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OutOfOdor
6 years ago
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4830ti 
Release Date: June 5, 1943
Direction: Tex Avery
Story: uncredited on circulating copies, apparently Rich Hogan
Animation: no animators credited, but likely Ray Abrams, Preston Blair and Ed Love
Music: Scott Bradley
Film Editor: Fred MacAlpin
Backgrounds: probably Johnny Johnsen
Cast: Robert Emmett O'Connor (host, live-action), Billy Bletcher (detective, laughter, Santa), Kent Rogers (The Victim, Red Skeleton, falling body), Sara Berner (screams, cuckoo clock)
Summary: A portly detective tries to solve a murder mystery in a haunted house.
Useless Tidbit of Information You Probably Know Already But I'm Posting It Here Anyway:l the falling body gag (minus the "Ah, yes!" line of dialogue) was used by Warner Bros. in So You Want to be a Detective? (1948), a Joe McDoakes comedy starring George O'Hanlon. Probably coincidental, but still worth mentioning.

This month's entry happens to be one of my favorites from the genius that was Tex Avery, a perfect cartoon for viewing around Halloween, or any time really. This is one of his earliest cartoons for MGM, and one of his best IMO, with laughs practically every fifteen seconds! A great twist at the end, a live-action intro, self-referential book covers, trademark Avery signs... so much I love about this one. Words kinda fail me here, but feel free to discuss below.
"With all respect to the great mousetrap."- Popeye, "The Spinach Overture" (1935)
ToonStar95
6 years ago
I agree. Most of the gags here hit bullseyes and is guaranteed to have you at least snickering all the way through. I think my favorite gag has to be the murder victim suddenly getting up to pose for his picture ("Now let's not get nosy, bub!").

What I also like about it is the musical score (sans title cues) is performed on an organ to spoof radio mystery programs, but it still has the trademarks of Scott Bradley's repertoire (i.e., the sexy theme that plays when the pinup poster appears).
OutOfOdor
6 years ago


Thanks for the link! Interesting that some of the drawings of the detective (albeit with alterations) showed up in Preston Blair's famous animation book.
"With all respect to the great mousetrap."- Popeye, "The Spinach Overture" (1935)
VoiceTalentBrendan
6 years ago
is the detective in this cartoon a caricature of the detective from The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case (1930)?
DevonB
6 years ago

is the detective in this cartoon a caricature of the detective from The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case (1930)?

Originally Posted by: VoiceTalentBrendan 



That's correct, the detective is indeed based on character actor Fred Kelsey.
Mesterius
6 years ago


Thanks for the link! Interesting that some of the drawings of the detective (albeit with alterations) showed up in Preston Blair's famous animation book.



http://web.archive.org/web/20070202082507/http://www.animationarchive.org/2006/05/media-preston-blairs-animation-1st.html 
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