MelBlanc,alsoknownas“TheManofaThousandVoices”wasthemaster voice over of popular characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Sylvester the Cat, Beaky Buzzard, Tweety Bird, Foghorn Leghorn, Yosemite Sam, Wile E. Coyote, Barney Rubble and many more. This article is set up to bring out the best of Mel Blanc and his involvement with Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and Warner Brothers.
Melvin Jerome Blank - Born 1908, died 1989 - covered an amazing period in the development of entertaiment. From Radio, to television to animation he worked along side Jack Benny, Abbot and Costello.
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, he worked mostly for Warner Brothers and due to these contractual obligations had to give up other popular voices such as Woody Wood Pecker(produced by Universal Pictures).
Mel Blanc's last big contribution was in the production of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" The film brings together many cartoon characters from different studios in a single film. Mel Blanc died, July 10, 1989 at the age of 81. The characters he represented have left an huge impact on society. Each one with a distinct personality.
One of the big discussions, has always been explaining the difference between Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. They both originally drew their storylines from Warner's vast music library. In time, Looney Tunes featured regular characters that returned to the show where as Merrie Melodies experimented with a lot of one time characters. From 1934 to 1943 Looney Tunes was only in black and white where as Merry Melodies were in colour. After that the major difference was the theme song. The theme music for Looney Tunes was "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" by Cliff Friend and Dave Franklin; the theme music for Merrie Melodies was an adaptation of "Merrily We Roll Along" by Charles Tobias, Murray Mencher and Eddie Cantor.
The first Looney Tunes cartoon made its debute in 1930 featuring Bosko in the cartoon Sinkin' in the Bathtub. The Merrie Melodies series began in 1931, mainly to promote Warner Bros. songs.
Who did What at Looney Tunes beyond Mel Blanc? Let's just say he was the voice but the whole of the characters and personalities were a joint effort. He may seem like the creator but in fact the following people had as much to do with Looney Tunes and characters.
Carl Stalling - Musical Director Composed music for Warner Bros. cartoons from 1936-1958.
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Chuck Jones - Animator and Director Creator of Pepe Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote, The Road Runner, Henery Hawk Michigan J. Frog and also played a large part in the creation of Marvin the Martian. He also contributed to a host of other characters.
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Friz Freleng - Animator and Director Creator of Porky Pig and Slyvester and contributor to a variety of other Looney Tunes characters
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Bob Clampett - Animator and Director Creator of Tweety and Daffy Duck
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Tex Avery - Animator and Director He was the creator of Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. He also made major contribution to deveoping Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.
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Robert (Bob) McKimson - Animator and Director Creator of Tazmanian Devil and Hippety Hopper and contributor to a variety of other Looney Tunes characters.
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One of my favourites and not often noted are Chuck Jones characters, Ralph and Sam.
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Years of entertainment that has gone on for generations. Even though there is plenty of info out there on Looney Tunes and mel Blanc I just had to put my 2cents worth. In trying to bring you my side of the story, I hope you have dicovered a thing or two about Warner Brothers an their music/animation adventure. You may check the credits below for more focused information.
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Since Bizclown is about funny stuff, today we bring you a funny television phenomenon of the 80's, whom you may know as Max Headroom. The character was created by George Stone, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton and portrayed by Matt Frewer. Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future is a 1985 television movie which acts as backbone storyline for Max Headroom, developped for Britain's Channel 4. The movie was created by Chrysalis Visual Programming Ltd. Channel 4 wanted to add a computer generated character host, as such, Max Headroom was born Video Jockey in 1985 and became a humurous success. At first, Max would add in comments to fill space between videos. It wasn't long before he had his own show and his own video.
As technology goes, the effects were far from computer generated. Max was the image of actor Matt Frewer with latex and foam prosthetic makeup. A fiberglass suit was then superimposed over a moving geometric background. Still it was clever and won the BAFTA award for graphics. Credit goes to Peter Litten and John Humphreys of Coast to Coast Productions in the UK.
We would paralell the spot today, like a genre of MTV show. Max headroom went on to interview celebrities such as Sting, Boy Beorge, Michael Caine, Vidal Sassoon and countless more. Filling talkshow spots in both Britain and United States on Terry Wogan and David Letterman, Max Headroom was an international icon, appealing to the young generation for it's cyberpunk influence and to the mature audience for its originality. Something refreshing for everyone.
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So what made all of these things funny? The over exaggerated stuttering, the wit, the sometimes unexpected humour. The beginning of the in your face world changing attitude of the 80's. The daring commentaries. It wasn't overkill. You needed to see more to get enough. You waited for what else Max would come with.
Max Headroom became a star! How big was he? Well, in 1986, Coca Cola made a move to replace Bill Cosby as their spokesperson with Max Headroom! That's big! As history tells the story New Coke was a failure. Still today you can Catch the Wave on Youtube. The Coca Cola failure fits right into the Bizclown type a story but since it is widely documented I think we'll just let it go!
Yes Max Headroom also had his own Music Video: Paranoimia. It wasn't actually his video, it was a song by the English group Art of Noise. Paranoimia rolled in on the UK top 40 charts circa June 1986 and peaked at it's highest ranking at number 12. It was on the charts for a total of 9 weeks.
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The next big gig for Max Headroom was the ABC American television series. Using the original Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future, as a base, ABC reproduced the original episode. Only 3 original cast members returned: Matt Frewer (Max Headroom, Edison Carter), Amanda Pays (Theora Jones) and W. Morgan Sheppard (Blank Reg). The 14 episode series' plot was based on the idea that, in a post apocolipse future, television rules. To such a degree that network ratings are the foundation of crime and violence. Anything goes to bring the ratings up. Network 23's roving reporter, Edison Carter, and his computer-generated witty, alterego, Max Headroom head out every week to right the wrongs of this media society.
Of course the show had it's real ups and downs. A little ironic really, speaking of ratings. A started mid season and got canned half way through the next season. To this day, Max Headroom still has a following and still has work. Max Headroom is currently working as a spokesperson for Sirius Radio 80's station!
What's up with 2010? Well, pre-Internet say 1992, This website was a Bulletin Board called Jokes and Humour. In 1995 the Internet started changing the shape of things for everyone. I studied a little bit of html and managed to put up a few funnies on line. Soon with the a piece of software called HotDog, I managed to put up a rather graphical site for the times, Jokes and Humour.
Allowing search engines to easily find Jokes and Humour even though no domain as such existed. As the internet grew to what it is today, the name had already been snitched. Hence Bizclown hosting Jokes and Humour. With more sophisticated tools such as Dreamweaver and Fireworks, I did the 2nd setup.
I've since dropped some of the other ventures that came along Bizclown, but I've continued my home made Website. This is the third re-design of Jokes and Humour on the net and when I started piddling with Joomla! , I knew I'd found a good solution for a CMS (Content Management System).
Some things have been dropped, some things I've been added. The biggest change, is that it will not be full static content. I'll be able to add and devellop as I go along.
What this site isn't is a complete site on anything, there are always more complete works than what I present, hence I do state my sources. Instead I prefer bringing you a little bit of everything and I intend to entertain you.
If you tripped on this website accidentally and this post is still on the front page, I am still in devellopment and it's still not 2010.
I invite you to drop in periodically and snicker and laugh with me. Have fun!
Abbott & Costello Biography
Biography
Abbott & Costello were one of the greatest comedy teams in the history of show business. They mastered the straightman/clown relationship, creating a magical chemistry that would take them from the burlesque stage to radio to broadway to film and finally, to television Born William Alexander Abbott on October 6, 1897 in Asbury Park, N.J.,
Bud became one of the most sought after and polished straightmen on the burlesque circuit. It was here that he met his future partner, Louis Francis Cristillo, born on March 6, 1906 in Paterson, N.J. Their official teaming was in 1936.
Although they became a popular booking commodity on the burlesque wheel, it wasn't until they appeared on the KATE SMITH RADIO HOUR, performing what would soon become known as their classic signature skit, "Who's On First," that Bud Abbott & Lou Costello were hurled to stardom, and to Hollywood. Signed to Universal in 1939, Abbott & Costello reigned as the new "Kings Of Comedy," producing a solid decade of box office hits as: "Buck Privates;" "In The Navy;" "Hold That Ghost;" "Naughty Nineties;" "Time Of Their Lives;" and their 1948 monster classic, "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein." Today, that film remains a favorite among fans, as well as an international cult masterpiece. Bud and Lou's style and brand of comedy helped lift the morale of the American public during World War II. Eager to lend their time to the war effort, the boys funded (out-of-pocket) a cross-country tour to help raise much needed funds on behalf of the War Bond Drive.
Everywhere they appeared there were sell-out audiences. They were honored on the steps of New York's City Hall by Mayor Furiello LaGuardia for raising a record-breaking 89 million in just three days! As the country eased into the 1950's, Abbott & Costello tackled a new medium: Television. Comedy historians have glossed over their contribution, but in fact, Bud and Lou became early television pioneers, along with Phil Silvers, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, and Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz.
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO SHOW debuted in 1952, running for two seasons on CBS. Today, the show is seeing a revival with the 1993 and 1994 episode video releases from Shanachie Entertainment and in a 1994 Columbia House infomercial. To further display their burlesque wares on the live stage, which was always home to the boys, NBC welcomed Abbott & Costello to its new hour long live variety show, THE COLGATE COMEDY HOUR, as guest hosts. Debuting on January 7, 1951, Bud and Lou boosted the show's ratings as they brought the Abbott & Costello staple routines, including "Who's On First." In 1956, one year before the release of their last film together, "Dance With Me Henry," and their official (and amicable) split, Bud and Lou were brought together on THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW before a live nationwide viewing audience.
The emotion was further heightened when unbeknownst to both men, Steve Allen announced the induction of Abbott & Costello and their Gold Record of "Who's On First" into the World-famous, BASEBALL HALL OF FAME in Cooperstown, N.Y. Many are not aware that Abbott & Costello are the first non-baseball playing celebrities ever to be induced into the Hall of Fame. Lou Costello passed away in 1959, followed by Bud Abbott in 1974.
Today, their comedy continues to generate a whole new legion of fans around the world. Their clean style of comedy, born on the burlesque stage over 50 years ago, continues to find a ready and accepting medium in today's market place. In 1989, the families released a compilation video of the boy's appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour shoes in THE BEST OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO, LIVE (Warner Home Video). The video was nominated for two prestigious video awards in 1990. In 1991, The Disney Channel followed through with 6 special airings, creating a wider marketing base for the duo. Look-alikes doubled as Bud and Lou helping promote Bran News Cereal in a nationwide television commercial; Prudence Insurance used actual radio show skits for a year long nationwide radio commercial; and in 1993, McDonald's, pushing their special combo meals, once again employed A&C look-alikes in a nationwide campaign.
In 1991, the USPS paid homage to the team by enlisting them as part of their COMEDY LEGEND'S COMMEMORATIVE STAMP BOOKLET. By 1993, cable networks began airing more of the Abbott & Costello films. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld hosted a 10 hour ABBOTT & COSTELLO COMEDY MARATHON over the Comedy Channel Network. It was a first for Bud and Lou to be paid such a high tribute by one of today's most sought after comedians.
With Abbott & Costello being a major influence in Jerry Sienfeld's career, as well as with an obvious sprinkling of the duo in his award winning TV show, THE JERRY SEINFELD SHOW, the families in association with George Paige Productions, approached Mr. Seinfeld in hosting a retrospective on the team. Thanksgiving evening, 1994, over NBC, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET JERRY SEINFELD aired in the 10:00 p.m. line-up. TV Guide rated the show #2, as Abbott & Costello once again came to life in over 20 million homes.
As Abbott & Costello continue to thrive in their long overdue resurgence, no one said it quite as well as Jerry Seinfeld when asked by the press how he would define the comedy of Abbott & Costello. "If it weren't for Abbott & Costello, many of the wounderful burlesque routines which is a part of the American fabric, would have been lost forever. They were giants of their time who truly immortalized burlesque forever. Maybe that artform is largely lost, but I try and keep it alive in my own show."
Abbott & Costello
