The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia:
Miscellaneous Cartunes

Walter Lantz got his start in animation working for the John R. Bray studios in New York. One of his first jobs at the studio was working as an animator on Bray's animated adaptation of Jerry on the Job with George Stallings. "I animated one 250-foot Jerry on the Job every two weeks," Lantz once recalled. "The drawings in those days were black and white on paper. We'd pencil the drawings, then ink them in, and photograph each sheet." Lantz's next task at Bray was animating and co-directing the revived Col. Heeza Liar series in 1922. Heeza Liar was a man who wove many interesting tall tales of his "travels" and "experiences" (a sort of Baron Munchausen character). The most notable aspect of these early cartoons is that, much like Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell series, they combine live-action with animation.

As time went on, Lantz was finally promoted to director and created Dinky Doodle and his dog, Weakheart. He would be assisted by David Hand (later regarded as one of Disney's top animators), Clyde Geronimi (who eventually worked as an animator at the Lantz studio in the early 1930s before making a name for himself at Disney), and James "Shamus" Culhane (later noted for his work as a director at the Lantz studio in the mid-1940s). Like the Heeza Liar shorts, the Dinky Doodle cartoons would again place animated characters in a live-action surrounding with Lantz in the role of the cartoonist (again, reminiscent of Max Fleischer). After the first few shorts, Lantz decided to don a pair of Harold Llyod-esque glasses to enhance the comedy of the series. This never left much of an impression on audiences, but still managed to keep them laughing.

The typical Dinky cartoon would usually tap into the storybook realm and Lantz's two personal favorites from the series, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella (both 1925), are a prime examples of this. Additionally, most of the films finished with Lantz himself taking on the villain in a madcap fist fight or duel. For a scene like this, Lantz would first be filmed dueling with a real person, usually head animator Clyde Geronimi. Then, according to Shamus Culhane, "each exposure of the film was enlarged on nine-by-twelve photographic paper, which had been punched like animation paper. The stack of finished prints was sent to the animator, and over each image of the live actor he drew a cartoon on oninionskin paper... When these drawings were duly inked and painted on cels, each combination of live-action enlargement and cel was shot in the cartoon camera. The final result was Walt dueling merrily with an animated cartoon."

A comic-strip promotion for the Film Daily newspaper featuring Dinky Doodle and Weakheart, drawn by Walter Lantz in 1925. Courtesy of Cole Johnson. Click to enlarge.

The Dinky Doodle shorts enjoyed a widespread success with audiences. People at restaurants and service stations even began to recognize the Lloyd-esque Lantz who, in 1925, devised a second live-action/animation series, the Aesop-esque Un-Natural History cartoons. Then, after the Dinky Doodle shorts ran their course in 1926, Lantz introduced yet another series of live-action/animation films entitled Hot Dog cartoons featuring Pete the Pup. This new character was utilized by Lantz when he made the first sound tests for Bray at the Fox Studios' New York office. Unfortunately, the success of such tests or of Bray's transition to sound will never be known. In 1927, the studio went bankrupt, leaving Lantz to seek out new fortune. He left for Hollywood, secured a job with Charles B. Mintz on the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit series and the rest is history.

A poster for the 1927 Hot Dog cartoon The Farm Hand, drawn by Clyde Geronimi. Click to enlarge.

Most of Lantz's Bray work is very difficult to find today. The original negatives were destroyed in a warehouse fire and so all that exists of these films are largely scattered television/home movie reissues and foreign-language prints. Nine Dinky Doodle shorts – The Giant Killer (1924), The Pied Piper (1924), The Captain's Kid (1925), Cinderella (1925), The House That Dinky Built (1925), Little Red Riding Hood (1925), Peter Pan-Handled (1925), Robinson Crusoe (1925), and Lost and Found (1926) – exist as beautifully restored, French-titled prints in the Lobster Films archive in Paris, France. Four of these titles – The Giant Killer, Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Pan-Handled, and Robinson Crusoe – were included in Lobster's Cartoon Factory television program that was broadcast from 1995 to 2001 on the European network arte in both France and Germany.

Additionally, the UCLA Film and Television Archive owns three Dinky Doodle films – The Giant Killer (1924), The House That Dinky Built (1925), and Magic Carpet (1925) – while the Library of Congress owns a print of one – Little Red Riding Hood (1925). At least eleven more Dinky Doodle shorts – The Magic Lamp (1924), The Babes in the Woods (1925), Just Spooks (1925), The Circus (1925), The Hunt (1925), The Arctic (1926), Egypt (1926), The Wild West (1926), Dinky's Bed Time Story (1926), The Magician (1926), and The Army (1926) – exist in various private film collections.

As for the Un-Natural History cartoons, at least eight of those – How the Bear Got His Short Tail (1925), The Leopard's Spots (1925), The Goat's Whiskers (1926), The Ostrich's Plumes (1926), The Pelican's Bill (1926), The Mule's Disposition (1926), The Tail of the Monkey (1926), and The Hyena's Laugh (1927) – are also known to exist in private collections. Furthermore, prints of seven of Lantz's Hot Dog cartoons – Pete's Party (1926), Dog Gone It (1927), Lunch Hound (1927), Jungle Belles (1927), Petering Out (1927), The Puppy Express (1927), and S'matter Pete (1927) – are owned by the Library of Congress, while at least one more – For the Love o' Pete (1926) – has surfaced in private collections.

The character of Dinky Doodle himself, perhaps Lantz's best-known Bray creation, has been largely forgotten by the general public since his retirement from the screen. Still, he was mentioned in the 1988 motion picture Who Framed Roger Rabbit, likely in recognition of the fact that the Dinky shorts, like the Roger Rabbit film, combined live-action with animation. If such was the case, then it would be difficult to find a more fitting tribute to Lantz's tenure at the Bray studios.

King of Jazz Release Date: 4/20/30 Animation: Walter Lantz and "Bill" Nolan Music: Paul Whiteman and His Band Voices: Paul Whiteman (as Himself) and Bing Crosby (as the Lion) Notes: An animated sequence created by Lantz and his staff at the request of Carl Laemmle for the 1930 Universal feature King of Jazz featuring Paul Whiteman and his band. The first color sound cartoon ever produced, predating Disney and Ub Iwerks Lantz's animated segment as well as the entire film itself was produced in Two-Strip Technicolor Bing Crosby provides the voice of the lion Watch for a cameo by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Video availability: King of Jazz (VHS; Universal/MCA)

Boy Meets Dog! Release Date: 1938 Direction: Walter Lantz Animation: Rudy Zamora, Frank Tipper Music: Frank Churchill Musical Director: Nathaniel Shilkret Based On Reg'lar Fellers by: Gene Byrnes Backgrounds: Charles Conner and Roy Forkum Notes: Fell into the public domain in 1966 Viewable online at the Internet Archive's Moving Images Archive. This cartoon, based on the Reg'lar Fellers comic strip, was originally made for Ipana Toothpaste and was going to be released theatrically. It never got released to theaters, but was eventually bought by Castle Films and released exclusively to the home movie market (with the plugs for Ipana Toothpaste removed). Video availability: Cartoon Classics #5 (Castle Films reissue print; VHS; Video Yesteryear)

The Amazing Recovery of Inbad the Ailer Release Date: 1939 A Walter Lantz Production Notes: Fell into the public domain in 1967 We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us. This industrial cartoon was made by the Lantz studio for Saraka Laxative, a product of the Schering Corporation. It was exhibited at the 1939 New York World's Fair and has not been seen since. An 18-page color storybooklet featuring stills from the film is all that is known to exist of it. The title card presented here is from this booklet and the bottom text indictating that the film is "A Walter Lantz Production" has been noticeably air-brushed out. Click here to read more.

Take Heed Mr. Tojo Copyright Date: 7/12/44 Produced by: Walt Lantz Under the Supervision of the Bureau of Aeronautics With the Cooperation of the Executive Office of the Secretary Notes: Production Number: MN-2648 Fell into the public domain in 1972 The only known Hook cartoon produced by Walter Lantz for the United States Navy during World War II. The other known cartoons in the series were done by Leon Schlesinger Productions (Warner Bros.) and were in black and white. In this cartoon, Hook explains to his young son how war bonds helped win the war. Video availability: Cartoons For Victory! (DVD; Thunderbean)

The Enemy Bacteria Production Date: 1945 Produced by: Walter Lantz Direction: Dick Lundy (uncredited) Layout: Art Heinemann (uncredited) Music: Darrell Calker (uncredited) Notes: Production Number: MN-1511 Fell into the public domain in 1973 Instructional film made for the United States Navy. Grim Natwick is known to have worked on this cartoon. Mel Blanc provides the voices of the staphylococcus and streptococcus germs. Video availability: Cultoons, Vol. 3: Monkeys, Monsters & More! (DVD; Thunderbean)

Reddy Made Magic Copyright Date: 3/25/46 Produced by: Walter Lantz Co-Produced by: Ashton B. Collins Direction: Dick Lundy Story: Ben Hardaway and Milt Schaffer Photography: Fred Weaver Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: C-100 This Lantz-produced educational film features Reddy Kilowatt, a character created in 1926 by Ashton B. Collins, Sr., the general commercial manager of the Alabama Power Company. The character was licensed by some three hundred electrical companies in the United States and overseas that sought to sell homeowners on electricity use. In addition, the character was featured in a give-away comic book, also produced by the Lantz studio in 1947. Significant portions of footage from this Lantz production were later reused in a second Reddy Kilowatt film entitled The Mighty Atom, produced in 1958 by John Sutherland Productions. The song sequence was also reused for Reddy Kilowatt commercials that appeared on television throughout the 1950s. Our only copy of this cartoon is incomplete and does not have its original opening titles. If you have a complete print, please contact us.

Sioux City Sue Release Date: 11/21/46 Released by Republic Pictures Notes: The Water Lantz Studio (uncredited) provided the very brief animated segment for this Gene Autry film. Video availability: Sioux City Sue (DVD; Image Entertainment) Sioux City Sue (VHS; Disney)

The Egg and I Production Date: 1947 Produced by: Walter Lantz Direction: Dick Lundy Notes: Production Number: C-109 We currently do not have a copy of this film. If you have a print, please contact us. This promotional film was produced by the Lantz studio for Universal's 1947 feature The Egg and I, based on the novel by Betty MacDonald. The film itself stars Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray with Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride as Ma and Pa Kettle. In the end, the Kettles proved so successful with audiences that they went on to star in their own series of Universal comedies. Ironically, they served as the inspiration for the Lantz studio's later Maw and Paw series.

The Story of Human Energy Production Date: 1947 Produced by: Walter Lantz Direction: Dick Lundy Story: Rex Cox Music: Darrell Calker Notes: Production Number: C-110 Fell into the public domain in 1975 This educational film was produced by the Lantz studio for the Corn Products Refining Company (today Corn Products International).

Destination Moon Release Date: 6/27/50 Animation Sequences By: Walter Lantz Voices (uncredited): Grace Stafford (Woody Woodpecker) and Irving Pichel (Narrator) Notes: George Pal, the movie's producer, asked his good friend Walter Lantz to provide a short animated film sequence in which Woody has the the basics of space flight explained to him. This appearance was the very first time Woody's voice was provided by Grace Stafford. The film's director, Irving Pichel, provided the voice of the narrator in this segment. George Pal would insert tributes to Walter Lantz in some of his other films including The Time Machine (1960). The 1951 Woody cartoon Destination Meatball spoofed this movie's title. Video availability: Destination Moon (DVD; Image Entertainment) Destination Moon (VHS; Tapeworm)

Jungle Medics Release Date: 1960 Voices: Dal McKennon Notes: Production Number: SS-1 No onscreen credits. The cartoon was a pilot for a possible TV series. Released theatrically in 1960 without standard production number or release date. This cartoon, along with Space Mouse: The Secret Weapon (see below), made its television debut as part of the 1964 syndication version of The Woody Woodpecker Show. Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 2 (DVD; Universal/MCA)

The Secret Weapon Release Date: 1960 Voices: Paul Frees Notes: Production Number: SM-1 No onscreen credits. First animated appearance of Space Mouse, a character who was created for Lantz comic books by Craig Chase. Read more about this character's history in Mark Evanier's in-depth analysis here. This cartoon may have been released theatrically in 1960 without standard production number or release date (like Jungle Medics). This cartoon, along with Jungle Medics (see above), made its television debut as part of the 1964 syndication version of The Woody Woodpecker Show. Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 2 (DVD; Universal/MCA) Woody Woodpecker and Friends, Vol. 1 (DVD; Columbia House)

The Woody Woodpecker Show: Spook-a-Nanny Release Date: 1964 Produced by: Walter Lantz Associate Producer: Norman Gluck Production Supervision: William Garity Cartoon Sequences: Directors: Paul Smith and Sid Marcus Animation: Ray Abrams, Art Davis, Al Coe, Lester Kline, Joe Voght, and Tom Byrne Layout and Background: Ray Huffine and Art Landy Story: Cal Howard Cartoon Editor: Alfred E. Wahrman Cartoon Camera: Jack Eckes and Tommy Alcorn Voices: Grace Stafford, Daws Butler, and Gloria Wood Trio Live Sequences: Director: Robert Owan Camera: Bernard Guffey Film Editor: F.Y. Smith, A.C.E. Production Services: Pacific Title Sound: T.V. Recorders Notes: Production Number: TC-3 This was a special Halloween episode of The Woody Woodpecker Show. In-between showings of classic cartoons (Under the Counter Spy and Playful Pelican), Walter Lantz and an animated Woody prepared for a Halloween party. The special concluded with an all-new 6-minute cartoon, Spook-a-Nanny featuring Woody and many other Lantz characters. Video availability: Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 1 (DVD; Universal/MCA)

The Toy Shoppe Production Date: 1984 Colorization by Fred Ladd and Entercolor Technologies Corp. Notes: Colorization test, see the original short's entry on the 1934 page for further details.