The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia: 1941

"Mouse Trappers" Release Date: 1/27/41 Direction: Alex Lovy Story: Ben Hardaway Artists: Alex Lovy and George Dane Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 994 The first musical score by Darrell Calker Poppa Panda's voice has been changed. He now sounds like W.C. Fields. Most copies of this cartoon are missing the drinking scene featuring the mouse and the cat. Also missing in many prints is the scene that takes place after Poppa Panda tries to shoot an apple off of the mouse's head. Poppa is such a bad shot, that the mouse hands him a card reading "You Are Exempt from Military Service" (obviously a reference to FDR's peacetime conscription). Click here to see images of the edited scenes.

"Fair Today" Release Date: 2/24/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Alex Lovy, Ralph Somerville Story: Ben Hardaway Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 995 Thanks to Andrea Ippoliti for providing images from this cartoon.

"Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat" Release Date: 3/28/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway Artists: Alex Lovy and Frank Tipper Music Arrangement: Darrell Calker Music and Words: Don Raye Notes: Production Number: 999 Fell into the public domain in 1969 This cartoon has been withheld from distribution by Universal since 1949 due to its portrayal of African-Americans. The decision was made after a strong objection was raised by the NAACP upon the short's reissue in 1948. The entire episode was a shock to Lantz who prided himself on avoiding problems with the censors. He repeatedly stated that his cartoons were never meant to offend anyone. After the 1948 decision, Lantz made a major effort to make sure that offensive caricatures of any racial or ethnic group would never appear in his cartoons again. He also personally made sure that "Scrub Me Mama" would never be distributed on television.

"Hysterical Highspots in American History" Release Date: 3/31/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Alex Lovy and Verne Harding Story: Ben Hardaway Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 996

"Dizzy Kitty" Release Date: 5/26/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway Artists: Alex Lovy and Harold Mason Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 997

"Salt Water Daffy" Release Date: 6/9/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway and Lowell Elliott Animation: Alex Lovy and Les Kline Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 998 The final appearance of Punchy

"Woody Woodpecker" Release Date: 7/7/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway and Lowell Elliott Animation: Alex Lovy and Les Kline Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 1000 Reissued as "The Cracked Nut" by Castle Films The first in the Woody Woodpecker series

"Andy Panda's Pop" Release Date: 7/28/41 Direction: Alex Lovy Story: Ben Hardaway and Lowell Elliot Artists: Alex Lovy and George Dane Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 1002 Reissued as "Goofy Roofer" for television By this time, Poppa Panda had become such a success that Lantz decided to have him star in his own cartoon. It should be noted that Andy Panda himself does not appear here at all. Andy's mother does make a cameo appearance, however.

"The Screwdriver" Release Date: 8/11/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway and J. Cosgrove Artists: Alex Lovy and R. Somerville Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 1003 Reissued as "Woody's Jalopy" for television

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company 'B'" Release Date: 9/1/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Alex Lovy and Verne Harding Story: Ben Hardaway and Lowell Elliott Musical Arrangement: Darrell Calker Music: Hughie Prince Lyrics: Don Raye Notes: Production Number: 1004 Academy Award nominee Includes reused animation from "Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat"

"Man's Best Friend" Release Date: 10/20/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Story: Ben Hardaway and J. Cosgriff Artists: Alex Lovy and Harold Mason Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 1005 Pinto Colvig, who previously worked for Lantz as an inbetweener and animator in the studio's days of infancy, returned to voice the hunter in this cartoon.

"Pantry Panic" Release Date: 11/24/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Alex Lovy and Verne Harding Story: Ben Hardaway and Lowell Elliott Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: 1006 Working title: "What's Cookin'" Copyrighted as "What's Cookin'" Fell into the public domain in 1969 Model sheets for this cartoon refer to the cat as "Korny Kat" This is the last cartoon in which Mel Blanc would voice Woody. Writer and gagman, Ben Hardaway would become Woody's new voice beginning in 1942.

"$21 a Day (Once a Month)" Release Date: 12/1/41 Direction: Walter Lantz Artists: Alex Lovy and Frank Tipper Story: Ben Hardaway and L.E. Elliot Music Arrangement: Darrell Calker Music: Felix Bernard Lyrics: Ray Klages Notes: Production Number: 1007 The first "Swing Symphony" cartoon Be sure to look for cameos by Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, and Snuffy Skunk Incorrectly listed as "$21,000 a Day Once a Month" in Jeff Lenburg's Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons Click here to see "$21 a Day (Once a Month)" sheet music.