1933
The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives
Release date: 1933-01-07
Plot: During the Great Depression, a lonely and sad orphan finds shelter in his shabby hut. As he weeps, Santa Claus appears and invites the boy to join him. Together, they fly to Santa's magical shack, where toys come to life and perform musical numbers, until a fire breaks out and the boy heroically puts it out using a bagpipe as a water hose.
Name and role: Santa Claus is portrayed as a benevolent and magical figure who brings joy and hope to a struggling child. He brings the boy to his enchanted toy shoppo, where everything is alive and full of wonder. Though Santa leaves the short not long after, he remains the main trigger for the entire story.
Trivia and other appearances: Santa rarely appears directly in early animation, often shown only as a shadow or narrator. Notable appearances include "Red-Headed Baby" (1931), "Cinderella Meets Fella" (1938), and "Bedtime for Sniffles" (1940). After a long absence, he makes a return in "A Christmas Carol" from The Looney Tunes Show.
Release date: 1933-01-07
Plot: During the Great Depression, a lonely and sad orphan finds shelter in his shabby hut. As he weeps, Santa Claus appears and invites the boy to join him. Together, they fly to Santa's magical shack, where toys come to life and perform musical numbers, until a fire breaks out and the boy heroically puts it out using a bagpipe as a water hose.
Name and role: Santa Claus is portrayed as a benevolent and magical figure who brings joy and hope to a struggling child. He brings the boy to his enchanted toy shoppo, where everything is alive and full of wonder. Though Santa leaves the short not long after, he remains the main trigger for the entire story.
Trivia and other appearances: Santa rarely appears directly in early animation, often shown only as a shadow or narrator. Notable appearances include "Red-Headed Baby" (1931), "Cinderella Meets Fella" (1938), and "Bedtime for Sniffles" (1940). After a long absence, he makes a return in "A Christmas Carol" from The Looney Tunes Show.
Bosko in Dutch
Release date: 1933-01-14
Plot: Bosko, dressed as a milkman, skates across the ice wearing clogs, while his dog Bruno pulls the milk cart. During his delivery route, Bosko stops by to visit his girlfriend Honey and her two identical kittens. While skating together, they venture onto thin ice and fall into the water. Bosko must come to their rescue.
Name and role: Wilbur appears for the first and only time with an identical twin, both caught up in the icy mishap. This short marks the third-to-last appearance of Wilbur in the Looney Tunes series, and definitely the final one for the twin.
Trivia and other appearances: Wilbur has two more shorts before his curtain call: Bosko, Play Your Mandolin! (1934) and Country Boy (1935). However, with a wardrobe change, he's already beginning to transform into the character known as Beans.
Release date: 1933-01-14
Plot: Bosko, dressed as a milkman, skates across the ice wearing clogs, while his dog Bruno pulls the milk cart. During his delivery route, Bosko stops by to visit his girlfriend Honey and her two identical kittens. While skating together, they venture onto thin ice and fall into the water. Bosko must come to their rescue.
Name and role: Wilbur appears for the first and only time with an identical twin, both caught up in the icy mishap. This short marks the third-to-last appearance of Wilbur in the Looney Tunes series, and definitely the final one for the twin.
Trivia and other appearances: Wilbur has two more shorts before his curtain call: Bosko, Play Your Mandolin! (1934) and Country Boy (1935). However, with a wardrobe change, he's already beginning to transform into the character known as Beans.
Bosko in person
Release date: 1933-02-11
Plot: Bosko and his girlfriend Honey are engaged in a lively vaudeville performance on a theater stage. After an endless series of impressions, the short concludes with a patriotic number, in which Bosko plays a bass drum decorated with the face of Franklin D. Roosevelt, while Honey waves an American flag.
Name and role: Among the various impressions, Bosko takes on the appearance of Jimmy Durante: a famous American comedian, singer, and actor known for his prominent nose, gravelly voice, and unique charisma. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons often caricatured celebrities of the time, and Jimmy Durante became a frequent target thanks to his distinctive features and easily parodiable comedic style. These impersonations included his way of speaking, his pronounced nose, and catchphrases like "Ha-cha-cha-cha!"
Trivia and other appearances: Here's a list of shorts featuring a caricature of Jimmy Durante: Bosko in Person (1933), Bosko's Picture Show (1933), Young and Healthy (1933), Swooner Crooner (1944), A Gruesome Twosome (1945), Book Revue (1946), Hollywood Canine Canteen (1946), Hollywood Daffy (1946)
Release date: 1933-02-11
Plot: Bosko and his girlfriend Honey are engaged in a lively vaudeville performance on a theater stage. After an endless series of impressions, the short concludes with a patriotic number, in which Bosko plays a bass drum decorated with the face of Franklin D. Roosevelt, while Honey waves an American flag.
Name and role: Among the various impressions, Bosko takes on the appearance of Jimmy Durante: a famous American comedian, singer, and actor known for his prominent nose, gravelly voice, and unique charisma. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons often caricatured celebrities of the time, and Jimmy Durante became a frequent target thanks to his distinctive features and easily parodiable comedic style. These impersonations included his way of speaking, his pronounced nose, and catchphrases like "Ha-cha-cha-cha!"
Trivia and other appearances: Here's a list of shorts featuring a caricature of Jimmy Durante: Bosko in Person (1933), Bosko's Picture Show (1933), Young and Healthy (1933), Swooner Crooner (1944), A Gruesome Twosome (1945), Book Revue (1946), Hollywood Canine Canteen (1946), Hollywood Daffy (1946)
Young and Healty
Release date: 1933-03-04
Plot: A beautiful billboard girl magically comes to life and steps down from her poster to sing and dance to the tune of "Young and Healthy" As she performs, the whole city springs into motion: shops, signs, objects, and passersby all join in the musical number, turning the street into a living, breathing stage.
Name and role: The king shows up in the second half of the short. He's a comic figure: chubby, Powdered-wig-wearing, wearing a crown and long cape, slumped on his throne while his servants hopelessly try to entertain him. He's the classic bored monarch archetype, who only perks up at the sight of the young and beautiful heroine.
Trivia and other appearances: His design is fairly generic, with no known name or recurring appearances in other shorts. However, the theme of animated billboards returns in Billboard Frolics (1935) and Lights Fantastic (1942).
Release date: 1933-03-04
Plot: A beautiful billboard girl magically comes to life and steps down from her poster to sing and dance to the tune of "Young and Healthy" As she performs, the whole city springs into motion: shops, signs, objects, and passersby all join in the musical number, turning the street into a living, breathing stage.
Name and role: The king shows up in the second half of the short. He's a comic figure: chubby, Powdered-wig-wearing, wearing a crown and long cape, slumped on his throne while his servants hopelessly try to entertain him. He's the classic bored monarch archetype, who only perks up at the sight of the young and beautiful heroine.
Trivia and other appearances: His design is fairly generic, with no known name or recurring appearances in other shorts. However, the theme of animated billboards returns in Billboard Frolics (1935) and Lights Fantastic (1942).
Bosko the Speed King
Release date: 1933-03-11
Plot: Bosko prepares his race car number 13 for a big race. Honey, his girlfriend, assists him. During the race, among the crazy competitors, there's the usual cigar-chomping bear/wolf who tries to cheat. Bosko confronts him and wins the race.
Name and role: Bosko's number 13 car is a cartoon car, classic design, big eyes, runs on wheels like little feet and... it bites! In fact, it's by biting the villain's car in the butt that it manages to overtake and win the race!
Trivia and other appearances: More wacky races can be seen in Porky's Road Race (1937) and Formula One Bunny (2019).
Release date: 1933-03-11
Plot: Bosko prepares his race car number 13 for a big race. Honey, his girlfriend, assists him. During the race, among the crazy competitors, there's the usual cigar-chomping bear/wolf who tries to cheat. Bosko confronts him and wins the race.
Name and role: Bosko's number 13 car is a cartoon car, classic design, big eyes, runs on wheels like little feet and... it bites! In fact, it's by biting the villain's car in the butt that it manages to overtake and win the race!
Trivia and other appearances: More wacky races can be seen in Porky's Road Race (1937) and Formula One Bunny (2019).
One Step Ahead of My Shadow
Release date: 1933-04-02
Plot: In a stylized Chinese village, locals play traditional music as a dragon escapes from a cage and chases them. They defeat it by launching fireworks down its throat, turning it into a dancing skeleton.
Name and role: The dragon portrayed here is anything but a Chinese dragon. It's frightening, for a cartoon, at least, or at least frightening to other cartoons. It's not the first giant enemy we've seen, but it is the first fire-breathing dragon to grace these screens.
Trivia and other appearances: Let's discover more dragons in: Knighty Knight Bugs (1958), Day for Knight (1991), Spellbound (1993), How to Brain Your Dragon (2020).
Release date: 1933-04-02
Plot: In a stylized Chinese village, locals play traditional music as a dragon escapes from a cage and chases them. They defeat it by launching fireworks down its throat, turning it into a dancing skeleton.
Name and role: The dragon portrayed here is anything but a Chinese dragon. It's frightening, for a cartoon, at least, or at least frightening to other cartoons. It's not the first giant enemy we've seen, but it is the first fire-breathing dragon to grace these screens.
Trivia and other appearances: Let's discover more dragons in: Knighty Knight Bugs (1958), Day for Knight (1991), Spellbound (1993), How to Brain Your Dragon (2020).
The Organ Grinder
Release date: 1933-04-08
Plot: In a working-class neighborhood of New York during the Great Depression, the short follows an Italian organ grinder and his monkey as they perform for the local residents. Things spiral out of control when the monkey takes over a car, wreaking havoc in the streets, eventually morphing into a one-man band, with the organ grinder trailing behind.
Name and role: The monkey, in addition to collecting coins, entertains the crowd with spot-on impressions of contemporary celebrities like Harpo Marx, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy, proving himself far above the lowly role of mere beggar that he's been assigned.
Trivia and other appearances: A similar scenario is echoed in Hurdy-Gurdy Hare (1950), where Bugs Bunny takes up the role of an organ grinder with a monkey sidekick of his own.
Release date: 1933-04-08
Plot: In a working-class neighborhood of New York during the Great Depression, the short follows an Italian organ grinder and his monkey as they perform for the local residents. Things spiral out of control when the monkey takes over a car, wreaking havoc in the streets, eventually morphing into a one-man band, with the organ grinder trailing behind.
Name and role: The monkey, in addition to collecting coins, entertains the crowd with spot-on impressions of contemporary celebrities like Harpo Marx, Stan Laurel, and Oliver Hardy, proving himself far above the lowly role of mere beggar that he's been assigned.
Trivia and other appearances: A similar scenario is echoed in Hurdy-Gurdy Hare (1950), where Bugs Bunny takes up the role of an organ grinder with a monkey sidekick of his own.
Wake Up the Gypsy in Me
Release date: 1933-05-13
Plot: In a Russian gypsy village the community is joyfully celebrating with music and dance. The festivities are cut short when Rice Puddin' a mad and sinister monk and a clear caricature of Grigori Rasputin spots a young girl and orders his henchman to kidnap her. After a series of surreal and comedic events the villagers rise up rescue the girl and launch an attack on Rice Puddin'.
Name and role: The classic mad monk with a lecherous streak. Rice Puddin' is a fascinating character from a historical perspective and it is honestly strange how rarely he gets used. Alchemist, hypnotist, what does he do in this cartoon? He kidnaps women. What a bizarre obsession the thirties had
Trivia and other appearances: We'll see Rasputin make a comeback many years later in "Nothing But the Tooth" from Animaniacs (1993) and in "Pavlov's Mice" from Pinky & The Brain (1993).
Release date: 1933-05-13
Plot: In a Russian gypsy village the community is joyfully celebrating with music and dance. The festivities are cut short when Rice Puddin' a mad and sinister monk and a clear caricature of Grigori Rasputin spots a young girl and orders his henchman to kidnap her. After a series of surreal and comedic events the villagers rise up rescue the girl and launch an attack on Rice Puddin'.
Name and role: The classic mad monk with a lecherous streak. Rice Puddin' is a fascinating character from a historical perspective and it is honestly strange how rarely he gets used. Alchemist, hypnotist, what does he do in this cartoon? He kidnaps women. What a bizarre obsession the thirties had
Trivia and other appearances: We'll see Rasputin make a comeback many years later in "Nothing But the Tooth" from Animaniacs (1993) and in "Pavlov's Mice" from Pinky & The Brain (1993).
Bosko's Knight-Mare
Release date: 1933-06-03
Plot: Bosko falls asleep while reading a book about medieval chivalry and dreams of being a knight of the Round Table. In the dream, the evil Black Knight kidnaps Princess Honey, forcing Bosko to go on a rescue mission.
Name and role: The Black Knight, clumsy, ridiculous, hairy and grotesque, guess what he does? He kidnaps Honey and takes her to his castle! He forces Bosko to chase after him to save her. During the final confrontation, Bosko wakes up from the dream, ending the adventure and bidding farewell forever from Looney history.
Trivia and other appearances: Here's a fine parade of knights: Bosko's Knight-Mare (1933), Knight-mare Hare (1955), Knighty Knight Bugs (1958), Day for Knight (1991), Brave Tales of Real Rabbits (1992), Spellbound (1993), How to Brain Your Dragon (2020), A Big Knight Out (1999).
Release date: 1933-06-03
Plot: Bosko falls asleep while reading a book about medieval chivalry and dreams of being a knight of the Round Table. In the dream, the evil Black Knight kidnaps Princess Honey, forcing Bosko to go on a rescue mission.
Name and role: The Black Knight, clumsy, ridiculous, hairy and grotesque, guess what he does? He kidnaps Honey and takes her to his castle! He forces Bosko to chase after him to save her. During the final confrontation, Bosko wakes up from the dream, ending the adventure and bidding farewell forever from Looney history.
Trivia and other appearances: Here's a fine parade of knights: Bosko's Knight-Mare (1933), Knight-mare Hare (1955), Knighty Knight Bugs (1958), Day for Knight (1991), Brave Tales of Real Rabbits (1992), Spellbound (1993), How to Brain Your Dragon (2020), A Big Knight Out (1999).
I Like Mountain Music
Release date: 1933-06-10
Plot: In the dead of night, characters from an illustrated magazine come to life and perform a lively country-folk concert. Cowboys, bandits, and dancing hillbillies fill the scene until a drawn pistol causes chaos. A paper hero springs to life and saves the day with a well-placed kick.
Name and role: Among the animated characters we obviously find some of the most well-known names, like Sherlock and Watson. These are just brief cameos meant for quick gags based on their traits. No particularly important roles here.
Trivia and other appearances: Animated books and magazines also appear in: Speaking of the Weather (1937), Have You Got Any Castles? (1938), Book Revue (1946).
Release date: 1933-06-10
Plot: In the dead of night, characters from an illustrated magazine come to life and perform a lively country-folk concert. Cowboys, bandits, and dancing hillbillies fill the scene until a drawn pistol causes chaos. A paper hero springs to life and saves the day with a well-placed kick.
Name and role: Among the animated characters we obviously find some of the most well-known names, like Sherlock and Watson. These are just brief cameos meant for quick gags based on their traits. No particularly important roles here.
Trivia and other appearances: Animated books and magazines also appear in: Speaking of the Weather (1937), Have You Got Any Castles? (1938), Book Revue (1946).
Bosko the Sheep-Herder
Release date: 1933-06-14
Plot: In Bosko the Sheep-Herder, Bosko is a shepherd tending to a flock of sheep. The peace is shattered when a wolf disguises himself as a sheep and kidnaps a lamb. Bosko and his dog Bruno set off on a chase to rescue the lamb, leading to a series of comic and inventive gags.
Name and role: It might seem cliché today, but this was the first time the "wolf in sheep's clothing" gag appeared on screen. It kicked off a long tradition of wolves disguised as sheep in Looney Tunes history.
Trivia and other appearances: This gag was later mastered by characters like Ralph Wolf, who would appear in Don't Give Up the Sheep, released on January 3, 1953. And even our buddy Taz got in on the act in Mutton for Nothing in 1994. He's not an official wolf, just a temporary stand-in.
Release date: 1933-06-14
Plot: In Bosko the Sheep-Herder, Bosko is a shepherd tending to a flock of sheep. The peace is shattered when a wolf disguises himself as a sheep and kidnaps a lamb. Bosko and his dog Bruno set off on a chase to rescue the lamb, leading to a series of comic and inventive gags.
Name and role: It might seem cliché today, but this was the first time the "wolf in sheep's clothing" gag appeared on screen. It kicked off a long tradition of wolves disguised as sheep in Looney Tunes history.
Trivia and other appearances: This gag was later mastered by characters like Ralph Wolf, who would appear in Don't Give Up the Sheep, released on January 3, 1953. And even our buddy Taz got in on the act in Mutton for Nothing in 1994. He's not an official wolf, just a temporary stand-in.
Flies in the Ointment
Release date: 1933-06-24
Plot: First solo short by the Warners. The plot is simple: the trio sat on flypaper and does everything they can to get it off their butts.
Name and role: In the metanarrative, the short is directed by Weed Memlo and also marks the beginning of his descent into madness. The short ran for eight consecutive hours, marking a peak in Warner-style insanity that no one wanted to touch.
Trivia and other appearances: The clip is clearly part of the special "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special" but Weed Memlo reappears as a cameo in "Wakko's Wish".
Release date: 1933-06-24
Plot: First solo short by the Warners. The plot is simple: the trio sat on flypaper and does everything they can to get it off their butts.
Name and role: In the metanarrative, the short is directed by Weed Memlo and also marks the beginning of his descent into madness. The short ran for eight consecutive hours, marking a peak in Warner-style insanity that no one wanted to touch.
Trivia and other appearances: The clip is clearly part of the special "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special" but Weed Memlo reappears as a cameo in "Wakko's Wish".
Beau Bosko
Release date: 1933-07-01
Plot: Bosko is a French legionnaire tasked with capturing the infamous bandit Ali Oop in a mission that borders on the ridiculous. The short is a parody of the 1924 novel Beau Geste and its subsequent film adaptations.
Name and role: Ali Oop is a wanted man, the leader of a gang of horseback bandits who attack towns. And by "gang" I mean there are three of them, not exactly impressive. In fact, all the criminals are defeated single-handedly by Bosko. Ali Oop in particular gets hit on the head with a coconut and, while he's dazed, a series of spears land around him, forming a cage.
Trivia and other appearances: Being a poor racial portrayal, this one-shot villain would not appear again.
Release date: 1933-07-01
Plot: Bosko is a French legionnaire tasked with capturing the infamous bandit Ali Oop in a mission that borders on the ridiculous. The short is a parody of the 1924 novel Beau Geste and its subsequent film adaptations.
Name and role: Ali Oop is a wanted man, the leader of a gang of horseback bandits who attack towns. And by "gang" I mean there are three of them, not exactly impressive. In fact, all the criminals are defeated single-handedly by Bosko. Ali Oop in particular gets hit on the head with a coconut and, while he's dazed, a series of spears land around him, forming a cage.
Trivia and other appearances: Being a poor racial portrayal, this one-shot villain would not appear again.
Shuffle Off to Buffalo
Release date: 1933-07-08
Plot: In a sky-high baby factory, a mustached old man oversees newborn deliveries, answering bizarre requests like one from Nanook of the North. Storks handle transport, while assembly-line elves clean, powder, and feed the babies. Singing infants, styled as ethnic stereotypes, perform "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" in a surreal musical finale led by an Eddie Cantor impersonator.
Name and role: The singing babies are all the infants waiting to be picked up for delivery. When they sing, they sometimes take on the voice and appearance of crooners from that era. In the image, an elf does the exact same thing to calm them down, creating a grotesque echo between both characters.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other thematic shorts I can suggest related to this: Baby Bottleneck (1946) and The Stork Market (1949).
Release date: 1933-07-08
Plot: In a sky-high baby factory, a mustached old man oversees newborn deliveries, answering bizarre requests like one from Nanook of the North. Storks handle transport, while assembly-line elves clean, powder, and feed the babies. Singing infants, styled as ethnic stereotypes, perform "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" in a surreal musical finale led by an Eddie Cantor impersonator.
Name and role: The singing babies are all the infants waiting to be picked up for delivery. When they sing, they sometimes take on the voice and appearance of crooners from that era. In the image, an elf does the exact same thing to calm them down, creating a grotesque echo between both characters.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other thematic shorts I can suggest related to this: Baby Bottleneck (1946) and The Stork Market (1949).
Shuffle Off to Buffalo
Release date: 1933-07-08
Plot: In a sky-high baby factory, a mustached old man oversees newborn deliveries, answering bizarre requests like one from Nanook of the North. Storks handle transport, while assembly-line elves clean, powder, and feed the babies. Singing infants, styled as ethnic stereotypes, perform "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" in a surreal musical finale led by an Eddie Cantor impersonator.
Name and role: The Old Man is a mysterious figure, Santa Claus-like but much skinnier and less dressed. He answers phone calls from the storks and decides which babies to assign them, depending on the requests. He even has a crew of elves, just like a sort of Santa of the birthing world.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other thematic shorts I can suggest related to this: Baby Bottleneck (1946) and The Stork Market (1949).
Release date: 1933-07-08
Plot: In a sky-high baby factory, a mustached old man oversees newborn deliveries, answering bizarre requests like one from Nanook of the North. Storks handle transport, while assembly-line elves clean, powder, and feed the babies. Singing infants, styled as ethnic stereotypes, perform "Shuffle Off to Buffalo" in a surreal musical finale led by an Eddie Cantor impersonator.
Name and role: The Old Man is a mysterious figure, Santa Claus-like but much skinnier and less dressed. He answers phone calls from the storks and decides which babies to assign them, depending on the requests. He even has a crew of elves, just like a sort of Santa of the birthing world.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other thematic shorts I can suggest related to this: Baby Bottleneck (1946) and The Stork Market (1949).
Bosko's Mechanical Man
Release date: 1933-07-29
Plot: Bosko visits Honey, who is doing her spring cleaning. After making a mess with the dishes, Bosko reads in a newspaper that robots can replace human labor. Inspired, he builds a robot out of scrap materials to help her. However, the robot goes rogue, chasing Bosko and causing chaos.
Name and role: The crazy robot seems virtually unstoppable, except for three small weak points: women's perfume calms him, turning him into a cartoonish feminine figure, music forces him to sing and dance non-stop, but the most important one is the last! He appears to be weak to dynamite, especially if he swallows it.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other important robots in Looney history, let's take a look: Robot Rabbit (1953), Nuts and Volts (1964), The Solid Tin Coyote (1966), C.L.I.D.E. and Prejudice (1992), The Brain's Apprentice (1997), Ex-Mousina (2020) and Erabbitcator (2020).
Release date: 1933-07-29
Plot: Bosko visits Honey, who is doing her spring cleaning. After making a mess with the dishes, Bosko reads in a newspaper that robots can replace human labor. Inspired, he builds a robot out of scrap materials to help her. However, the robot goes rogue, chasing Bosko and causing chaos.
Name and role: The crazy robot seems virtually unstoppable, except for three small weak points: women's perfume calms him, turning him into a cartoonish feminine figure, music forces him to sing and dance non-stop, but the most important one is the last! He appears to be weak to dynamite, especially if he swallows it.
Trivia and other appearances: There are other important robots in Looney history, let's take a look: Robot Rabbit (1953), Nuts and Volts (1964), The Solid Tin Coyote (1966), C.L.I.D.E. and Prejudice (1992), The Brain's Apprentice (1997), Ex-Mousina (2020) and Erabbitcator (2020).
Bosko the Musketeer
Release date: 1933-08-12
Plot: Bosko visits Honey, who shows him a portrait of the Three Musketeers. Inspired, Bosko imagines himself as a brave musketeer and Honey as a dancer. In his fantasy, he duels with a villain to save Honey, who, as always, gets kidnapped.
Name and role: Bosko imagines himself as a heroic musketeer, displaying the classic courage and wit of the role. His unnamed antagonist uses creative tricks, like throwing his sword with a coat hanger and sharpening it on his caddie's beard. It's a duel full of hilarious visual gags.
Trivia and other appearances: Even though this one-shot villain never returns, there are a few spiritual successors in the Looney history of musketeers: Duck Amuck (not exactly a musketeer, but hey, musket in hand!) and of course Duck Amuck (1953). But the real standout is The Three Muska-Warners (Animaniacs, 1993).
Release date: 1933-08-12
Plot: Bosko visits Honey, who shows him a portrait of the Three Musketeers. Inspired, Bosko imagines himself as a brave musketeer and Honey as a dancer. In his fantasy, he duels with a villain to save Honey, who, as always, gets kidnapped.
Name and role: Bosko imagines himself as a heroic musketeer, displaying the classic courage and wit of the role. His unnamed antagonist uses creative tricks, like throwing his sword with a coat hanger and sharpening it on his caddie's beard. It's a duel full of hilarious visual gags.
Trivia and other appearances: Even though this one-shot villain never returns, there are a few spiritual successors in the Looney history of musketeers: Duck Amuck (not exactly a musketeer, but hey, musket in hand!) and of course Duck Amuck (1953). But the real standout is The Three Muska-Warners (Animaniacs, 1993).
Bosko's Picture Show
Release date: 1933-08-26
Plot: Bosko runs a movie theater and introduces a variety of animated shorts, from newsreels to slapstick comedy. During the screening, his dog Bruno starts a chase in the theater, causing chaos among the audience.
Name and role: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were one of the most famous comedy duos in film history. Active primarily as a team between 1927 and 1950, they were known for their physical contrast, slapstick gags, and absurd yet affectionate sketches. Their worldwide success made them omnipresent figures in popular culture. In the short, they appear in a quick parody, recognizable by their trademark bowler hats and gestures, proving just how influential they already were to earn caricatures in the Merrie Melodies.
Trivia and other appearances: They would later reappear, even as brief visual gags, in: Speaking of the Weather (1937), Hollywood Steps Out (1941), Book Revue (1946), The Mouse that Jack Built (1959).
Release date: 1933-08-26
Plot: Bosko runs a movie theater and introduces a variety of animated shorts, from newsreels to slapstick comedy. During the screening, his dog Bruno starts a chase in the theater, causing chaos among the audience.
Name and role: Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were one of the most famous comedy duos in film history. Active primarily as a team between 1927 and 1950, they were known for their physical contrast, slapstick gags, and absurd yet affectionate sketches. Their worldwide success made them omnipresent figures in popular culture. In the short, they appear in a quick parody, recognizable by their trademark bowler hats and gestures, proving just how influential they already were to earn caricatures in the Merrie Melodies.
Trivia and other appearances: They would later reappear, even as brief visual gags, in: Speaking of the Weather (1937), Hollywood Steps Out (1941), Book Revue (1946), The Mouse that Jack Built (1959).
We're in the Money
Release date: 1933-08-26
Plot: A department store closes for the night and, once the last customer leaves, the toys and display items come to life. They head over to the music section and break into a performance of "We're in the Money" Even the coins and other objects join the chorus, creating a lively nighttime spectacle.
Name and role: The mannequin is one of the main characters in the short. He stands out for his energetic dancing and for playing several musical instruments. In a memorable scene, he performs in front of a three-paneled mirror, with his reflections perfectly mirroring his moves in sync.
Trivia and other appearances: The mannequin also appears in the previous short A Great Big Bunch of You (1932). In We're in the Money, some animation from that earlier cartoon is reused, making the mannequin one of the few recurring characters in the early Merrie Melodies, though this marks his final appearance.
Release date: 1933-08-26
Plot: A department store closes for the night and, once the last customer leaves, the toys and display items come to life. They head over to the music section and break into a performance of "We're in the Money" Even the coins and other objects join the chorus, creating a lively nighttime spectacle.
Name and role: The mannequin is one of the main characters in the short. He stands out for his energetic dancing and for playing several musical instruments. In a memorable scene, he performs in front of a three-paneled mirror, with his reflections perfectly mirroring his moves in sync.
Trivia and other appearances: The mannequin also appears in the previous short A Great Big Bunch of You (1932). In We're in the Money, some animation from that earlier cartoon is reused, making the mannequin one of the few recurring characters in the early Merrie Melodies, though this marks his final appearance.
Buddy's Day Out
Release date: 1933-09-09
Plot: Buddy and his girlfriend Cookie go on a countryside trip by car with a restless baby and a little dog in tow. The day fills up with comic disasters between flat tires and failed attempts at picnicking. But through chaos and little songs, Buddy never loses his smile.
Name and role: Buddy was the character chosen by Warner Bros. to replace Bosko after the end of their contract with Harman & Ising in 1933. Created by Earl Duvall and Tom Palmer, he was meant to embody a more modern and "white" protagonist, in contrast with Bosko's African-American stylization. However, Buddy never really won over the audience: his personality was considered bland and, although his shorts were musical and lively, they lacked the charisma of Warner's future stars. After just over two years and 23 shorts, he was dropped to make way for much more iconic figures like Porky Pig.
Trivia and other appearances: Since this is his first appearance, here are all the titles of his shorts: Buddy's Day Out (1933), Buddy's Beer Garden (1933), Buddy's Show Boat (1933), Buddy the Gob (1934), Buddy and Towser (1934), Buddy the Detective (1934), Buddy the Woodsman (1934), Buddy's Garage (1934), Buddy's Circus (1934), Buddy's Trolley Troubles (1934), Buddy of the Apes (1934), Buddy the Dentist (1934), Buddy's Adventures (1934), Buddy the Gee Man (1935), Buddy Steps Out (1935), Buddy's Theatre (1935), Buddy's Pony Express (1935), Buddy in Africa (1935), A Cartoonist's Nightmare (1935), Buddy the Teacher (1935), Hollywood Capers (1935), Buddy's Bug Hunt (1935), Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name (1935).
Release date: 1933-09-09
Plot: Buddy and his girlfriend Cookie go on a countryside trip by car with a restless baby and a little dog in tow. The day fills up with comic disasters between flat tires and failed attempts at picnicking. But through chaos and little songs, Buddy never loses his smile.
Name and role: Buddy was the character chosen by Warner Bros. to replace Bosko after the end of their contract with Harman & Ising in 1933. Created by Earl Duvall and Tom Palmer, he was meant to embody a more modern and "white" protagonist, in contrast with Bosko's African-American stylization. However, Buddy never really won over the audience: his personality was considered bland and, although his shorts were musical and lively, they lacked the charisma of Warner's future stars. After just over two years and 23 shorts, he was dropped to make way for much more iconic figures like Porky Pig.
Trivia and other appearances: Since this is his first appearance, here are all the titles of his shorts: Buddy's Day Out (1933), Buddy's Beer Garden (1933), Buddy's Show Boat (1933), Buddy the Gob (1934), Buddy and Towser (1934), Buddy the Detective (1934), Buddy the Woodsman (1934), Buddy's Garage (1934), Buddy's Circus (1934), Buddy's Trolley Troubles (1934), Buddy of the Apes (1934), Buddy the Dentist (1934), Buddy's Adventures (1934), Buddy the Gee Man (1935), Buddy Steps Out (1935), Buddy's Theatre (1935), Buddy's Pony Express (1935), Buddy in Africa (1935), A Cartoonist's Nightmare (1935), Buddy the Teacher (1935), Hollywood Capers (1935), Buddy's Bug Hunt (1935), Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name (1935).
Buddy's Beer Garden
Release date: 1933-09-11
Plot: Buddy runs a lively German biergarten, serving beer and entertaining customers with musical numbers. Cookie works as a waitress and performs a veil dance. The usual brute harasses Cookie and the dancers, so Buddy decides to dress up as a woman to teach him a lesson.
Name and role: Cookie is Buddy's girlfriend, introduced in 1933 in Buddy's Day Out. Characterized by black or reddish-brown hair, flapper-style 1920s clothing, and a lively attitude, Cookie often takes part in musical numbers and comedic gags. Her personality and style are reminiscent of Betty Boop, and in some shorts she appears with her little brother Elmer. After the decline of the Buddy series, Cookie vanished from the screen without further appearances.
Trivia and other appearances: Cookie's key shorts are: Buddy's Day Out (1933), Buddy's Show Boat (1933), and Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name (1935).
Release date: 1933-09-11
Plot: Buddy runs a lively German biergarten, serving beer and entertaining customers with musical numbers. Cookie works as a waitress and performs a veil dance. The usual brute harasses Cookie and the dancers, so Buddy decides to dress up as a woman to teach him a lesson.
Name and role: Cookie is Buddy's girlfriend, introduced in 1933 in Buddy's Day Out. Characterized by black or reddish-brown hair, flapper-style 1920s clothing, and a lively attitude, Cookie often takes part in musical numbers and comedic gags. Her personality and style are reminiscent of Betty Boop, and in some shorts she appears with her little brother Elmer. After the decline of the Buddy series, Cookie vanished from the screen without further appearances.
Trivia and other appearances: Cookie's key shorts are: Buddy's Day Out (1933), Buddy's Show Boat (1933), and Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name (1935).
I've Got to Sing a Torch Song
Release date: 1933-09-23
Plot: We're taken on a whirlwind musical tour, bouncing from one radio to another across the globe, all tuned to the same station. Celebrities of the time belt out tunes in their signature styles, each showing off their quirky way of enjoying music. All of this is surrounded by the Fire Chief causing havoc in the city.
Name and role: Ed Wynn was one of the most popular and beloved comedians of the first half of the twentieth century, known for his funny face, high-pitched voice, and childlike behavior. In the 1930s, Ed Wynn created one of his most famous radio characters: The Fire Chief, an eccentric, clumsy, and ridiculous firefighter known for his rapid-fire surreal catchphrases. The radio show "The Fire Chief" aired starting in 1932, and this short is clearly a major tribute to the character.
Trivia and other appearances: We will see Ed again in cameos in other shorts, such as Bosko's Knight Mare (1933), A Cartoonist's Nightmare (1935), I Like Mountain Music (1933), Shuffle Off to Buffalo (1933), and I've Got to Sing a Torch Song (1933).
Release date: 1933-09-23
Plot: We're taken on a whirlwind musical tour, bouncing from one radio to another across the globe, all tuned to the same station. Celebrities of the time belt out tunes in their signature styles, each showing off their quirky way of enjoying music. All of this is surrounded by the Fire Chief causing havoc in the city.
Name and role: Ed Wynn was one of the most popular and beloved comedians of the first half of the twentieth century, known for his funny face, high-pitched voice, and childlike behavior. In the 1930s, Ed Wynn created one of his most famous radio characters: The Fire Chief, an eccentric, clumsy, and ridiculous firefighter known for his rapid-fire surreal catchphrases. The radio show "The Fire Chief" aired starting in 1932, and this short is clearly a major tribute to the character.
Trivia and other appearances: We will see Ed again in cameos in other shorts, such as Bosko's Knight Mare (1933), A Cartoonist's Nightmare (1935), I Like Mountain Music (1933), Shuffle Off to Buffalo (1933), and I've Got to Sing a Torch Song (1933).
The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon
Release date: 1933-09-24
Plot: Set in a bakery during a stormy night, where kitchenware and food items come to life. Musical numbers, dancing utensils, and slapstick chaos unfold as a spoon proposes to a dish, and a monstrous dough creature is defeated in a culinary battle.
Name and role: Even in a setting where everyday objects magically spring to life, love finds a way. A spoon wants to marry a dish: pretty straightforward stuff. But then a monstrous blob of flour and yeast tries to kidnap the poor dish. Seriously, what was it with the 1930s and kidnapping women? Even if you've got no curves, and are literally one continuous curve, you're still not safe!
Trivia and other appearances: More delightful takes on inanimate objects coming alive can be found in Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931), Red-Headed Baby (1931), and Goofy Groceries (1941).
Release date: 1933-09-24
Plot: Set in a bakery during a stormy night, where kitchenware and food items come to life. Musical numbers, dancing utensils, and slapstick chaos unfold as a spoon proposes to a dish, and a monstrous dough creature is defeated in a culinary battle.
Name and role: Even in a setting where everyday objects magically spring to life, love finds a way. A spoon wants to marry a dish: pretty straightforward stuff. But then a monstrous blob of flour and yeast tries to kidnap the poor dish. Seriously, what was it with the 1930s and kidnapping women? Even if you've got no curves, and are literally one continuous curve, you're still not safe!
Trivia and other appearances: More delightful takes on inanimate objects coming alive can be found in Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931), Red-Headed Baby (1931), and Goofy Groceries (1941).
Busdriver Buddy
Release date: 1933-12-06
Plot: Buddy drives a bus. At the first stop, the Warners get on and smash his head in with mallets.
Name and role: Just another job Buddy will never do again: too many painful memories. In the meta-canon, this is the last short where Buddy "collaborates" with the Warners, and it lines up with the year he begins his solo career.
Trivia and other appearances: Buddy's first official solo short is Buddy's Day Out (1933). There will still be a couple more meta-shorts featuring the Warners before they are canonically sealed in the studio tower for good.
Release date: 1933-12-06
Plot: Buddy drives a bus. At the first stop, the Warners get on and smash his head in with mallets.
Name and role: Just another job Buddy will never do again: too many painful memories. In the meta-canon, this is the last short where Buddy "collaborates" with the Warners, and it lines up with the year he begins his solo career.
Trivia and other appearances: Buddy's first official solo short is Buddy's Day Out (1933). There will still be a couple more meta-shorts featuring the Warners before they are canonically sealed in the studio tower for good.
Buddy's Show Boat
Release date: 1933-12-09
Plot: Buddy leads a floating show down the river, singing and dancing with Cookie and an orchestra of animals. Between musical numbers the fun is interrupted by a brute obsessed with Cookie who tries to kidnap her, and of course he does.
Name and role: The prisoner, surely an escapee living on the run, becomes obsessed with Cookie after seeing some billboard ads. He tries to take her away but Buddy smashes a boat in his face, leaving him at the mercy of a very violent walrus. The villain's ending is to be left hanging above the steamboat paddles that slap his backside.
Trivia and other appearances: He would be the classic one-shot villain if he didn't come back in Buddy's Garage (1934).
Release date: 1933-12-09
Plot: Buddy leads a floating show down the river, singing and dancing with Cookie and an orchestra of animals. Between musical numbers the fun is interrupted by a brute obsessed with Cookie who tries to kidnap her, and of course he does.
Name and role: The prisoner, surely an escapee living on the run, becomes obsessed with Cookie after seeing some billboard ads. He tries to take her away but Buddy smashes a boat in his face, leaving him at the mercy of a very violent walrus. The villain's ending is to be left hanging above the steamboat paddles that slap his backside.
Trivia and other appearances: He would be the classic one-shot villain if he didn't come back in Buddy's Garage (1934).
Sittin' on a Backyard Fence
Release date: 1933-12-16
Plot: On a quiet night, a house cat gazes out the window and sees a stray cat singing "Am I Blue?". Drawn to him, she joins him on the backyard fence, where more cats appear and form an impromptu jazz band using junkyard instruments. Their harmony is interrupted when a katnip-drunk rival shows up, leading to chaos and a brawl involving a guard dog.
Name and role: We're witnessing the earliest incarnations of the stray cat theme, a motif that would grow over time and eventually lead to the creation of Sylvester, passing of course through The Hep Cat.
Trivia and other appearances: The stray cat saga has its roots in shorts like A Tale of Two Kitties (1942), Back Alley Oproar (1948), Kit for Cat (1948), and No Barking (1954)
Release date: 1933-12-16
Plot: On a quiet night, a house cat gazes out the window and sees a stray cat singing "Am I Blue?". Drawn to him, she joins him on the backyard fence, where more cats appear and form an impromptu jazz band using junkyard instruments. Their harmony is interrupted when a katnip-drunk rival shows up, leading to chaos and a brawl involving a guard dog.
Name and role: We're witnessing the earliest incarnations of the stray cat theme, a motif that would grow over time and eventually lead to the creation of Sylvester, passing of course through The Hep Cat.
Trivia and other appearances: The stray cat saga has its roots in shorts like A Tale of Two Kitties (1942), Back Alley Oproar (1948), Kit for Cat (1948), and No Barking (1954)