Ups 'n Downs

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Ups 'n Downs
Ups 'n downs.jpg
Still taken from the feature
Directed by Hugh Harman
Rudolf Ising
Produced byHugh Harman
Rudolf Ising
Associate Producer:
Leon Schlesinger
Starring Johnny Murray
(uncredited)
Music by Frank Marsales
Animation by Rollin Hamilton
Paul J. Smith
Color process Black-and-white
Color Systems, Inc.
(1973 Korean redrawn three-strip color edition with "Kindly Leave the Stage" music and had a cut endings)
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • January 31, 1931 (1931-01-31)
(earliest known date)
Running time
6:50 (1931 version)
5:50 (1950's version)
6:10 (1973 version)
LanguageEnglish

Ups N' Downs is the eighth title in the Looney Tunes series featuring Bosko. [1] It was released as early as January 31, 1931. [2] It is directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, [3] while the film score was written by Frank Marsales.

Contents

Plot

Bosko is working as a hot dog salesman at a fair, and is determined to win the fair's race with his self-built mechanical horse. Despite fierce competition from riders and their legislate horses, along with the efforts of a cheating jockey who uses his spit and even a hand grenade to hinder Bosko, Bosko crosses the finish line using his horse's extendable neck and is crowned the winner of the race.

Alternate version and ending

When the cartoon was re-released by pirate distributor Astra TV in the 1950s, it was renamed Off to the Races. Since it was sourced from an incomplete copy, the cartoon abruptly ends with the hand grenade going off, and cutting to a "THE END" title card. [4] The 1973 redrawn colorized version was also sourced from the same incomplete copy, and thus has a significantly different ending produced; the hand grenade destroys Bosko's mechanical horse, but also sends him flying into the cheating jockey and knocks him off his own horse, which Bosko is then able to use to win the race. [5]

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<i>The Booze Hangs High</i> 1930 film

The Booze Hangs High is the fourth title in the Looney Tunes series featuring Bosko. It was released as early as September 26, 1930, although a review from Variety magazine below reveals that it's release could've been as early as September 9, as it could've been from an advance screening.

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Bosko's Holiday is a one-reel 1931 short subject animated cartoon, part of the Bosko series. It was directed by Hugh Harman, and first released on July 18, 1931 as part of the Looney Tunes series from the Leon Schlesinger animation studio and distributed by Warner Brothers. The film score was composed by Frank Marsales.

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<i>Aint Nature Grand!</i> 1931 film

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<i>The Trees Knees</i> 1931 film

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<i>Bosko the Lumberjack</i> 1932 film

Bosko the Lumberjack is an American animated short film, released September 3, 1932, though one source gives only an ambiguous release date of 1931–1932. It is a Looney Tunes cartoon, featuring Bosko, the original star of the series. Like most Looney Tunes of its day, it was directed by Hugh Harman; its musical direction was by Frank Marsales.

References

  1. Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 3. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  2. "Ups 'n Downs - Earliest Known Date". The Commercial Appeal. January 31, 1931. p. 7. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  3. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 57–58. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  4. "Cartoon Carnival #1". YouTube . June 15, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. "Radio & Television Packagers Redrawns Part 3". YouTube . February 20, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2025.