carr
Jack Carr
Jack Carr may refer to:*Jack Carr , former Newcastle United footballer*Jackie Carr , former Middlesbrough, Blackpool and Hartlepool United footballer...
.
Filmography
| Film | Release date |
|---|---|
| Buddy's Day Out | September 2, 1933 |
| Buddy's Beer Garden | November 18, 1933 |
| Buddy's Show Boat | December 9, 1933 |
| Buddy the Gob | January 13, 1934 |
| Buddy and Towser | February 24, 1934 |
| Buddy's Garage | April 14, 1934 |
| Buddy's Trolley Troubles | May 5, 1934 |
| Buddy of the Apes | May 26, 1934 |
| Buddy's Bearcats | June 23, 1934 |
| Buddy the Dentist | August 25, 1934 |
| Viva Buddy | September 29, 1934 |
| Buddy the Detective | October 13, 1934 |
| Buddy the Woodsman | October 27, 1934 |
| Buddy's Adventures | November 17, 1934 |
| Buddy's Circus | December 15, 1934 |
| Buddy's Theater | February 16, 1935 |
| Buddy's Pony Express | March 9, 1935 |
| Buddy of the Legion | April 6, 1935 |
| Buddy's Lost World | May 18, 1935 |
| Buddy's Bug Hunt | June 22, 1935 |
| Buddy in Africa | July 6, 1935 |
| Buddy Steps Out | July 20, 1935 |
| Buddy the Gee Man | August 24, 1935 |
Mr. and Mrs. is the Name
The 1935 Merrie MelodiesMerrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoon "Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name
Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name
Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name is a 1935 animated Merrie Melodies cartoon, starring Buddy and Cookie , and is noted to be the only Buddy cartoon in Technicolor. This is directed by Friz Freleng.-Plot:...
", in which mermaid characters resembling Buddy and Cookie find a treasure trove, was Buddy's first color appearance; however, that the short should be considered official is in doubt, as the characters are not named.
Modern appearances
Buddy's first (and so far only) new appearance after his original series ended came in the 1993 animated series AnimaniacsAnimaniacs
Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs, usually referred to as simply Animaniacs, is an American animated series, distributed by Warner Bros. Television and produced by Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. The cartoon was the second animated series produced by the collaboration of Steven...
, where he appeared in the episode "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special," broadcast on May 23, 1994. In this episode, it was revealed (in the series' fictional history) that Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, also known as "The Warner Brothers " or "The Warner Siblings", or just simply "The Warners", are the three titular cartoon characters featured on the animated series Animaniacs. The trio of red-nosed Warner siblings were considered to be the stars of the ensemble of...
were created to spice up Buddy's dull cartoons; these series of Buddy-Warner shorts mainly consisted of the Warners smashing Buddy on the head with mallet
Mallet
A mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
s. After Buddy was dropped by the studio in favor of the Warners, Buddy retired to become a nut
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
farmer in Ojai, California
Ojai, California
Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley...
, but hated the Warners for ruining his career, and made a failed attempt at the Anniversary Special to enact revenge on the Warner Siblings for ruining his career 65 years ago. Jim Cummings
Jim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
provided Buddy's voice here.
On the PBS series History Detectives
History Detectives
History Detectives is a documentary television series on PBS. A group of researchers help people to seek answers to various historical questions they have, usually centering around a family heirloom, an old house or other historic object or structure...
, a collection of Buddy cel
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
s was the focus of one episode of the series in 2010.