Willie Whopper
Encyclopedia
Willie Whopper is an animated
cartoon character
created by American cartoonist Ub Iwerks
. The Whopper series was the second from the Iwerks studio to be produced by Pat Powers and distributed through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
. It lasted only two years; from 1933 to 1934.
The character's first-produced film was The Air Race (1933), in which Willie tells of how he entered in and won the 1933 National Air Race—even receiving a kiss from Amelia Earhart
in the end. The short reflects Iwerks' own fascination with aviation
. One scene even involves a plane crashing into a "Fireworks" stand which, afterwards is reduced in spelling to "I works" (the pronunciation
of Iwerks' last name).
The Air Race was initially left unreleased because distributor MGM rejected it, asking for a revision to explain more about why Willie entered the race. In the largely reanimated revision—Spite Flight (1933)—the story shows Willie interested in the race's cash prize because it will help him pay off his girlfriend's mom's mortgage. The new footage also turns Willie's racing rival into the girlfriend's landlord.
Animator Grim Natwick
initially designed Willie for The Air Race and the subsequent Play Ball, the character's first theatrical release. He was, at first, tall and lanky, much like a boy version of the earlier Flip the Frog
. Iwerks wasn't completely satisfied with this design and decided to make the character more "cartoonlike". So, by the series' fourth entry, Stratos-Fear, Willie became roly-poly and more endearing to audiences. Critics too especially went for this new change. Before 1933 was over, Willie also appeared in his first Cinecolor
endeavor, Davy Jones' Locker.
1934 was the final production year for the Whopper series. However, some of Willie's best emerged from this particular year. One interesting 1934 entry is The Good Scout, an outrageous short in which boy scout Willie manages to help a beautiful girl who has been kidnapped by a big brute in downtown New York City. The bulk of the film's soundtrack is composed of a jazzy Jelly Roll Morton
78-rpm record and its backgrounds are breathtaking. The final entry in the series was Viva Willie released on September 20, 1934. Other Iwerks staffers on the series included Al Eugster
, Norm Blackburn, Berny Wolf and Shamus Culhane
(who referred to Willie as a "boy Baron von Münchhausen
").
After MGM dropped Iwerks, they hired Hugh Harman
and Rudolf Ising
to produce a cartoon series called Happy Harmonies
directly for the studio. Harman and Ising had just left Warner Brothers, where they had been producing Looney Tunes
and Merrie Melodies
for Leon Schlesinger
.
1 Filmed in Cinecolor
1 Filmed in Cinecolor
2 Surviving fragments in color were reissued under the title "Masquerade Holiday". References to the Devil and drinking were cut.
3 Hell's Fire was refused a certificate by the British Censor for release in the UK in 1934
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 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...
created by American cartoonist Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks
Ub Iwerks, A.S.C. was a two-time Academy Award winning American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, creator of Mickey Mouse, and special effects technician, who was famous for his work for Walt Disney....
. The Whopper series was the second from the Iwerks studio to be produced by Pat Powers and distributed through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
. It lasted only two years; from 1933 to 1934.
History
Willie is a young lad who tells of his many outlandish adventures, which are then depicted on-screen. His fantastic accounts are in fact, outright lies, or "whoppers". His stories are usually preceded by his memorable catchphrase, "Say, did I ever tell ya this one?"The character's first-produced film was The Air Race (1933), in which Willie tells of how he entered in and won the 1933 National Air Race—even receiving a kiss from Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
in the end. The short reflects Iwerks' own fascination with aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
. One scene even involves a plane crashing into a "Fireworks" stand which, afterwards is reduced in spelling to "I works" (the pronunciation
Pronunciation
Pronunciation refers to the way a word or a language is spoken, or the manner in which someone utters a word. If one is said to have "correct pronunciation", then it refers to both within a particular dialect....
of Iwerks' last name).
The Air Race was initially left unreleased because distributor MGM rejected it, asking for a revision to explain more about why Willie entered the race. In the largely reanimated revision—Spite Flight (1933)—the story shows Willie interested in the race's cash prize because it will help him pay off his girlfriend's mom's mortgage. The new footage also turns Willie's racing rival into the girlfriend's landlord.
Animator Grim Natwick
Grim Natwick
Myron "Grim" Natwick was an American artist, animator and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studio's most popular character, Betty Boop.-Background:...
initially designed Willie for The Air Race and the subsequent Play Ball, the character's first theatrical release. He was, at first, tall and lanky, much like a boy version of the earlier Flip the Frog
Flip the Frog
Flip the Frog is an animated cartoon character created by American cartoonist Ub Iwerks. He starred in a series of cartoons produced by Celebrity Pictures and distributed through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1930 to 1933...
. Iwerks wasn't completely satisfied with this design and decided to make the character more "cartoonlike". So, by the series' fourth entry, Stratos-Fear, Willie became roly-poly and more endearing to audiences. Critics too especially went for this new change. Before 1933 was over, Willie also appeared in his first Cinecolor
Cinecolor
Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two color film process, based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel and Alan M...
endeavor, Davy Jones' Locker.
1934 was the final production year for the Whopper series. However, some of Willie's best emerged from this particular year. One interesting 1934 entry is The Good Scout, an outrageous short in which boy scout Willie manages to help a beautiful girl who has been kidnapped by a big brute in downtown New York City. The bulk of the film's soundtrack is composed of a jazzy Jelly Roll Morton
Jelly Roll Morton
Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe , known professionally as Jelly Roll Morton, was an American ragtime and early jazz pianist, bandleader and composer....
78-rpm record and its backgrounds are breathtaking. The final entry in the series was Viva Willie released on September 20, 1934. Other Iwerks staffers on the series included Al Eugster
Al Eugster
Alfred Eugster was an American animator, writer, and film director, regarded as one of the greatest of all time...
, Norm Blackburn, Berny Wolf and Shamus Culhane
Shamus Culhane
James "Shamus" Culhane was an American animator, film director, and film producer.Culhane worked for a number of American animation studios, including Fleischer Studios, the Ub Iwerks studio, Walt Disney Productions, and the Walter Lantz studio. He began his animation career in 1925 working for J.R...
(who referred to Willie as a "boy Baron von Münchhausen
Baron Munchhausen
Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiherr von Münchhausen , usually known as Baron Münchhausen in English, was a German nobleman born in Bodenwerder and a famous recounter of tall tales....
").
After MGM dropped Iwerks, they hired 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 Rudolf 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...
to produce a cartoon series called Happy Harmonies
Happy Harmonies
Happy Harmonies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising between 1934 and 1938....
directly for the studio. Harman and Ising had just left Warner Brothers, where they had been producing 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...
and Merrie Melodies
Merrie 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,...
for 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:...
.
1933
| Film | Original release date | dvd |
|---|---|---|
| The Air Race | n/a | Cartoons That Time Forgot |
| Play Ball | September 16, 1933 | |
| Spite Flight (revised from The Air Race) | October 14, 1933 | |
| Stratos-Fear | November 11, 1933 | Cartoons That Time Forgot |
| Davy Jones' Locker 1 | December 9, 1933 |
1 Filmed in Cinecolor
1934
| Film | Original release date | DVD |
|---|---|---|
| Hell's Fire (a.k.a Masquerade Holiday and Vulcan Entertains) 2 3 | January 6, 1934 | Cartoons That Time for got |
| Robin Hood, Jr.1 | February 3, 1934 | |
| Insultin' the Sultan | April 14, 1934 | Cartoons That Time for got |
| Reducing Creme | May 19, 1934 | |
| Rasslin' Round | June 1, 1934 | Cartoons That Time for got |
| Cave Man | July 6, 1934 | |
| Jungle Jitters | July 24, 1934 | |
| The Good Scout | September 1, 1934 | Cartoons That Time for got |
| Viva Willie | September 20, 1934 | Cartoons That Time for got |
1 Filmed in Cinecolor
2 Surviving fragments in color were reissued under the title "Masquerade Holiday". References to the Devil and drinking were cut.
3 Hell's Fire was refused a certificate by the British Censor for release in the UK in 1934