Alvin and the Chipmunks Question

[Jack]

I was wondering, why do the Chipmunks talk so strange? I don't mean the sped up voices, I mean the kind of strange way the words come out. Like every word of dialog was recorded individually and put together later.

Also, whatever happened to the Chipmunks special that Chuck Jones was involved with? It had Alvin give his harmonica to a less fourtunate kid, I think. Who owns it now?


Jack :confused:

[J Lee]

I think the words on the original 1961 series were recorded like that to space the phrasing out and avoid the problem McKimson had with his hyper-speeded-up little bunny voice in "Rabbit's Kin."

You get the general idea of what he's saying there, butinalotofcasesthewordsaresoclosetogetherittakesseveralviewingstofigureoutallthelines. I'm sure CBS didn't want prime-time audiences puzzling over the same thing, so each word was very carefully enunciated and then gapped so all the dialogue could be understood (and Bagdasarian had done it already for the Christmas recording of "The Chipmunk Song" back in 1958; "Witch Doctor" didn't require the same careful spacing since "Ooh-ee-ooh-ah-ah-ting-tang-wah-wa-wah-wa-bing-bang," tends to translate at either regular or high speed...)

[Jon Cooke]

Originally posted by Jack
Also, whatever happened to the Chipmunks special that Chuck Jones was involved with? It had Alvin give his harmonica to a less fourtunate kid, I think. Who owns it now?

The special you are thinking of was A Chipmunk Christmas. It was from 1979, and it marked the first animated appearance of the Chipmunks (and Clyde Crashcup) since The Alvin Show. Chuck Jones provided the character designs, and may have directed part of the special (he quit during the production, apparently after disagreements with Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.). Bagdasarian Productions own the special.


-Jon

[Thad Komorowski]

I know I have this special some where on my Christmas tapes. I didn't watch it this year though.



-Thad

[Sogturtle]

Originally posted by Jon Cooke


The special you are thinking of was A Chipmunk Christmas. It was from 1979, and it marked the first animated appearance of the Chipmunks (and Clyde Crashcup) since The Alvin Show. Chuck Jones provided the character designs, and may have directed part of the special (he quit during the production, apparently after disagreements with Ross Bagdasarian, Jr.). Bagdasarian Productions own the special.

-Jon

Jon is quite right that it was "A Chipmunk Christmas". It was actually announced with the Chuck-ster directing. His name continued to appear on it as director in the trade publications for months while in production. When it debuted though, Jones master-animator Phil Monroe was credited as the sole director. And indeed as Jon noted, with Chuck credited only with the new character designs. It was around that time that Jones was reported to have suffered a heart attack, whether during his involvement or after his leaving, I've never been sure...