The Ruff and Reddy Show

Last updated

The Ruff and Reddy Show
Ruff and Reddy.jpg
Also known asRuff and Reddy
Genre
Created by William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Written byJoseph Barbera
Charles Shows
Directed byWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Bob Hultgren (NBC sequences)
Presented byJimmy Blaine (original run)
Robert Cottle (reruns)
Voices of
Narrated by Don Messick
Theme music composer Hoyt Curtin
Opening theme"Here Comes Ruff and Reddy"
Composer Hoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes156 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducersWilliam Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Running time4 minutes
Production company Hanna-Barbera Productions
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseDecember 14, 1957 (1957-12-14) –
April 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)

The Ruff and Reddy Show (also known as Ruff and Reddy) is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for NBC. It is one of the earliest Saturday-morning cartoons, and the first series made by Hanna-Barbera. [1] The series follows the adventures of Ruff, a smart and steadfast cat; and Reddy, a good-natured and brave (but not overly bright) dog. It was presented by Screen Gems, the television arm of Columbia Pictures. It premiered in December 1957 and ran for 156 episodes until April 1960, comprising three seasons total. It was repeated on NBC Saturday mornings in 1962–63. In the late 1950s it was sponsored by Post Consumer Brands. [2]

Contents

Hanna and Barbera created The Ruff and Reddy Show for their cartoon studio, then named H-B Enterprises. The "buddy" theme had previously been explored in their Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts, but unlike Tom and Jerry, Ruff and Reddy aren't foes, but housemates and best friends. The series is notable as one of the earliest original animated television programs, and a pioneering use of limited animation techniques. [3]

History

Background

In 1957, the animation/director team of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were terminated from an eighteen-year-long tenure at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producing the animated Tom and Jerry and Droopy theatrical short subjects. [4] Their staff, composed of 110 inkers, painters, and animators, were also let go. MGM found it more profitable to continually re-release older cartoons than produce new ones. Hanna and Barbera remained a partnership and invested $30,000 out of pocket into a new venture, H-B Enterprises. [5] The duo began work on storyboards featuring new characters, the first among them Ruff, a cat, and Reddy, a dog. Hanna later equated their respective names with he and his partners' dispositions at the period in which they were created. [6] They forged a deal with former MGM colleague George Sidney in which he received a small percentage of the new company in return for acting as a business representative. [6] Sidney arranged for a meeting at Screen Gems, which had at the time been considering re-entering the animation business. Feeling confidence in the Ruff and Reddy characters, the duo presented their proposal, along with a streamlined production budget, employing limited animation. [7]

Animation

Back at MGM our budget was lavish enough to allow as many as sixteen drawings per foot of fully animated film. It was a new ballgame for TV. In order to meet our budget for Ruff and Reddy, we had to pare the drawings down to no more than one or two per foot of film.

William Hanna on the show's use of limited animation [8]

Ruff and Reddy, as one of the first original animated series produced for television, pioneered the technique of limited animation. Limited animation would require far fewer drawings, and, by extension, less inking and painting. This method was employed by necessity, as higher budgets had been the cause for the collapse of the theatrical cartoon business. [9] Hanna, in a six-page memo, had attempted to convince his superiors at MGM to employ economized techniques in order to reduce the cost of their short films, but received no response. [7] At that time, he had estimated a six-minute cartoon to cost $17,500 if it employed the limited animation technique (down from the $35,000 budget the duo received at MGM). When pitching to Screen Gems, Hanna had worked down the numbers to a much smaller $3,000, and the duo were very confident the company would respond with great excitement. [7] Screen Gems appreciated the show concept, but explained to the duo that the budget for television, still an experimental medium, would be very stringent. Eventually, the company gave the partnership an option to produce five five-minute segments, with an escalating budget starting from $2,700. [10]

Hanna described the process in his 1996 memoir, A Cast of Friends: "It was essential that we select only the key poses necessary to convincingly impart the illusion of movement in our cartoons." [10] This method often emphasizes close-ups, rather than full or medium shots. [11] All in all, the production process for Ruff and Reddy was not dissimilar from the process used to create theatrical cartoons: a script was written, followed by a storyboard illustrating key poses. [8] Afterwards, a recorded soundtrack with dialogue was used to create a "pose reel," which would give the filmmakers a sense of timing. [8] Watching pose reels during their MGM years had emphasized that simple key poses would be enough to demonstrate humor. Hanna believed the process in line with the nature of television during the period, stressing "intimacy rather than spectacle," represented an entirely different viewing experience (a large movie screen versus a small, standard-dimension television screen). [8]

In addition to the quicker, cheaper production process, Hanna and Barbera made the decision to produce the segments in full color. "It was one of the smartest things we did," Hanna said. "We said, 'Color will be here soon. Cartoons last forever. Let's go ahead and do them in color, and we'll be a jump ahead of the game.'" [12] This strategy paid off in 1954, when color television was beginning to yield some commercial success (introduced in 1957, but just beginning to achieve some commercial success between 1957 & 1960), source citation http://www.earlytelevision.org) . Ruff and Reddy also eschewed lavish, detailed background art for simple, colorful illustrations. [11]

Writing and music

Hanna and Barbera were fond of the "ongoing comedic rapport" of cartoon duos, among them the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner and Sylvester the Cat/Tweety rivalries of Warner Bros. Cartoons. [13] Their own creation at MGM, Tom and Jerry , had been a variation on this theme. With Ruff and Reddy, they decided to delete the nemesis theme and make the characters best friends instead. "Consequently, this softer relationship placed a greater emphasis on the humor and wit conveyed to the audience through dialogue," wrote Hanna. [13]

Hanna wrote the series' theme music, in his first foray into theme music composition, which would become a staple of Hanna-Barbera for nearly 30 years. His goal to capture the spirit of the characters while also catching the listeners' ear, he penned the lyrics one morning while storyboarding, handing off the sheet music to musical director Hoyt Curtin, who composed the melody. [13] Unlike Tom and Jerry, the two new characters would speak, and the duo held auditions to find voice artists. Mainly selecting those they worked with at MGM, Hanna and Barbera decided to cast Don Messick as Ruff and Daws Butler as Reddy. Messick and Butler became the main long-time voice actors of H&B cartoons. [14]

The series was set to be the opening and closing acts for a half-hour children's program airing on Saturday mornings. [10] While they had screened the pilot episode prior to broadcast, Hanna later admitted he was nervous as to how the public would respond. He writes in his book that reviews in trade papers were mainly positive, deeming it an "entertaining and clever cartoon program." [14] NBC, following this success, signed the duo to a five-year contract to produce and develop additional animated television series. [14]

NBC paired the opening and closing episodes of the show (usually with a cliffhanger) with live segments and classic cartoons from the prior incarnation of Screen Gems, including The Fox and the Crow and Li'l Abner .

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 52December 14, 1957 (1957-12-14)April 5, 1958 (1958-04-05)
2 52December 13, 1958 (1958-12-13)April 4, 1959 (1959-04-04)
3 52December 19, 1959 (1959-12-19)April 2, 1960 (1960-04-02)

Voice cast

Other appearances

Merchandise

A video game, Ruff and Reddy in the Space Adventure, was released in 1990 for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 8-bit computers, and Atari ST.

Home media

Episodes of the series appeared on the Animal Follies volume released on October 20, 1988, on VHS, [16] and in 1989 on LaserDisc, part of the Hanna-Barbera Personal Favorites home video series, along with Yippee, Yappee and Yahooey , Touche Turtle and Dum Dum , Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy and Snagglepuss . The first episode of the show, "Planet Pirates", was listed on the press release for The Best of Warner Bros.: Hanna-Barbera 25 Cartoon Collection DVD set to be released on May 21, 2013, however due to an inaccuracy on that press announcement, the episode is among several that weren't on the actual set. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna-Barbera</span> American animation studio

Hanna-Barbera was an American animation studio and production company, which was active from 1957 until its absorption into Warner Bros. Animation in 2001. Founded on July 7, 1957 by Tom and Jerry creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, it was headquartered on Cahuenga Blvd from 1960 to 1998, then subsequently at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden age of American animation</span> Period of animation where theatrical sound cartoons were common and popular

The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medium of television. Animated media from after the golden age, especially on television, were produced on cheaper budgets and with more limited techniques between the 1960s and 1980s.

Animation in the United States in the television era was a period in the history of American animation that slowly set in with the decline of theatrical animated shorts and the popularization of television animation that started in the late 1950s, reached its peak during the 1970s, and ended around the mid-1980s. This era is characterized by low budgets, limited animation, an emphasis on television over the theater, and the general perception of cartoons being primarily for children. Due to the perceived cheap production values, poor animation, and mixed critical and commercial reception, the era is generally looked back upon negatively by critics and animation historians. The television animation of this period is often referred to as the dark age of American animation, while the theatrical animation from the time is sometimes referred as the bronze age.

<i>The Huckleberry Hound Show</i> American animated television series

The Huckleberry Hound Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and the second series produced by the studio following The Ruff and Reddy Show. The show first aired in syndication on September 29, 1958, and was sponsored by Kellogg's. Three segments were included in the program: one featuring Huckleberry Hound, another with Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks, which starred two mice who in each short found a new way to outwit the cat Mr. Jinks, and a third starring Yogi Bear and his friend Boo Boo. The series last aired on December 1, 1961.

Jonny Quest is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular Jonny Quest, a boy who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–65 television series of the same name, and has come to include two subsequent television series, two television films, and three computer games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Messick</span> American voice actor (1926–1997)

Donald Earle Messick was an American voice actor, known for his performances in Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droopy</span> Fictional dog

Droopy is an animated character from the golden age of American animation. He is an anthropomorphic white Basset Hound with a droopy face. He was created in 1943 by Tex Avery for theatrical cartoon shorts produced by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. Essentially the polar opposite of Avery's other MGM character, the loud and wacky Screwy Squirrel, Droopy moves slowly and lethargically, speaks in a jowly monotone voice, and—though hardly an imposing character—is shrewd enough to outwit his enemies. When finally roused to anger, often by a bad guy laughing heartily at him, Droopy is capable of beating adversaries many times his size with a comical thrashing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Mouse</span> Fictional mouse

Gerald Jinx "Jerry" Mouse is a fictional character and one of the two titular characters in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's series of Tom and Jerry theatrical animated short films and other animated media, usually acting as the protagonist opposite his rival Tom Cat. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Jerry is an anthropomorphic brown house mouse, who first appeared as a mouse named Jinx in the 1940 MGM animated short Puss Gets the Boot. Hanna gave the mouse's original name as "Jinx", while Barbera claimed the mouse went unnamed in his first appearance.

Tom and Jerry is an American animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series centers on the rivalry between the titular characters of a cat named Tom and a mouse named Jerry. Many shorts also feature several recurring characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hanna</span> American animator (1910–2001)

William Denby Hanna was an American animator, voice actor, and occasional musician who is best known for co-creating Tom and Jerry and providing the vocal effects for the series' title characters. Alongside Joseph Barbera, he also founded the animation studio and production company Hanna-Barbera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Barbera</span> American animator and cartoonist (1911–2006)

Joseph Roland Barbera was an American animator and cartoonist, best known as the co-founder of the animation studio Hanna-Barbera.

<i>The Quick Draw McGraw Show</i> Animated television series

The Quick Draw McGraw Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and their third television series overall after The Ruff and Reddy Show and The Huckleberry Hound Show. Voice actor Daws Butler performed the show's title character, Quick Draw McGraw.

<i>Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks</i> American animated television series by Hanna-Barbera

Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions as part of The Huckleberry Hound Show from 1958 to 1961.

<i>The Mumbly Cartoon Show</i> 1976-1977 ABC cartoon show

The Mumbly Cartoon Show is a Saturday morning animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and featuring the titular Mumbly, a cartoon dog detective. It was broadcast on ABC from September 11, 1976 to September 3, 1977 as part of The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show. This compilation packaged reruns of the 1975 The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape Show with Mumbly as a new component.

<i>Tom & Jerry Kids</i> American animated television series

Tom & Jerry Kids is an American animated television series co-produced by Hanna-Barbera and Turner Entertainment Co., and starring the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry as toddlers. It premiered on Fox on September 8, 1990, airing as the first program of the children's programming block, Fox Kids, and was the second Tom and Jerry TV series to be produced by Hanna-Barbera following The Tom and Jerry Show in 1975.

<i>Spike and Tyke</i> 1957 shorts films

Spike and Tyke is a short-lived theatrical animated short subject series, based upon the English bulldog father-and-son team from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Tom and Jerry cartoons. The characters first appeared in the Tom and Jerry series in the 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio</span> Division of MGM film studio responsible for producing animated shorts

The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio was an American animation studio operated by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) during the Golden Age of American animation. Active from 1937 until 1957, the studio was responsible for producing animated shorts to accompany MGM feature films in Loew's Theaters, which included popular cartoon characters Tom, Jerry, Droopy, Butch, Spike, Tyke, and Barney Bear.

The Hanna-Barbera New Cartoon Series, a.k.a. The New Hanna-Barbera Cartoon Series or The Wally Gator Show, was a syndicated television package of animated cartoon series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, starting in 1962. The show included three unrelated short cartoon segments featuring talking animal characters:

<i>The Tom and Jerry Show</i> (1975 TV series) 1975 American animated television series

The Tom & Jerry Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in association with MGM Television. Based on the Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon series, which was created by H-B co-founders and former MGM cartoon studio staff William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the show originally aired on ABC from September 6 to December 13, 1975 as the first half of The Tom and Jerry/Grape Ape/Mumbly Show, with The Great Grape Ape Show representing the series' second half and The Mumbly Cartoon Show representing the series' third half. This series marked the first time that Tom and Jerry appeared in animated installments produced specifically for television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huckleberry Hound</span> American animated television character

Huckleberry "Huck" Hound is a fictional cartoon character, a blue anthropomorphic coonhound dog that speaks with a North Carolina Southern drawl. He first appeared in the series The Huckleberry Hound Show. The cartoon was one of six TV shows to win an Emmy Award in 1960 as an "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming"; the first animated series to receive such an award.

References

  1. ↑ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 520–521. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946-1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 244–245. ISBN   0-8108-1557-5 . Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  3. ↑ Rovin, Jeff (1991). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals. Prentice Hall Press. p. 227. ISBN   0-13-275561-0 . Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  4. ↑ Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 77.
  5. ↑ Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 80.
  6. 1 2 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 81.
  7. 1 2 3 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 82.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 84.
  9. ↑ Sennett, Ted (1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. Studio. pp. 48–49. ISBN   978-0670829781 . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 83.
  11. 1 2 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 85.
  12. ↑ Sennett, Ted (1989). The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity. Studio. p. 51. ISBN   978-0670829781 . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 86.
  14. 1 2 3 Hanna & Ito 1996, p. 87.
  15. ↑ "SUICIDE SQUAD Meets THE BANANA SPLITS, More In DC/HANNA-BARBERA Crossover Titles". Newsarama.com. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  16. ↑ Animal Follies VHS. ASIN   6301252004.
  17. ↑ "Warner Bros. Anniversary DVD Set salutes Hanna Barbera | Cartoon Brew". archive.fo. June 28, 2013. Archived from the original on June 28, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2019.

Other sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.