You Ought to Be in Pictures

Last updated
You Ought to Be in Pictures
You Ought to Be in Pictures title card.png
Directed by I. Freleng
Story byJack Miller
Produced by Leon Schlesinger
Starring Mel Blanc
Leon Schlesinger
Fred Jones
Chuck Jones
Bob Clampett
Michael Maltese
Gerry Chiniquy
Henry Binder
Paul Marin
Music by Carl W. Stalling
Animation byHerman Cohen
Color process Black and white (computer colorized in 1995)
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • May 18, 1940 (1940-05-18)
Running time
9:44
LanguageEnglish

You Ought to Be in Pictures is a 1940 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short film directed by Friz Freleng. [1] The cartoon was released on May 18, 1940, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. [2]

Contents

The film combined live-action and animation, and features live-action appearances by Leon Schlesinger, writer Michael Maltese, animator Gerry Chiniquy and other Schlesinger Productions staff members. [3] The title comes from the popular 1934 song "You Oughta Be in Pictures" by Dana Suesse and Edward Heyman, which plays in the beginning of the film.

In 2016, it was shortlisted for the 1941 Retro-Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. [4]

Plot

Daffy tries to convince Leon Schlesinger that he should become the new star of Warner Bros. cartoons You Ought to Be in Pictures (screenshot).jpg
Daffy tries to convince Leon Schlesinger that he should become the new star of Warner Bros. cartoons

Daffy wants to be the top star in the studio. To this end, he persuades Porky to resign from the Schlesinger studios to pursue a career in feature films as Bette Davis' leading man. Porky goes to Leon Schlesinger and asks to have his contract torn up. Schlesinger reluctantly agrees, and wishes Porky the best of luck. "He'll be back!" chuckles Schlesinger after Porky is out of earshot.

Porky spends the rest of the film trying to get into the lots and sets of an unnamed studio, with little success. After several failures, from convincing the security guard to let him in to dressing up as Oliver Hardy to gain access, until the guard gives chase, and inadvertently interrupting the shooting of a ballet film, he decides to see if Schlesinger will take him back. He returns to Schlesinger's office after frantically dodging his cartooned car in and out of "actual" Los Angeles traffic, only to see Daffy doing a wild audition to become the new star of Warner Bros. cartoons, openly disparaging Porky. Porky then takes Daffy with him to another room, and proceeds to beat him senseless. After this, he hurriedly runs into Schlesinger's office to beg for his job back. Schlesinger, laughing heartily and saying "I knew you'd be back!", reveals that he didn't really rip up Porky's contract, and happily tells him to get back to work. Porky gladly thanks him and runs back into the animation paper that he was in when the short started. Daffy, still not quite having learned his lesson after being beaten by Porky, again attempts to persuade Porky to resign and work with Greta Garbo, only to get splattered with a tomato, irritating him.

Cast

Production

This film marks Friz Freleng's directorial debut with Daffy Duck upon his return to Warner Bros. Studios following a tenure at MGM's cartoon division. [5]

The short features cameos from various studio personnel, including Leon Schlesinger, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, Michael Maltese, Gerry Chiniquy, Henry Binder, and Paul Marin. Additionally, the film's runtime, spanning nine minutes and 45 seconds, places it among the longest Looney Tunes cartoons of the Golden Age of Animation, with only Horton Hatches the Egg surpassing it in length.

To manage production costs, the animation team employed minimal special effects, opting instead to integrate live-action footage seamlessly with animation through innovative techniques. Stock footage from the 1936 Western California Mail was repurposed to depict Porky's journey through the studio backlot. [6]

Reception

Animation historian Jerry Beck writes, "Predating Who Framed Roger Rabbit by several decades — in fact, it's credited with inspiring the 1988 film — You Ought to Be in Pictures is one of the most memorable of the black-and-white-era Porky Pig cartoons. It's also one of the funniest." [6]

Home media

Related Research Articles

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

Daffy Duck is a cartoon 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.

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

Porky Pig is a cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his star power, and the animators created many critically acclaimed shorts featuring the character. Even after he was supplanted by later characters, Porky continued to be popular with moviegoers and, more importantly, the Warners directors, who recast him in numerous everyman and sidekick roles.

<i>Porky in Wackyland</i> 1938 animated short film directed by Bob Clampett

Porky in Wackyland is a 1938 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated short film, directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on September 24, 1938, and stars Porky Pig venturing out to find the last do-do bird, which he finds in Wackyland, a land that makes no sense located in Darkest Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leon Schlesinger</span> American film and short producer (1884-1949)

Leon Schlesinger was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant relative of the Warner Brothers. As head of his own studio, Schlesinger served as the producer of Warner's Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons from 1930, when Schlesinger assumed production from his subcontractors, Harman and Ising, to 1944, when Warner acquired the studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friz Freleng</span> American animator, cartoonist, director, and producer (1905–1995)

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Clampett</span> American animator (1913–1984)

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.

<i>Golden Yeggs</i> 1950 film by Friz Freleng

Golden Yeggs is a 1950 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on August 5, 1950, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. A forerunner of the Rocky and Mugsy characters appear, with Rocky already in his present-day form.

Beans (<i>Looney Tunes</i>) Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Beans the Cat is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Cartoons series of cartoons from 1935–1936. Beans was the third Warner Bros cartoon character star after Bosko and Buddy. He was voiced by Billy Bletcher. He was created by director Friz Freleng. The character was featured in nine cartoons made in 1935 and 1936.

<i>Rabbit Fire</i> 1951 American animated short film directed by Chuck Jones

Rabbit Fire is a 1951 Looney Tunes cartoon starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd. Directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese, the cartoon is the first in Jones' "hunting trilogy"—the other two cartoons following it being Rabbit Seasoning and Duck! Rabbit, Duck! It is also the first cartoon to feature a feud between Bugs and Daffy. Produced by Edward Selzer for Warner Bros. Cartoons, the short was released to theaters on May 19, 1951 by Warner Bros. Pictures and is often considered among Jones' best and most important films.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David H. DePatie</span> American producer (1929–2021)

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.

This is a list of all cartoons featuring Porky Pig. Directors are listed in parentheses.

<i>Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5</i> 2007 American film

Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 is a Looney Tunes collection on DVD. Following the pattern of one release each year of the previous volumes, it was released on October 30, 2007.

Greetings Bait is a 1943 Oscar-nominated Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on May 15, 1943.

<i>Corn on the Cop</i> 1965 film

Corn on the Cop is a 1965 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Irv Spector, in his only directorial work on a theatrical cartoon. The short was released on July 24, 1965, and stars Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Granny.

The Rebel Without Claws is a 1961 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on July 15, 1961, and stars Tweety and Sylvester.

<i>Nuts and Volts</i> (film) 1964 film

Nuts and Volts is a 1964 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on July 20, 1964, and stars Speedy Gonzales and Sylvester.

Cracked Quack is a 1952 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng. The cartoon was released on July 5, 1952, and stars Daffy Duck and Porky Pig. This cartoon is notable for being the final Porky Pig cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.

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. 103. ISBN   0-8050-0894-2.
  2. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 70–72. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. Schneider, Steve (1988). That's All, Folks! : The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Co. pp. 65–66. ISBN   0-8050-0889-6.
  4. 1941 Retro-Hugos Archived 2016-01-03 at the Wayback Machine , at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved August 28, 2017
  5. Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals . Atlanta: Turner Publishing.
  6. 1 2 Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 205. ISBN   978-1-64722-137-9.