Birth of a Notion | |
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Directed by | Robert McKimson |
Story by | Warren Foster |
Starring | Mel Blanc Stan Freberg |
Music by | Carl Stalling |
Animation by | Richard Bickenbach Cal Dalton I. Ellis Rod Scribner Anatole Kirsanoff Fred Jones [1] |
Layouts by | Cornett Wood |
Backgrounds by | Richard H. Thomas |
Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 7 minutes |
Language | English |
Birth of a Notion is a 1947 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett and Robert McKimson. [3] The cartoon was released on April 12, 1947, and stars Daffy Duck. [4]
Daffy, unlike his avian counterparts, declines migration southward for winter and orchestrates his winter stay with Leopold, a credulous dog, by feigning a life-saving act. However, complications arise when confronted with Leopold's master, a scientist fixated on acquiring a duck's furcula for an experiment.
Daffy's disdain for the scientist's demand leads to a failed assassination endeavor, prompting the scientist to retaliate with lethal traps. Meanwhile, Leopold experiences alienation amidst the chaos. Ultimately, Daffy departs, but the scientist settles for a dog's wishbone, prompting Leopold's departure as well. Daffy's attempt at infiltrating another abode is thwarted by a Joe Besser-esque grey duck, resulting in Daffy's inadvertent flight southward, where he discovers Leopold, equipped with a makeshift flying apparatus, accompanying him.
Director Robert McKimson employs his character design of "Barnyard Dawg" to portray Leopold, the canine companion of the mad scientist, with the scientist himself rendered as a caricature, visually and vocally reminiscent of Peter Lorre.
The title, Birth of a Notion, alludes to The Birth of a Nation , though no thematic connection exists between the two films.
This short was initially slated for direction by Bob Clampett, alongside Bacall to Arms and The Goofy Gophers , both of which were ultimately completed by Arthur Davis following Clampett's departure from Warner Bros.
Daffy Duck is a fictional character created by animators Tex Avery and Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Styled as an anthropomorphic black duck, he has appeared in cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, in which he is usually depicted as a foil for either Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig or Speedy Gonzales. He was one of the first of the new "screwball" characters that emerged in the late 1930s to replace traditional everyman characters who were more popular earlier in the decade, such as Mickey Mouse, Porky Pig, and Popeye.
Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. was an American animator, director, producer and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil. He was born and raised not far from Hollywood and, early in life, showed an interest in animation and puppetry. After dropping out of high school in 1931, he joined the team at Harman-Ising Productions and began working on the studio's newest short subjects, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.
The Goofy Gophers are animated cartoon characters in Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. The gophers are small and brown with tan bellies and buck teeth. They both have British accents. Unnamed in the theatrical cartoons, they were given the names Mac and Tosh in the 1960s TV show The Bugs Bunny Show. The names are a pun on the surname "Macintosh". They are characterized by an abnormally high level of politeness.
The Looney Tunes Golden Collection is a series of six four-disc DVD sets from Warner Home Video, each containing about 60 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated shorts originally released from the 1930s to 1960s. The initial run of the series was in folding cardboard packaging issued gradually from October 28, 2003 to October 21, 2008. A boxed set combining all six volumes was released in 2011, and each volume was reissued separately in standard Amaray-style cases in 2020.
Tweetie Pie is a 1947 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on May 3, 1947, and stars Tweety with Sylvester, who is called "Thomas" in this cartoon.
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films. The characters featured in these cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, are among the most famous and recognizable characters in the world. Many of the creative staff members at the studio, including directors and animators such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, Tex Avery, Robert Clampett, Arthur Davis, and Frank Tashlin, are considered major figures in the art and history of traditional animation.
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on July 20, 1946, and stars Daffy Duck.
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This is a list of all cartoons featuring Porky Pig. Directors are listed in parentheses.
A Pest in the House is a Merrie Melodies animated short film released on August 2, 1947. It is directed by Chuck Jones and stars the characters of Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.
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Barnyard Dawg is a Looney Tunes character. A feisty anthropomorphic basset hound, he is a friend and the archenemy of Foghorn Leghorn. He was created by Robert McKimson, who also created Foghorn, and was voiced by Mel Blanc. Dawg also feuds with other enemies as well like Henery Hawk, Daffy Duck and Sylvester. He appeared in 23 Golden Age–era Warner Bros. shorts.
The Wise Quacking Duck is a 1943 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on May 1, 1943, and stars Daffy Duck.