Summary of The Rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace | THE MERRIE HISTORY OF LOONEY TUNES

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

This YouTube video chronicles the history of Looney Tunes shorts from its origins as music-centric shorts starring Schlesinger employees to the later years of the studio's production, when directors such as Bob Clampett began to emerge. Among the directors at Schlesinger during this time were Frank Tashlin, who made the iconic love letter to big band jazz, and Avery, who created the fractured fairy tale, among other shorts. The video ends with the introduction of Bugs Hardaway, who would later replace Howard as the director of the Termite Terrace shorts.

• 00:00:00 In 1912, a young boy was born in Spokane, Washington, and his family soon relocated to Los Angeles, California. After growing up and becoming a successful artist, the young man, Charles Jones, decides to join Leon Schlesinger Productions, a newly-formed animation studio run by Jack Warner. There, Jones helps to bring in other talented animators, such as Tom Palmer and Jack Kane, and sets out to create cartoons that will rival those produced by Walt Disney. Despite the wild and wacky atmosphere at the studio, Jones is able to keep his employees happy and working, and even manages to direct a few shorts himself.
• 00:05:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy, and Termite Terrace tells the story of how production manager and head director Leon Schlesinger tasked two animators with creating new characters to outshine Disney, and how these new characters, Bosco and Buddy, became Warner Brothers' new animated stars. However, Buddy's debut short, Buddy's Day Out, was a disaster and was quickly rejected by Warner Brothers. Tom Palmer, who was originally hired to direct the short, was ultimately fired due to his poor directing skills. Earl Duval, who was a story man most known for his work in Disney comics at the time, was eventually appointed director in Schlesinger's stead and proved to be a better fit. Freeling, who was initially hired as an uncredited animator, was eventually given the responsibility of directing all the Bosco units, and was also given the task of reworking Buddy into a more successful character. However, Schlesinger eventually fired Freeling due to his excessive self-importance. Buddy the Gob, the final short Schlesinger directed before retiring, was the first cartoon to use two strips of Cinecolor.
• 00:10:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace tells the history of Looney Tunes, focusing on the short cartoons starring Buddy, introduced in 1935. While the shorts had the feel of Disney with a lower budget, they were mostly derivative or racist. However, the Merry Melodies were in a better place than the Looney Tunes shorts, which were struggling thanks to their star, Bosco. Buddy was not a long-term solution and if Schlanger Productions wanted to keep going, they needed to find a replacement fast. In 1934-35, Friedling had begun to settle into his place in the director's chair, and the Merry Melodies had now switched back to color permanently. The shorts introduced a slate of new characters that would later be used in the Looney Tunes shorts. Oliver Owl, a snobby owl, Hammond x, a pair of twin puppies, Little Kitty, a fidgety nervous kitten, Mary, a little, um, and Lamb, the titular character, were all introduced in Buddy the G-Man.
• 00:15:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy, and Termite Terrace is a history of Looney Tunes cartoons, starting with the short nightmare, which is about a cartoonist who is kidnapped by his own creations. The next short, Hollywood Capers, introduces Beans' supporting cast of Kitty and Oliver Owl, who are immediately retired after the short. The first Looney Tune short, Leon decides to give to one of his newest hires, a heavyset Texan who had been working at Walter Lance's studio since 1930. Frederick Avery Animation Director, I, goes down to Schlesinger and introduces myself as a director. Schlesinger, being impressed, hires me, and I'm given a board with characters and a project: to create a short featuring Beans' stuttering Pig who recites a poem. Gold Diggers of 49 is a riff on the California Gold Rush, and stars Beans, Kitty, and Porky, who for some reason is redesigned to be a bulkier, rounder adult figure with spoken Doherty's natural speaking voice. Gold Diggers is a success and cementates Beans and Porky as the new stars of the Looney Tunes shorts. However, Beans is only interested in developing one of them, and by
• 00:20:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace tells the history of Looney Tunes, with particular focus on the early years of Tex Avery and his unit. The cartoon features Porky, Daffy, and Termite Terrace, and features rapid-fire gags that take the audience by surprise but are never so fast that clarity is lost. The short also features Page Miss Glory, a fantasia-style short with a focus on stunning visuals.
• 00:25:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace tells the story of how Jack King, an experienced animator, failed to create funny cartoons and was replaced by Leon Schlesinger. While Beans was rarely the focus of the cartoons, his presence was felt in gags that were forced or unpolished. The final result was that King's Porky cartoons were not funny, but instead off-putting.
• 00:30:00 In 1936-37, Warner Bros. began experiencing technological advances that allowed them to produce cartoons more consistently and with greater cohesion. This led to a number of improvements, including a more cohesive directing style and the development of a unique Looney Tunes identity. Two of the most important improvements were the development of Texan company Teslan and the introduction of Porky's Duck Hunt, which would mark the debut of Joe Doherty's stutter. However, this would not be the last time that Texan company would run into trouble with the censors; in Clean Pastures, they depict black people as heavenly beings which is seen as blasphemous.
• 00:35:00 In 1937, Bob Clampett became the director of Looney Tunes after directing a few shorts. His first short, Porky's Bad Time Story, was a critical and commercial success. However, he was quickly disappointed in the lack of personal investment from Warner Brothers in his shorts, and was forced to bring in help from Eyeworks to finish them.
• 00:40:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy, and Termite Terrace chronicles the history of Looney Tunes shorts from its origins as music-centric shorts starring Schlesinger employees to the later years of the studio's production, when directors such as Bob Clampett began to emerge. Among the directors at Schlesinger during this time were Frank Tashlin, who made the iconic love letter to big band jazz, and Avery, who created the fractured fairy tale, among other shorts. The video ends with the introduction of Bugs Hardaway, who would later replace Howard as the director of the Termite Terrace shorts.
• 00:45:00 In the early days of animation, Bob Clampett and izzy Ellis created some wild and wacky cartoons with an elastic energy that audiences could't help but laugh at. Porky in Egypt, Boots Boots Boots, and Gallows are some of the best examples of this wild energy. Chuck Jones, who worked alongside Clampett at the studio, later became a director on his own. However, when the shorts came out, Clampett only received credit for supervision, which did not sit well with Jones. In 1938, Clampett left Schlesinger Productions and Frank Tashlin took over his unit. Jones was given access to bigger budgets and more talented animators, and his first credited directorial debut is on November 19th, 1938 with the short, Night Watchman.
• 00:50:00 The Rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace covers the rise of Porky, Daffy, and Termite Terrace and the development of their animation styles. Bob Clampett is contrasted with Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones is contrasted with Bob Clampett.
• 00:55:00 This YouTube video tells the story of how Looney Tunes came to be, starting with the rise of Porky, Daffy and Termite Terrace.