Charlie Dog

Last updated
Charlie Dog
Looney Tunes character
First appearancePrototype: Porky's Pooch (1941)
Official: Little Orphan Airedale (1947)
Created by Bob Clampett (prototype)
Chuck Jones (official)
Voiced by Mel Blanc (1941-1947–1958)
Larry Storch (1972)
Frank Welker (1990-1992) [1]
Joe Alaskey (1997)
Eric Bauza (2021–present)
In-universe information
Species Mixed-breed dog
Gender Male

Charlie Dog (also known as Rover, Charlie, and sometimes Charles the Dog) is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes series of cartoons. The character was featured in nine cartoons between 1941 and 1958. He is generally characterized as a friendly wise guy. [2]

Contents

Development

Bob Clampett minted the scenario that Charlie Dog would later inherit in his cartoon short Porky's Pooch , first released on 27 December 1941. [3] In that cartoon, a homeless hound pulls out all the stops to get adopted by bachelor Porky Pig. Mel Blanc provided the dog's gruff, Brooklyn-Bugs Bunny-like voice and accent which became Charlie's standard voice.

History

As he did for other Looney Tunes characters, Chuck Jones took Clampett's hound and reworked him, with the help of writer Michael Maltese. Jones first used the dog in Little Orphan Airedale (4 October 1947) which saw Clampett's "Rover" renamed "Charlie." [4] [5] The film was a success, and Jones would create two more Charlie Dog/Porky Pig cartoons in 1949: Awful Orphan (29 January) [6] and Often an Orphan (13 August). [7] Jones also starred Charlie without Porky in a couple of shorts: Dog Gone South (26 August 1950) [8] which sees Yankee Charlie searching for a fine gentleman of the Southern United States, [9] and A Hound for Trouble (28 April 1951) [10] which sends Charlie to Italy where he searches for a master who speaks English.

In these cartoons, Charlie Dog is defined by one desire: to find himself a master. To this end, Charlie is willing to pull out all the stops, from pulling "the big soulful eyes routine" to boasting of his pedigree ("Fifty percent Collie! Fifty percent setter, Irish Setter! Fifty Percent Boxer! Fifty percent Doberman Pinscher! Fifty percent Pointer—dere it is! Dere it is! Dere it is! But, mostly, I'm all Labrador Retriever!"); when reminded by others that he is not a Labrador retriever, his response would be, "Look, if you doubt my woid, get me a Labrador and I'll retrieve it for you. Dat's fair, isn't it?" — though in reality, he is just a slick-talking mutt who rarely realizes that his own aggressive obnoxiousness is sabotaging his appeal to any potential guardian. He is called "the most obnoxious salesman on four legs". He believes that everybody needs a dog to call their own, and he tackles all sorts of schemes to find a home. [11] Especially in the Porky Pig shorts, the pig would usually try to mail him out of the country, usually accompanied by Porky laughing evilly and maniacally, only to have Charlie return dressed in the costume of that place he was sent, which would make Porky even more determined to get rid of him.

Charlie makes a brief cameo appearance (via re-used animation from Often an Orphan) in the Bob McKimson-directed short Dog Tales (1958). Jones shelved the Charlie Dog series of films in the 1950s, along with characters he had himself introduced, such as The Three Bears and Hubie and Bertie. He was turning his efforts to new characters, such as Pepé Le Pew and Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.

The Frisky Puppy character that Jones paired with Claude Cat in several '50s shorts bears a close physical resemblance to Charlie.

Later appearances

Recent Warner Brothers merchandising and series and films such as episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures , and Space Jam (1996) in the crowd scenes, one in which he throws a basketball to Lola Bunny, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries in the episode Yelp (here performed by Joe Alaskey), and Tweety's High-Flying Adventure (2000) in Italy have brought Charlie back out of retirement. In Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), he can be spotted playing poker with other Looney Tunes dogs and at the end of the film bringing Bugs a plate of fruit, and in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021), he can be seen briefly in Bugs Bunny's flashback leaving Tune World way in the front row with other Looney Tunes.

Charlie Dog made a cameo in The Looney Tunes Show episode "Father Figures." He was seen in a pet store where he was attacked by Henery Hawk (who was looking for a chicken at the time when Porky Pig was being a father figure to him). Charlie Dog appears in Looney Tunes Cartoons (voiced by Eric Bauza) in the episode "Adopt Me".

Related Research Articles

This is a listing of the shorts, feature films, television programs, and television specials in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon series, extending from 1929 through the present day. Altogether, 1,002 animated shorts alone were released under the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies banners from the 1930s through the 1960s. From the beginning to the present day, 1,041 theatrical shorts have been created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petunia Pig</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Petunia Pig is an animated cartoon character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. She looks much like her significant other, Porky Pig, except that she wears a dress and has pigtailed black hair.

Piggy (<i>Merrie Melodies</i>) Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Piggy is the name of two animated cartoon characters in the Merrie Melodies series of films distributed by Warner Bros. The first character was a fat, black pig wearing a pair of shorts with two large buttons in the front, and his first film was You Don't Know What You're Doin'!

<i>Tweetie Pie</i> 1947 short film by Bob Clampett and Friz Freleng

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.

<i>Kitty Kornered</i> 1946 film

Kitty Kornered is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Robert Clampett. The short was released on June 8, 1946, and stars Porky Pig and Sylvester.

Babbit and Catstello are fictional characters, based on the comedic duo Abbott and Costello, that appeared in Warner Bros. animated cartoons. The characters appeared in four cartoons between 1942 and 1946: once as cats, once as dogs, and twice as mice.

<i>Dough for the Do-Do</i> 1949 film

Dough for the Do-Do is a 1949 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on September 2, 1949, and stars Porky Pig. The short is a remake of Bob Clampett's 1938 cartoon Porky in Wackyland, as well as using footage from his 1943 cartoon Tin Pan Alley Cats.

<i>Awful Orphan</i> 1949 film by Chuck Jones

Awful Orphan is a 1949 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. It is a sequel to the 1947 Looney Tunes short Little Orphan Airedale.

Porky's Spring Planting is a 1938 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin. The short was released on July 25, 1938, and stars Porky Pig.

<i>Little Orphan Airedale</i> 1947 film

Little Orphan Airedale is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Charles M. Jones and released on October 4, 1947. Its major significance is its status as the official debut of Jones' version of Robert "Bob" Clampett's character, Charlie "Rover" the Dog. The title is a play on Little Orphan Annie.

Porky's Last Stand is a 1940 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 6, 1940 according to The Indianapolis Star, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

<i>Porkys Pooch</i> 1941 film

Porky's Pooch is a 1941 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on December 27, 1941, and stars Porky Pig.

<i>The Hep Cat</i> 1942 film

The Hep Cat is a 1942 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, animated primarily by Robert McKimson, and set to a musical score composed by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on October 3, 1942. This cartoon was the first Technicolor Looney Tunes short.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnyard Dawg</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

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.

<i>What Price Porky</i> 1938 film

What Price Porky is a 1938 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on February 26, 1938, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

Often an Orphan is a 1949 cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series. The cartoon was released on August 13, 1949 and stars Charlie Dog and Porky Pig.

<i>Porky in Egypt</i> 1938 film

Porky in Egypt is a 1938 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on November 5, 1938, and stars Porky Pig.

Porky and Gabby is a 1937 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon short directed by Ub Iwerks, the co-creator of Mickey Mouse. The short was released on May 15, 1937, and stars Porky Pig along with the first appearance of Gabby Goat.

Trap Happy Porky is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Chuck Jones and written by Tedd Pierce. The short was released on February 24, 1945, and features Porky Pig, along with Hubie and Bertie, an early version of Claude Cat and a prototype of Hector the Bulldog.

Hugo the Abominable Snowman is a character in the Looney Tunes franchise.

References

  1. ↑ "Charlie Dog". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 64. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 124. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  4. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 179. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  5. ↑ All about Charlie Dog! on ChuckJones.com
  6. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 195. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  7. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 201. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  8. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 214. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  9. ↑ Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 46. ISBN   978-1-64722-137-9.
  10. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 222. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  11. ↑ "Charlie Dog".

All about Charlie Dog on Chuck Jones Official Website.

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.