| The Blue Racer | |
|---|---|
 The Blue Racer and a Japanese beetle appeared in Blue Racer Blues. | |
| First appearance | Snake in the Gracias (1971) ( Tijuana Toads cartoon) |
| Portrayed by | Larry D. Mann Bob Holt |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Snake |
| Gender | Male |
The Blue Racer is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced from 1972 to 1974 created by Friz Freleng and David H. DePatie. [1] The character's first cartoon, Snake in the Gracias, was released theatrically on January 24, 1971. [2]
The cartoons are directed by Art Davis, Gerry Chiniquy, Sid Marcus, Robert McKimson, David Deneen, Bob Balser, Cullen Houghtaling and produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng. The majority of the cartoons were animated at the DePatie-Freleng studio, except for two done overseas: Aches and Snakes at Australia's Filmgraphics studio, and Little Boa Peep at Spain's Pegbar Productions.
A fast-moving blue snake named the Blue Racer (voiced by Larry D. Mann) tries unsuccessfully to catch a stereotypically-Japanese beetle (voiced by Tom Holland), who is a black belt in karate. Both characters spun off from Tijuana Toads in "Hop and Chop" (the Japanese beetle) and "Snake in the Gracias" (the Blue Racer). The goofy crane from Tijuana Toads (Crazylegs Crane, who also repeatedly failed to collar the Racer and the Toads himself) also later appeared in the series as well. 17 cartoons were produced. [3]
All cartoons were written by John W. Dunn.
| No. | Title | Directed by: | Released: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiss and Hers | Gerry Chiniquy | July 3, 1972 |
| 2 | Support Your Local Serpent | Art Davis | July 9, 1972 |
| 3 | Nippon Tuck | Gerry Chiniquy | July 19, 1972 |
| 4 | Punch and Judo | Art Davis | July 23, 1972 |
| 5 | Love and Hisses | Gerry Chiniquy | August 3, 1972 |
| 6 | Camera Bug | Art Davis | August 6, 1972 |
| 7 | Yokohama Mama | Gerry Chiniquy | December 24, 1972 |
| 8 | Blue Racer Blues | Art Davis | December 31, 1972 |
| 9 | The Boa Friend | Gerry Chiniquy | February 11, 1973 |
| 10 | Wham and Eggs | Art Davis | February 18, 1973 |
| 11 | Killarney Blarney | Gerry Chiniquy | May 16, 1973 |
| 12 | Blue Aces Wild | ||
| 13 | Fowl Play | Bob McKimson | June 1, 1973 |
| 14 | Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow | Sid Marcus | |
| 15 | Snake Preview | Cullen Houghtaling | August 10, 1973 |
| 16 | Aches and Snakes | David Deneen | |
| 17 | Little Boa Peep | Bob Balser | January 16, 1974 |
The Blue Racer (or a snake looking just like him) appeared in the 1978 Pink Panther cartoon Pinktails for Two where he mistook the Panther's pink tail for a lady snake. In this film, the Blue Racer did not speak or move with super-speed.
All 17 shorts were available on DVD and Blu-ray on May 30, 2017 from Kino Lorber (through their deal with MGM Home Entertainment). Extras included were audio commentaries and two featurettes. [4]
Isadore "Friz" Freleng, credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from the 1930s to the early 1960s. In total he created more than 300 cartoons.
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises was an American animation studio founded by former Warner Bros. Cartoons employees in May 1963, before dissolving in 1981. Based in Burbank, California, DFE produced animation for film and television.
The Pink Phink is a 1964 American animated short comedy film directed by Friz Freleng. It is the first animated short starring the Pink Panther, based on the character created for the opening credits of Blake Edwards' film released a year earlier. The short won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short at the 37th Academy Awards.
Roland and Rattfink is an American series of animated shorts produced and released from 1968 to 1971. The main characters also made several guest appearances on The Pink Panther animated series. The series was produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng and seventeen cartoons were produced.
The Ant and the Aardvark is a series of 17 theatrical short cartoons produced at DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and released by United Artists from 1969 to 1971.
Hoot Kloot is an American series of 17 theatrical cartoon shorts produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises from 1973 to 1974.
The Dogfather is an American series of 17 theatrical cartoon shorts produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and distributed by United Artists between 1974 and 1976. It is the final theatrical cartoon series made by DePatie–Freleng.
The Inspector is an American series of 34 theatrical cartoon shorts produced between 1965 and 1969 by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and released through United Artists. The cartoons are dedicated to an animated version of Inspector Clouseau comically battling against a rogues' gallery of internationally styled villains.
Tijuana Toads is a series of 17 theatrical cartoons produced by DePatie–Freleng and released through United Artists.
Pink Panther and Sons is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Mirisch-Geoffrey-DePatie-Freleng. The series was originally broadcast on NBC from 1984 to 1985 and moved to ABC in 1986. Friz Freleng served as creative producer for the series as his and David H. DePatie's production company, DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, existed as an in-name-only enterprise by this time, as its operations were absorbed by Marvel Productions in 1981. The show is based on the Pink Panther, a character created in 1963.
The Mirisch Company was an American film production company owned by Walter Mirisch and his brothers, Marvin and Harold Mirisch. The company also had sister firms known at various times as Mirisch Production Company, Mirisch Pictures Inc., Mirisch Films, and The Mirisch Corporation.
David Hudson DePatie was an American film and television producer who was the last and longest lived executive in charge of the original Warner Bros. Cartoons studio. He also formed DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, with Friz Freleng, Hanna-Barbera Productions and was an executive producer at Marvel Productions.
Misterjaw is a 34-episode cartoon television series, produced at DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in 1976 for The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show television series on NBC. Reruns continued on the Think Pink Panther Show on NBC through September 3, 1978.
The Pink Panther is a fictional animated character who appears in the opening and/or closing credit sequences of every film in The Pink Panther series except for A Shot in the Dark and Inspector Clouseau. In the storyline of the original film, the "Pink Panther" is the name of a valuable pink diamond named for a flaw that shows a "figure of a springing panther" when held up to the light in a certain way; in the credits this was translated to an animated pink panther. Only the first Pink Panther film and its third sequel, The Return of the Pink Panther, featured the diamond.
The Pink Panther Show is a showcase of animated shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1978, starring the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films. The series was produced by Mirisch Films and DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, and was broadcast Saturday mornings on two American television networks: from September 6, 1969, to September 2, 1978, on NBC; and from September 9, 1978, to September 1, 1979, on ABC.
Crazylegs Crane is a 16-episode made-for-television cartoon series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises in 1978 for The All New Pink Panther Show on ABC.
Germain Adolph Chiniquy was an American animator known for his work with Friz Freleng at both Warner Bros. Cartoons and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.
The Houndcats is an American Saturday morning cartoon series produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. The series was broadcast by NBC from September 9 to December 2, 1972, with reruns continuing until September 1, 1973. Thirteen episodes were produced.
The Barkleys is an American animated television series that aired in 1972 on NBC and was produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
The Oddball Couple is an animated half-hour Saturday morning show that ran on the ABC TV network from September 6 to December 20, 1975. The show was a production of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with Paramount Television, and was distributed by CBS Media Ventures. It is an adaptation of the TV series The Odd Couple, which had ended its run that year, after five seasons on ABC.