Noveltoons (1943-mid 1955)

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Noveltoons
Genre: Comedy

Slapstick

Running Time: 6-10 minutes
Country: United States
Release Date: November 26, 1943 – September 30, 1955
Created by: Famous Studios
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Famous Studios Harvey Films

Starring: Mae Questel

Jack Mercer Jackson Beck Cecil Roy Arnold Stang Sid Raymond Amanda Randolph Allen Swift (1954-55)

Episodes: 92


Noveltoons is a series of cartoons produced by Paramount Pictures' Famous Studios from 1943 to the end of the studio during 1967.

The series was known for bringing to life characters from Harvey Comics, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, and Baby Huey.

It was the successor to the Color Classics series produced by Fleischer Studios. Several Noveltoons feature characters originated in Color Classics.

This series was also similar to Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, in that it features several recurring characters with one general title.

This article will be talking about the shorts from "No Mutton fer Nuttin'" up to "Rabbit Punch".

Filmography

1940s

1943

  • "No Mutton fer Nuttin'" (Gordon (uncredited); with Blackie and Wolfie; also their first appearances; first Noveltoon short; only entry recorded with Western Electric's Noiseless Recording system in Miami)

1944

  • "The Henpecked Rooster" (Kneitel; with Herman and Henry; also first appearance of both; first Noveltoon cartoon directed by Seymour Kneitel; first Noveltoon cartoon with directorial credit, and first Noveltoon recorded with RCA Sound System in New York City)
  • "Cilly Goose" (Kneitel; one-off; first Noveltoon series short where the solo character speaks)
  • "Suddenly It's Spring" (Kneitel; with Raggedy Ann; first sequel to the 1941 Max Fleischer Color Classic cartoon, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy (1941))
  • "Yankee Doodle Donkey" (Sparber; with Spunky; also his first appearance since 1941; first Noveltoon cartoon directed by Isadore Sparber)
  • "Gabriel Churchkitten" (Kneitel; one-off; based on three books by Margot Austin)

1945

  • "When G.I. Johnny Comes Home" (Kneitel; one-off; first use of the "Bouncing Ball" in an animated cartoon since 1938; first short that was animated by Al Eugster)
  • "Scrappily Married" (Kneitel; with Herman and Henry)
  • "A Lamb in a Jam" (Sparber; with Blackie and Wolfie)
  • "A Self-Made Mongrel" (Gordon (uncredited); with Dog Face; also his first appearance)
  • "The Friendly Ghost" (Sparber; with Casper; also his first appearance)

1946

  • "Cheese Burglar" (Sparber; with Herman)
  • "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" (Kneitel; one-off; a sing-a-long with the Bouncing Ball)
  • "Sheep Shape" (Sparber; with Blackie and Wolfie)
  • "The Goal Rush" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Spree for All" (Kneitel; with Snuffy Swith; lost cartoon until 2016; produced in cinecolor)
  • "Sudden Fried Chicken" (Tytla; with Herman and Henry; final appearance of Henry in the Golden Age of American Animation; first cartoon directed by Bill Tytla)

1947

  • "The Stupidstitious Cat" (Kneitel; with Buzzy; also his first appearance)
  • "The Enchanted Square" (Kneitel; with Raggedy Ann; the final appearance of Raggedy Ann in the Golden Age of American Animation)
  • "Madhattan Island" (Kneitel; one-off)
  • "Much Ado About Mutton" (Sparber; with Blackie and Wolfie; final appearance of Blackie in the Noveltoon series)
  • "The Wee Men" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "The Mild West" (Kneitel; one-off)
  • "Naughty But Mice" (Kneitel; with Herman and Katnip (well known as Proto-Katnip); also the latter's first appearance)
  • "Santa's Surprise" (Kneitel; with Little Audrey; also her first appearance)

1948

  • "Cat o' Nine Ails" (Kneitel; with Buzzy; lost cartoon) When Buzzy the Crow poses as a doctor, Sam the hypochondriac cat is convinced he has all kinds of diseases.
  • "Flip Flap" (Sparber; one-off; produced in polacolor)
  • "We're in the Honey" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "The Bored Cuckoo" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "There's Good Boos To-Night" (Sparber; with Casper)
  • "Land of the Lost" (Sparber; one-off; first of three animated shorts based on the then-popular children's fantasy adventure radio series of the same name)
  • "Butterscotch and Soda" (Kneitel; with Little Audrey; first short of the Little Audrey series)
  • "The Mite Makes Right" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "Hector's Hectic Life" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "The Old Shell Game" (Kneitel; one-off)

1949

  • "The Little Cut-Up" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Hep Cat Symphony" (Kneitel; with Katnip)
  • "The Lost Dream" (Tytla; with Little Audrey)
  • "Little Red School Mouse" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "A Haunting We Will Go" (Kneitel; with Casper; final appearance of Casper in a Noveltoons short before being spun-off into his own series)
  • "A Mutt in a Rut" (Sparber; with Dog Face; final appearance of Dog Face in Golden Age of American Animation)
  • "Campus Capers" (Tytla; with Herman)
  • "Leprechauns Gold" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "The Song of the Birds" (Tytla; with Little Audrey; final short in the 1940s)

1950s

1950

  • "Land of the Lost Jewels" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Quack-a-Doodle-Doo" (Sparber; with Baby Huey; also his first appearance)
  • "Teacher's Pest" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Tarts and Flowers" (Tytla; with Little Audrey)
  • "Ups an' Downs Derby" (Kneitel; one-off)
  • "Pleased to Eat You" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Goofy Goofy Gander" (Tytla; with Little Audrey)
  • "Saved by the Bell" (Kneitel; with Herman and Katnip; last Noveltoon in the UM&M/NTA package)
  • "Mice Meeting You" (Kneitel; with Herman and Katnip; first Noveltoon in the Harvey Films package)
  • "The Voice of the Turkey" (Tytla; one-off)
  • "Sock-a-Bye Kitty" (Kneitel; with Buzzy and Katnip)

1951

  • "One Quack Mind" (Sparber; with Baby Huey)
  • "Mice Paradise" (Sparber; with Herman and Katnip)
  • "Hold The Lion Please" (Sparber; with Little Audrey)
  • "Land of Lost Watches" (Kneitel; one-off; Third and final animated short based on the then-popular children's fantasy adventure radio series, Land of the Lost)
  • "As the Crow Lies" (Kneitel; with Buzzy and Katnip)
  • "Slip Us Some Redskin" (Kneitel; one-off)
  • "Party Smarty" (Kneitel; with Baby Huey)
  • "Cat-Choo" (Kneitel; with Buzzy and Katnip)
  • "Audrey the Rainmaker" (Sparber; with Little Audrey)
  • "Cat Tamale" (Kneitel; with Herman and Katnip)
  • "By Leaps and Hounds" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Scout Fellow" (Kneitel; with Baby Huey)

1952

  • "Cat Carson Rides Again" (Kneitel; with Herman and Katnip; Final appearance of Herman in the Noveltoon series, before he and Katnip were given their own series)
  • "The Awful Tooth" (Kneitel; with Buzzy and Katnip)
  • "Law and Audrey" (Sparber; with Little Audrey)
  • "City Kitty" (Sparber; with Katnip)
  • "Clown on the Farm" (Kneitel; with Baby Huey)
  • "The Case of the Cockeyed Canary" (Kneitel; with Little Audrey)
  • "Feast and Furious" (Sparber; with Katnip)

1953

  • "Starting from Hatch" (Kneitel; with Baby Huey)
  • "Winner by a Hare" (Sparber; with Tommy Tortoise and Moe Hare; also the first appearances of both)
  • "Better Bait Than Never" (Kneitel; with Buzzy and Katnip)
  • "Surf Bored" (Sparber; with Little Audrey)
  • "Huey's Ducky Daddy" (Sparber; with Baby Huey)

1954

  • "The Seapreme Court" (Kneitel; with Little Audrey)
  • "Crazytown" (Sparber; one-off)
  • "Hair Today Gone Tomorrow" (Sparber; with Buzzy and Katnip; final appearance of Katnip in Noveltoon series)
  • "Candy Cabaret" (Tendlar; one-off; first short that was directed by Dave Tendlar)
  • "The Oily Bird" (Sparber; with Inchy the Worm)
  • "Fido Beta Kappa" (Sparber; with Martin Kanine)
  • "No Ifs, Ands or Butts" (Sparber; with Buzzy; final appearance of Buzzy in the Golden Age of American Animation)

1955

  • "Dizzy Dishes" (Sparber; with Little Audrey)
  • "Git Along Lil' Duckie" (Tendlar; with Baby Huey)
  • "News Hound" (Sparber; with Snapper)
  • "Poop Goes the Weasel" (Tendlar; with Waxey Weasel and Wishbone)
  • "Rabbit Punch" (Tendlar; with Tommy Tortoise and Moe Hare; final short in this era; final Noveltoon to feature the Jack-in-the-box opening titles and Sammy Timberg's opening fanfare)

Why Its Novelty

  1. First and foremost, it is Paramount animation in its purest form.
  2. Wonderful characters, each with their own distinct personalities and voices such as;
    • Little Audrey, a cute and playful five-year-old tomboy.
    • Casper The Friendly Ghost, a pleasant, personable, and translucent ghost.
    • Baby Huey
    • Tommy Tortoise and Moe Hare
    • Herman (1944-1946 only)
    • Blackie
    • Raggedy Ann
    • Buzzy the Crow (despite being the African-American stereotype)
    • Katnip
  3. The animation is distinctive and fluid for its time, thanks to a talent of ex-Terrytoons animators (as such Jim Tyer and Dave Tendlar) and ex-Fleischer animators.
  4. Wonderfully lush music scores by former Van Beuren composer, Winston Sharples.
  5. The early shorts still have the artistic ambition that the Fleischer brothers once had before.
  6. The cartoons are no longer post-synched and are now pre-synched like any other Disney and Warner Bros. cartoon.
  7. Many wonderful gems (especially for early shorts), such as:
    • "No Mutton for Nuttin'"
    • "Cilly Goose"
    • "Suddenly It's Spring"
    • "Yankee Doodle Donkey"
    • "Gabriel Churchkitten"
    • "A Self-Made Mongrel"
    • "The Friendly Ghost"
    • "Cheese Burglar"
    • "Sheep Shape"
    • "The Stupidstitious Cat" (Buzzy's debut)
    • "The Enchanted Square"
    • "Much Ado About Mutton"
    • "The Wee Men"
    • "Santa's Surprise" (Little Audrey's debut)
    • "We're in the Honey"
    • "The Bored Cuckoo"
    • "There's Good Boos Tonight"
    • "The Old Shell Game"
    • "Hep Cat Symphony"
    • "A Haunting We Will Go"
    • "Leprechaun's Gold"
    • "The Song of the Birds" (1949 version)
    • "Quack-a-Doodle-Doo" (Baby Huey's debut)
    • "Goofy Goofy Gander"
    • "Saved By the Bell"
    • "The Voice of the Turkey"
    • "Sock-a-Bye Kitty"
    • "The Case of the Cockeyed Canary"
    • "Winner by a Hare"
    • "Huey's Ducky Daddy"
    • "No Ifs, Ands, or Butts"
    • "Dizzy Dishes" (1955 version)
    • "Poop Goes the Weasel"
    • "Rabbit Punch"

Bad Qualities

  1. The series started to slightly decline in late 1950 when Famous Studios started moving away from the artistic ambition for in favor of churning out cartoon series that are mostly formulaic, brutally violent, and largely oriented toward a children's audience, besides that, the series is still pretty decent since new characters were introduced like Tommy Tortoise, Moe Hare and Baby Huey.
    • But it wasn't gonna be the same for the late 1955-1967 shorts due to budget cuts made during that era.
  2. There are some bad shorts as such:
    • "The Henpecked Rooster"
    • "Scrappily Married"
    • "Mice Meeting You" (which started the decline of the series)
    • "Hold The Lion Please"
    • "Slip Us Some Redskin"
    • "The Seapreme Court"
    • "News Hound"
  3. Some racist stereotypes such as Little Audrey's maid Petunia and Buzzy the Crow.
  4. Some unlikable characters such as;
    • Bertha (a.k.a. Chickenpie)
    • Herman the Mouse (especially whenever he is paired with Katnip)
    • Little Audrey (in "Hold The Lion Please" only)

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