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Mr. Clampett, I Presume!
Topic Started: Mar 3 2008, 07:00 PM (1,345 Views)
mort bakaprevski
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I probably should have titled this topic, A Question for Thad... because I'm sure he knows the answer!

Just reading on Barrier's site that Clampett left Warners in May of 45. Was that his decision or Warners??? I know he made one cartoon for Republic & that seemed to be it until 49 when "Time for Beany" debuted on KTLA. So what was he doing in the interim???
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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rodney
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For a little while he was working at Columbia as a writer on some of their 1946-47 releases.

I think his Warners contract was up. Not sure though.
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thadk
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Yes, Clampett's contract was up, and they did not want to renew it, due to Clampett frequently being behind schedule on his cartoons. So in essence, he was fired.

I think it's best (well for the Clampett freaks anyway) that he left when he did. He wouldn't have survived well in the Tom & Jerry influenced environment, and most likely would have suffered like Avery did at MGM in the early 50s, with cartoons that are more loud and unpleasant than great.
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mort bakaprevski
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Thad, what was the story re the single cartoon for Republic?? Were there plans for more and, if so, what happened???
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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thadk
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mort bakaprevski
Mar 4 2008, 07:37 PM
Thad, what was the story re the single cartoon for Republic?? Were there plans for more and, if so, what happened???

According to Republic's records, this cartoon was budgeted at $20K (which was actually more than he had to work with under Schlesinger, at $17K), and if it was successful, Republic would sign Clampett on for 35 more cartoons. Obviously it wasn't.

Steve Sherman wrote to me:
"While doing some research on "Time for Beany" I spoke with puppeteer Bob Baker who had a studio on Santa Monica Blvd. in the late 40's. He told me that Clampett used his space as an office and that there were two other cartoons that Clampett had done for Republic, but that they were so violent, they couldn't release them. Also interesting is Charlie Horse's resemblance to Thunderbolt the Wondercolt, a Clampett puppet show from the 50's."
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rodney
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Should be noted that these two shorts are not mentioned in the Jack Mathis books, so if they were made, Republic probably never paid Clampett for them. If they did, they'd show up in their records.
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mort bakaprevski
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Thad, I know you're not particularly fond of Mr. Clampett as a person, but I wondered how you feel about him as an animator/director/whatever???

My first experience with Clampett was the "Time for Beany" TV puppet show which I thought, as a pre-pubescent, was awfully clever & funny. Of course, I'm sure the wit & humor had as much to do with Stan Freburg & Daws Butler as it did with Clampett. On the other hand, when I think of my favorite cartoons, I"m pretty sure there isn't a Clampett in there. "Porky in Wackyland", "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" & "Russian Rhapsody" were definitely different, but I did not find them particularly funny. "Tortoise Wins by a Hare", on the other hand, was enjoyable. And, unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to see the controversial "Coal Black...".

Anyhoo, just curious about your opinions!!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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thadk
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Hey Mort,

I love an awful lot of Clampett's cartoons, and would rank him very highly, in my Top 5 of all the animation directors. Along with Chuck Jones' Road Runner's, Clampett's Porky's were my favorite as a kid. But too many of those Porky's don't hold up well at all now, IMO.

I'm not sure what to think of his skills as a director. From the cadence of his interviews, and those with his animators, Clampett seemed to have been a glorified storyman, rather than an accomplished animator like all of his Warner peers. According to Bob McKimson and Bill Melendez, they'd quite often have to time and direct their own animation. I have a long article in the works I plan to publish on my site in the near works that examines his career closer than others have.

Regardless, my favorite Clampett-trips would include:

Porky and Daffy ('38)
Porky in Wackyland ('38)
Porky's Tire Trouble ('39)
Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid ('42)
A Tale of Two Kitties ('42)
Coal Black ('43)
Russian Rhapsody ('44)
Hare Ribbin' ('44)
A Gruesome Twosome ('45)
Wagon Heels ('45)
The Bashful Buzzard ('45)
Book Revue ('46)
Baby Bottleneck ('46)
Kitty Kornered ('46)
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery ('46)
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Laughing Gravy
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There's a Beany & Cecil cartoon that spoofs Disneyland; it's hilarious.
"I'm glad that this question came up, because there are so many ways to answer it that one of them is bound to be right." - Robert Benchley
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mort bakaprevski
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I loved the "Beany & Cecil Show." Of course, I've never met a pun I didn't like ("your obedient serpent.. ")!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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mort bakaprevski
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Thad, thank you SO MUCH for publishing the Jones/Avery letter. Certainly shed a new light (for me, anyway) on a long controversial subject. I read the original Clampett interview when Barrier first published it, many decades ago. Neither Jones nor Avery sounded unreasonable to me.... at least at that point in time. I do think Jones began to sound more & more bitter as he got older.

For what it's worth, I never particularly cared for the Avery/Clampett sadistic bunny who delighted in causing unrprovoked misery on another character... simply because that character was somewhat limited in intelligence. Nutsy Squirrel was even worse!!

Oh yeah, for others, go to this site & read the letter. Verrrrry interesting:

http://thadkomorowski.com/2008/04/24/the-j...lampett-letter/
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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thadk
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Mort, I pretty much agree with you. I think Mike gets a little paranoid over the whole Clampett thing, as his co-researcher, Milt Gray, did a LOT Of interviews for him and is a rabid Clampett partisan.

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Milt_...on_Clampett.htm
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mort bakaprevski
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Well, I finally got to see COAL BLACK on youtube. Yep, it certainly deals in stereotypes... BUT I also watched ALL THIS & RABBIT STEW as well. COAL BLACK comes off as pretty tame compared to that. While I was out there I also watched SCRUB ME MAMA WITH A BOOGIE BEAT from Lantz. Again, IMO, much worse than the Clampett effort. And, I read that Universal has actually included some LI'L EIGHTBALL cartoons on the latest Woody Woodpecker set. Weird... when you consider how controversial Inky(?) & the Mynah Bird are!!!

Kinda reminds me of all the foofoorah when Fox was going to have a Charlie Chan festival. Fox chickened out due to all the uproar... then a few years later started releasing these films on DVD & not a peep from anyone!!
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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mort bakaprevski
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Here's an article about a planned, but never realized, project by Clampett & Edgar Rice Burroughs:

http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Clampett%20on%20Mars/ClampettOnMars.html
"Nov Shmoz Ka Pop."
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JazzGuyy
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Here is some more on Clampett and Burroughs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTAlgZlqwnQ
TANSTAAFL!
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