Woody Woodpecker Show Question

[Jon Cooke]

I was curious about the old Woody Woodpecker Show. I have a copy of one episode (thanks to Thad), a Halloween themed show called "Spook-a-Nanny", which featured segments in-between cartoons with Woody and his boss, Walter Lantz, preparing for a Halloween party. The final segment was an all-new animated piece featuring Woody and the entire Lantz cartoon gang at the party.

My question is, was this the only themed Woody Show with a running storyline (like The Bugs Bunny Show)? All other Woody Woodpecker Shows I have come accross just have generic bumpers with Woody saying: "It's time for another cartoon!" or "It's time for a Woody Woodpecker cartoon!" in-between various Lantz cartoons.


-Jon

[Thad Komorowski]

Well, I believe the 1950s episodes had Woody saying "It's time for another cartoon!" for bumpers. The show got a storyline in the 1960s, to compete with the Bugs Bunny Show. Also, they also wanted to make the show suitable for younger audiences, so they added some garbage called "Woody's News Reel" at the end of the episodes with live-action educational clips. God, when you hear something like "Woody's News Reel", you expect something totally wacky.


The Halloween episode I gave you also has Lantz himself gave a message to the kiddies watching the show, it was something like this: "Halloween should be a fun time for everyone, so don't play tricks on others that are harmful, and make Halloween a time for everyone to remember." I remember when I saw this for the first time, I was like, "THIS is coming from the man who created Woody Woodpecker?" Go figure... :rolleyes:


The Woody show also gave characters new dialogue, especially the silent Woodys of the early 1950s. I can confirm this by comparing my copies of "Under the Counter Spy", the original off of YTV and the Woody show version.


This also can conclude that the copy of "Slingshot 6 7/8" that's going around is a Woody show copy...


-Thad

[Tintin]

I am already watch a episoe of the 70's Woody Woodpecker Show and i believe where one of the cartoon where Woody dancing with a Woodpecker girl. (probaly made in 1955)

On my ancient local Fox (Fox 31) where already air the 80's version of The woody Woodpecker Show and i am a big impression where on the 45-46's cartoon version, Woody's coat where black but on one of picture, the coat where blue??? :confused:

The last time where i watch a classic Woody cartune where on february 4th 1996 where air the cartoon "Ski for Two" and 2 others.

I me remebrance a 1948's Woody cartune where Woody disguise on a male chicken for search his pool ball. Very funny same i am not recorded none shows.

[ota]

Since we´re talking about thw Woody Woodpecker Show, can someone tell what happened to those in-betweeners where Walter Lantz teached animation tricks?

When the show was exhibited in the 60´s and 70´s there were those segments.
Now they aren´t shown anymore (the opening shows the same Lantz intro and the fillers are those "time for another cartoon").

My questions are:
1) were those segments eliminated to reduce the show lenght to the average 23 min of today´s standards?

2) was the original show in color? I mean, were those Walter Lantz parts filmed in color? (by the time the show was first aired, color TV was not the standard)
If so, were these parts computer colorized? Of course the original theatrical cartoons were in color.

3) who owns the package now? Is it still Universal or they sold the package to someone?

Ota

[Thad Komorowski]

I can only answer #3. Universal has rights to the Woody Woodpecker show, but most of the prints are from private film collectors. I only have two episodes of Woody, one of them is from the 1960s in color, with "Under the Counter Spy" (for some reason the film print is missing the second cartoon... :confused: )


The other episode I have is in B&W, with "The Reckless Driver", "The Dippy Diplomat", "The Bandmaster" (Andy Panda), and "Banquet Busters".


-Thad

[ota]

Thad K: "I can only answer #3. Universal has rights to the Woody Woodpecker show, but most of the prints are from private film collectors."

thanks Thad. I think this subject about the old film prints is so interesting I am opening a new thread to discuss it, because it is not exclusively related to the Woody Woodpecker show.

If someone wants to discuss it, see the thread "old tv prints" please!

Ota

[Tintin]

Originally posted by Thad K
I can only answer #3. Universal has rights to the Woody Woodpecker show, but most of the prints are from private film collectors. I only have two episodes of Woody, one of them is from the 1960s in color, with "Under the Counter Spy" (for some reason the film print is missing the second cartoon... :confused: )

-Thad

I am already watch on a excellent french site the theme of Woody Woodpecker Classic cartunes with the short "Under the Country Spy"