Favorite One-Shot Character(s)

[PorkyandDaffy]

Who's your favorite one-shot cartoon character or characters?

Mines are Louie and Heathcliff from DOUGH RAY ME-OW. They were great spoofs of Geogre and Lennie from the bookOF MICE AND MEN (my favorite book), and the cartoon they starred in is hilarious. I still wish they would've been made recurring characters and starred in more cartoons.

[Pietro]

The Do-Do Bird from "Porky and Wackyland" is one of my favorites.

-Pietro

[mmv3000]

yeah, I'll go with the Do-Do Bird too. Really glad to see them revive/revise such a one-time character for the Tiny Toons show

[clampettnut]

sam the cat from "mouse and garden". i'm guessing it's
daws butler: sounds a lot like mr. jinx but over the top, like
bobcat goldthwait perhaps.

nothing fancy in this one (sylvester and sam fight over a mouse)
plot-wise, but some great dialog with great delivery. i only wish
there were more!

[barnyarddawg]

Wentworth from Honey's Money. Every time I hear his voice, I tumble over in laughter.

The Jimmy Durante Cat, with his nonchalant use of fire arms, from A Gruesome Twosome. "Ha, cha cha cha cha"

[DR. BELCH]

There was a character in a Betty Boop cartoon a couple of weeks back by this name--bald head, limp arms, wimpy demeanor. He appeared to be a potential (and undesireable) suitor for Betty. Was he a one-shot or did he appear in other Fleischer shorts?

Tex Avery used a lot of great one-shotters in his MGM shorts--dogs, cats, and esp. pretty dames.

[Pietro]

"Whoops! I'm a Cowboy" and "Hot Air Salesman" were the only two Wiffle Piffle 'toons I can remember off the top of my head. He reminds of Egghead with whiskers. Also, I think the Fleischer brothers should've done more cartoons with Bimbo, he's my favorite Fleischer cartoon star.

-Pietro

[Nelson]

I like the cat and dog team, from "It's Hummertime" and "Early To Bet" those two just plain funny..

NO. NO, NOT THAT, NOT HAPPY BIRHTDAY!!!

[Sveven Dvorking]

The Do-Do bird appeared in TWO cartoons because of the remake. (Dough for the Do-Do is the only nasty time compressed cartoon. All others are fine.)

Wentworth was originally from HIS BITTER HALF (1950) . The remake of that cartoon was HONEY'S MONEY (1962)

:D

[Jack]

I totally agree, Nelson! I love McKimson's Cat! He was great in those two Foghorn cartoons as well, not to mention (though his appearance was slightly different) his solo effort: "Swallow The Leader." It's a real pity McKimson rarely utilized the character, and his enemy, the dog. I wouldn't mind a few of the duller Hippety Hopper cartoons being replaced with some more McKimson Cat and Dog outings.

I also like Shep and the house cat from "Fresh Airedale," that Victor Moore character from "Ain't That Ducky," Mike and Tedd from "Wackiki Wabbit," the hotel manager from "Porky Pig's Feat," the Slobobian Mouse from "Mouse Mazurka," and SO many others.



Jack:D

[Rob]

Even though they both appeared in more than just one film, and thereby don't quite fit the definition of "one-shot characters," I like McKimson's big dumb Lenny-type cat (was it Benny?). "P-E-T-R-O-L. Hmm. That's a funny way to spell WATER..."

And as we've talked about here before, Freleng's stork is just hilarious. "I hope the giant isn't sore at me for giving him the wrong bay-bee...HIC!"

[happyheathen]

Nobody's mentioned the gremlin from 'Falling Hare'?

[PorkyandDaffy]

Oh, yeah. Him, too.:D http://members.nbci.com/rodscribner/fhare/1a.jpg

[Bobby B]

Originally posted by Pietro
"Whoops! I'm a Cowboy" and "Hot Air Salesman" were the only two Wiffle Piffle 'toons I can remember off the top of my head. He reminds of Egghead with whiskers. Also, I think the Fleischer brothers should've done more cartoons with Bimbo, he's my favorite Fleischer cartoon star.

-Pietro


Wiffle Piffle also appeared on the cover of an issue of the Fleischer house newsletter, reproduced in The Fleischer Story. (He, Professor Grampy, Pudgy, and the Popeye cast are at the beach, either staring or laughing at Betty's ripped bathing suit.)

[Jon Cooke]

Originally posted by Bobby B
Wiffle Piffle also appeared on the cover of an issue of the Fleischer house newsletter, reproduced in The Fleischer Story. (He, Professor Grampy, Pudgy, and the Popeye cast are at the beach, either staring or laughing at Betty's ripped bathing suit.)


Was Wiffle Piffle an original creation of the Fleischers (like Grampy and Pudgy) or was he based on a comic strip character like some of Betty's other co-stars from this era (Little Jimmy, Henry, The Little King).


-Jon

[DR. BELCH]

Originally posted by Nelson
I like the cat and dog team, from "It's Hummertime" and "Early To Bet"...

Another favorite cat and dog (and mouse) team of mine was in a Chuck Jones short I just saw the other night. The title escapes me, but it concerns a mutt with a hankering for meat and an intricate scheme to get it, involving a poor cat whom he uses and mistreats repeatedly. "What? No gravy?"
There were also two dogs in one of the early Bugs Bunny (pre-Avery) shorts who found a magician's top hat in an old house...they were later reused in a short about "The House of Tomorrow" (why does it make me laugh to see that poor dog get scrubbed repeatedly by the automatic dishwasher?). So you see, a lot of supposed "one-shots" get resurrected and often traded off to another director.
I never knew the two bums in "Wakiki Wabbit" had names. I used them in a FanFic a few years back, as the lead characters in a spoof of Samuel Becket....

[grundle]

Since a lot of people seem to think that it's OK to stretch the term "one shot" to apply to characters who appeared in more than one cartoon, where exactly do you set the limit? Would 5 appearances still be OK, for example?

My favorite is Ralph Philips, who appeared in exactly two cartoons that were released by the time the original studio had shut down in 1964. "From A to Zzzzzz" and "Boyhood Daze" are both among my 50 favorites. Both of these cartoons very strongly support the use of creativity and imagination. I think that allowing kids to see these cartoons is a great idea.

Some people claim that cartoon violence encouages kids to act out real violence in the real world. I think that the exact opposite is true. I think that such cartoons help to serve as an outlet for feelings that children have. Such cartoons help children to exercise their fantasies in their minds, without having to carry them out in real life. Such cartoons also help children to seperate fantasy from reality.

I think that today's politically correct notion that children should be "protected" from seeing such cartoons is actually causing harm to children. If children don't have an outlet for their fanaties, a chance to realize that there are other people who share their ideas, and a chance to learn the difference between fanasty and reality, then this can only lead to harm.

And isn't it great that CN is willing to show all the violence in those two cartoons, as well as the Indians and the African natives? (But I think it's incredibly dumb that CN cuts out part of each of the Indian and African native scenes. What's the purpose in cutting out part of a scene, while leaving the rest still intact? Why not jsut show the whole thing, uncut?)

Second on my list would be Marc Antony and Pussyfoot, although I guess that being included in 4 cartoons may stretch the idea of what constitutes a "one shot." With the exception of the TV series "My So-Called Life" (cancelled after only 19 episodes) and "Freaks and Geeks" (cancelled after only 18 episodes), there hasn't been anything newly made for TV in the past decade that can even come close to creating the emotions for the viewer that one gets when watching "Feed the Kitty." That cartoon usually makes a lot of top 10 lists, and deservedly so. Today's mainstream TV shows can't hold a candle to "Feed the Kitty" in terms of plot, depth of character, emotion, etc.

Of course, to get the full impact of "Feed the Kitty," you need to have an attention span of seven whole minutes. I don't think most of today's viewers can last that long.

I love the drunk note in "High Note."

I'm a big fan of Tom Turk from "Tom Turk and Daffy" and "Holiday for Drumsticks."

I like the two cats Babbit and Costella from "A Tale of Two Kitties." (much better than the two Babbit and Costella mice in "A Tale of Two Mice," which itself is a good cartoon, but not necessarly a great one).

Michigan J. Frog was great in "One Froggy Evening."

I like the junior coyote with the napkin, knife, and fork that shows up at the end of "Ready Set Zoom."

I like the construction worker in "Homeless Hare."

[grundle]

Originally posted by DR. BELCH



I never knew the two bums in "Wakiki Wabbit" had names.

They were parodies of WB screenwriters Michael Maltese (the fat castaway) and Ted Pierce (the tall thin one).

[Larry T]

Well, they're not REALLY one-shot characters, but I like them just the same: Dodsworth and the ultra-naive student kitten he tutors. I thought the setup was pretty good, and the character's motives were pretty believable. I know Dodsworth is a W.C. Fields Ripoff, like so many other characters, but in these setups he seems to work better, especially because there's a bigger and more intimidating force at work, the Bea Benaderet housewife. I can't help but laugh everytime I watch those two cartoons, the remarks of Dodsy and the non-vocal expressions of the kitten are great!! One scene in particular I find exceptionally hilarious happens during the "Don't you Nyah me, mister" when the wife is scolding Dodsworth and he makes faces to the camera. Totally unnecessary animation, but entertaining!

[Cartoon King]

I would have to say that my favorite one toon wonder characters would include Michigan J Frog, the High Note, the Abominable Snow Man (although he did return in 1980's Spaced Out Bunny). I also like the pachyderm from Prince Varmint/Violent/Whatever. (I'm on the good guys' side now). I also liked the mice from Mouse Warming and the Flying Cat in Go Fly a Kit.

Now for characters with very limited apperance I vote for Bobo the elephant, the Honeymousers, and Goopy Gear.



But Honeybunch, sittin' on eggs is sissy stuff!

[Bobby B]

Originally posted by Jon Cooke



Was Wiffle Piffle an original creation of the Fleischers (like Grampy and Pudgy) or was he based on a comic strip character like some of Betty's other co-stars from this era (Little Jimmy, Henry, The Little King).


-Jon


As far as I know he was an original character. I don't remember seeing "By arrangement with King Features Syndicate and..." in the credits when I saw those 2 cartoons on AMC a few years ago.

[Lonestarr]

How about Pete Puma? Only one cartoon ("Rabbit's Kin"), but a good one. Those appearances on "Tiny Toons" didn't do him justice.


Best lines:

Pete: "I don't want any tea. It gives me a headache."

Bugs: "All right, what shall we have?"

Pete: (pulls a coffeepot from behind him) "Coffee! EEeeeeee!"

[Pietro]

I thought I saw Wiffle Piffle in the background at the Maroon Cartoon studio in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".

-Pietro

[SJC]

Mine are Porky and Daffy's (the DOUGH RAY ME=-OW characters), the MOUSE WARMING and A HICK, A SLICK AND A CHICK characters, Dodsworth, Norman Nomral, and Wellington the dog and the crow in Cornj Plastered, the McKimson cat.,
He was in PAYING THE PIPER< SWALLOW THE LEADER, FRACTURED LEGHORN, EARLY TO BET, and LEGHORN SWOGGLED.

And the CHOW HOUnd.."DONT FORGET THE GRAVY!"

[Matthew Hunter]

I always liked "Gregory Grunt" from "Porky's Hired Hand". Don't know why, I just liked that particular cartoon. I think the moth from "Eatin' On the Cuff" had potential, as did Slow Poke Rodriguez (who only had 2 appearances). Pappy and Elvis only had 2 cartoons as well, but they were certainly great characters...("Just wait'll I get mah two-by-FOH..."). Also, I thought the shakespearian dog from "A Ham In a Role" had great potential.
-Matthew

[TServo2049]

My favorites are:

The mice from A Hick, A Slick, and A Chick
The cat and mouse from Pizzicato Pussycat
The mouse from The Unexpected Pest
Babbit and Catstello from A Tale of Two Kitties
Louie and Heathcliff from Dough Ray Me-Ow

My favorite limited-appearance characters are:

Marc Antony and Pussyfoot
The cat and dog from "It's Hummer Time" and "Early to Bet" (No! Not "Happy Birthday!" NOT "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!")
Spike and Chester

[Patrick McCart]

I like the Russian dog from Hare Ribbin'.

"I'm looking for a little grey rahbett!"

I also like the gremlin from Falling Hare...

That cartoon is pure weirdness!

I don't think Dough For The Do-Do really should count as a 2nd cartoon for the Do-Do. It's basically the same cartoon as Porky In Wackyland, except for the colorized animation.

Sveven: Robin Hood Daffy, Rabbit Of Seville, The Foghorn Leghorn, A-Scent The Matterhorn (replaced recently), Fast and Furry-ous, Two Scents Worth (replaced recently), Duck Amuck, Rabbit Fire, and You Ought To Be In Pictures (B&W) are/were all shown time compressed rather badly.