The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: 1934

Chicken Reel Release Date: 1/1/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 594 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Michael Fitzgerald incorrectly lists this cartoon as a December 1933 release. This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits

The Candy House Release Date: 1/15/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 506 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits

The County Fair Release Date: 2/5/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Ernest Smythe, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 505 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon First onscreen credit for George Merle Gilson Not to be confused with Kounty Fair (1930) Reissued as The Country Fair by Guild/Firelight This cartoon was only directed by Bill Nolan, despite the misleading credits

The Toy Shoppe Release Date: 2/19/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, George Grandpre, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 508 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon This cartoon was only directed by Walter Lantz, despite the misleading credits Fred Ladd and Entercolor Technologies Corp. used this cartoon as a colorization test for Universal, who rejected it and all future plans for colorization of black and white Lantz cartoons. Screen shots from the colorized version of this short can be viewed on the Miscellaneous Cartunes page.

Kings Up Release Date: 3/12/34 Direction: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Ernest Smythe, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 507 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Thanks to Joe Busam for providing us with images from this cartoon. Last cartoon to credit Walter Lantz and Bill Nolan as co-directors. Many copies of this cartoon have the Jolson blackface gag omitted. This cartoon was only directed by Bill Nolan, despite the misleading credits.

Wolf! Wolf! Release Date: 4/12/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 510 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon First Oswald cartoon since 1930 to feature a sole director's credit for Walter Lantz. Victor McLeod, Lantz storyman and animator for several years to come, gets his first onscreen credit. First animation credit for female veteran Lantz animator, Laverne Harding, here credited as Verne.

The Ginger Bread Boy Release Date: 4/16/34 Direction: Uncredited Artists: Fred Avery, Ray Abrams, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Merle Gilson, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 509 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Thanks to Del Walker for providing us with images from this cartoon Incorrectly listed as Gingerbread Boy in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic No credit is given for the director of this cartoon. While judging from the animators listed, one would tend to think this is a Nolan effort. The big question, however, is why would he leave his name off of the film? One might speculate that the director is in fact Tex Avery, since Avery's name is now listed in front of Ray Abrams in the animation credits, while traditionally, Avery's name would follow Abrams.

Goldielocks and the Three Bears Release Date: 5/14/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 681 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Incorrectly listed as Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Michael Fitzgerald's Universal Pictures Incorrectly listed as Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic

Annie Moved Away Release Date: 5/28/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Victor McLeod, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 680 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon First cartoon to feature a sole director's credit for Bill Nolan. Includes reused animation from Five and Dime (1933)

Wax Works Release Date: 6/25/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 683 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon This short prominently features caricatures of the monsters from Universal's famous horror films, including the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, and the Invisible Man. Mr. Hyde of Paramount's 1931 feature Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (based on the Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) is also featured as well as Bluebeard from Georges Méliès' 1902 film of the same name (based on the folktale by Charles Perrault). Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 2 (DVD; Universal/MCA)

William Tell Release Date: 7/9/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Ray Abrams, Fred Avery, Cecil Surry, Jack Carr, Victor McLeod, and Merle Gilson Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 682 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Last onscreen credit for George Merle Gilson until his return in 1938 Previously, this filmography erroneously credited Walter Lantz as the director of this cartoon. It was actually directed by Bill Nolan.

Chris Columbus, Jr. Release Date: 7/23/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Fred Avery, Jack Carr, Ray Abrams, Joe d'Igalo, Ernest Smythe, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 685 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon First onscreen credit for Joe d'Igalo Reissued as Christopher Columbus Jr. by Guild/Firelight Incorrectly listed as Chris Columbo Jr. in Leonard Maltin's Of Mice and Magic This cartoon is notable for a gag that Tex Avery came up with and animated on the spot. It involves the villian getting his peg leg stuck in a lit cannon! The film depicts Oswald/Columbus having an audience with a young Isabella I of Castile and a very elderly Ferdinand II of Aragon. However, the real Isabella (1451-1504) and Ferdinand (1452-1516) were around the same age with Isabella actually being an entire year older than Ferdinand! The Guild/Firelight reissue of this cartoon omits the scene where Isabella shouts "Bon Voyage" to Oswald/Columbus and then accidentally breaks a bottle of wine against the head of Dopey Dick as opposed to the bow of the ship. Dopey subsequently licks the wine off of his face and then hiccups.

The Dizzy Dwarf Release Date: 8/6/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Cecil Surry, Ed Benedict, Victor McLeod, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 686 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon

Ye Happy Pilgrims Release Date: 9/3/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Manuel Moreno, George Grandpre, Lester Kline, Verne Harding, Fred Kopietz, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 684 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Reissued as The Happy Pilgrims by Guild/Firelight

Jolly Little Elves Release Date: 10/1/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Lyrics: Walter Lantz and Victor McLeod Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, Bill Mason, and La Verne Harding Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 688 A Cartune Classic Academy Award nominee The first full-length Walter Lantz cartoon in color The first one-shot Walter Lantz cartoon Jolly Little Elves was made in two-color Technicolor, as were the subsequent Lantz Cartune Classics released during 1934 and 1935. Our only copy of this film is a reissue print. If you have a copy with original opening and closing titles, please contact us. Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 2 (Reissue print; DVD; Universal/MCA) Woody Woodpecker and Friends, Vol. 5 (Reissue print; DVD; Columbia House)

Sky Larks Release Date: 10/22/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Fred Avery, Jack Carr, Ray Abrams, Joe d'Igalo, Ernest Smythe, and Victor McLeod Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 687 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Copyrighted as The Sky Larks The live-action clip from the Universal Newspaper Newsreel shows professor Auguste Piccard, a Swiss scientist who was able to go higher than anyone ever before in a diving bell-like vessel carried by a balloon.

Spring in the Park Release Date: 11/12/34 Direction: Bill Nolan Artists: Cecil Surry, Ed Benedict, Victor McLeod, and Ernest Smythe Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 690 An Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Last onscreen credit for Bill Nolan at Lantz. Nolan would leave the studio in 1934 and briefly find work as head animator on a series of shorts based on the Skippy comic strip before going to work at the Charles Mintz studio and later Felischer studios in Miami.

Toyland Premiere Release Date: 12/10/34 Direction: Walter Lantz Story and Lyrics: Walter Lantz and Victor McLeod Artists: Manuel Moreno, Lester Kline, Fred Kopietz, Bill Mason, and La Verne Harding Musical Score: James Dietrich Notes: Production Number: 692 A Cartune Classic featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Includes reused animation from Merry Dog (1933) Caricatures include Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor (in blackface), Frankenstein, Laurel and Hardy, Shirley Temple, and Johnny Weissmuller among others. Our only copy of this film is an edited reissue print, missing the scene where the cake lands on Laurel and Hardy. If you have a copy with original opening and closing titles, please contact us. Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 1 (Edited reissue print; DVD; Universal/MCA)