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List of films directed by Tex Avery

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Tex Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor, and director. He became famous for producing animated cartoons during the Golden age of American animation and produced his most significant work while employed by the Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios.

Avery in 1926

He created the characters of Daffy Duck in Porky's Duck Hunt (1937), in Egghead in Egghead Rides Again (1937), Elmer Fudd in Little Red Walking Hood (1937), Bugs Bunny in A Wild Hare (1940), Cecil Turtle in Tortoise Beats Hare (1941), Droopy in Dumb-Hounded (1943), Screwy Squirrel in Screwball Squirrel (1944), George and Junior in Henpecked Hoboes (1946), Spike/Butch the Bulldog (Tex Avery's version) in Bad Luck Blackie (1949), and Smedley Dog in I'm Cold (1954). He developed the characters of Porky Pig from the Warner Bros. studio and Chilly Willy from the Walter Lantz Studio into the personas for which they are best remembered.

Avery first began his animation career at the Walter Lantz studio in the early 1930s, working on the majority of the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons from 1931-35. He is listed as "animator" on the original title card credits on the Oswald cartoons. He later claimed to have directed two cartoons during this time. By 1942, Avery was in the employ of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, working in their cartoon division under the supervision of Fred Quimby. At MGM, Avery's creativity reached its peak. A burnt-out Avery left MGM in 1953 to return to the Walter Lantz studio. Avery's return to the Lantz studio did not last long. He directed four cartoons in 1954-1955: the one-shots Crazy Mixed-Up Pup and Shh-h-h-h-h, and I'm Cold and The Legend of Rockabye Point, in which he defined the character of Chilly Willy the penguin.

Films directed or co-directed by Tex Avery

[edit]

1935: Carl Laemmle/Walter Lantz era

[edit]
Title Year Notes Ref(s).
Towne Hall Follies 1935 First cartoon directed by Avery at Lantz and credited as an animator; Co-directed by Walter Lantz [1]
The Quail Hunt 1935 Co-directed by Walter Lantz [1]

1935–1942: Warner Bros. era

[edit]
No. Title Year Notes DVD/Blu-Ray Availability Ref(s).
1 Gold Diggers of '49 1935
  • In black and white.
  • First cartoon by Tex Avery at Warners.
  • Featuring Porky Pig
 [2][3]
2 Plane Dippy 1936 [4][5]
3 Page Miss Glory 1936
  • First color cartoon by Tex Avery.
 [6]
4 The Blow Out 1936 [2][7]
5 I'd Love to Take Orders from You 1936
6 I Love to Singa 1936
7 Porky the Rain Maker 1936 [2]
8 The Village Smithy 1936 [8][9]
9 Milk and Money 1936 [9]
10 Don't Look Now 1936 [10]
11 Porky the Wrestler 1937
12 Picador Porky 1937 [11]
13 I Only Have Eyes for You 1937
14 Porky's Duck Hunt 1937
  • In black and white.
  • Featuring Porky Pig
  • First appearance of the character Daffy Duck.
  • First cartoon where Mel Blanc does the voice of Porky Pig.
 [8]
15 Uncle Tom's Bungalow 1937
16 Ain't We Got Fun 1937 [12]
17 Egghead Rides Again 1937 [13]
18 A Sunbonnet Blue 1937
19 Porky's Garden 1937
20 I Wanna Be a Sailor 1937
21 Little Red Walking Hood 1937 [14]
22 Daffy Duck & Egghead 1938 [15]
23 The Sneezing Weasel 1938 [16]
24 The Penguin Parade 1938
25 The Isle of Pingo Pongo 1938
  • Part of the Censored Eleven.
  • Featuring Egghead
  • Lobby poster makes first reference to the Prototype of Elmer as "Elmer".
 [17][18]
26 Cinderella Meets Fella 1938 [17][19]
27 A Feud There Was 1938
  • First cartoon in which the name full Elmer Fudd was employed.
 [17][20]
28 Johnny Smith and Poker-Huntas 1938 [17][20]
29 Daffy Duck in Hollywood 1938 [20]
30 The Mice Will Play 1938 [20]
31 Hamateur Night 1939 [20]
32 A Day at the Zoo 1939 [21]
33 Thugs with Dirty Mugs 1939 [15]
34 Believe It or Else 1939 [22][23]
35 Dangerous Dan McFoo 1939
  • DVD & Blu-Ray: Dodge City (bonus feature, unrestored)
 [17][15]
36 Detouring America 1939
  • Eskimo, black and half of Native American sequence cut from television airings.
 [24][25]
37 Land of the Midnight Fun 1939
38 Fresh Fish 1939 [26]
39 Screwball Football 1939 [27]
40 The Early Worm Gets the Bird 1940 [28]
41 Cross-Country Detours 1940 [15]
42 The Bear's Tale 1940 [29]
43 A Gander at Mother Goose 1940 [29]
44 Circus Today 1940 [19]
45 A Wild Hare 1940 [8]
46 Ceiling Hero 1940 [30]
47 Wacky Wild Life 1940 [31]
48 Of Fox and Hounds 1940
49 Holiday Highlights 1940
  • DVD: Bugs Bunny's Cupid Capers (bonus feature, unrestored)
50 The Crackpot Quail 1941 [32]
51 The Haunted Mouse 1941
  • In black and white.
 [33]
52 Tortoise Beats Hare 1941 [34]
53 Hollywood Steps Out 1941
54 Porky's Preview 1941
  • In black and white.
  • Final Porky Pig cartoon directed by Tex Avery.
 [35]
55 The Heckling Hare 1941 [8]
56 Aviation Vacation 1941
  • African native sequence cut from television airings.
 [36]
57 All This and Rabbit Stew 1941
  • Part of the Censored Eleven.
  • Final Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Tex Avery until he started directing Kool Aid ads in the 1960s.
 [37][38][39]
58 The Bug Parade 1941
  • Final cartoon directed by Tex Avery that he completed by himself.
 [40]
59 The Cagey Canary 1941 [1][41]
60 Wabbit Twouble 1941
61 Aloha Hooey 1942
  • Planned, but completed by Bob Clampett.
 [1][39]
62 Crazy Cruise 1942
  • Planned, but completed by Bob Clampett.
  • African native sequence and Japanese vulture sequence cut from television airings.
 [1][32]

1941: Paramount era

[edit]

All shorts are in live action and in black and white.

Title Year Notes Ref(s).
Down on the Farm 1941 [42]
In a Pet Shop 1941 [43]
In the Zoo 1941 [44]

1942–1957: MGM era

[edit]
# Title Year Notes DVD & Blu-Ray Availability Ref(s).
1 Blitz Wolf 1942
  • Rarely airs on television due to Nazi imagery.
  • First appearance of the Wolf.
 [15][45]
2 The Early Bird Dood It! 1942 [28][45]
3 Dumb-Hounded 1943 [15]
4 Red Hot Riding Hood 1943 [8][15]
5 Who Killed Who? 1943 [46]
6 One Ham's Family 1943 [47][45]
7 What's Buzzin' Buzzard 1943 [48]
8 Screwball Squirrel 1944 [27]
9 Batty Baseball 1944 [17]
10 Happy-Go-Nutty 1944
  • Blackface gag present which is cut from television airings.
 [45] [15]
11 Big Heel-Watha 1944
  • Rarely airs on television due to negative stereotypes of Native Americans.
  • It is the only Screwy Squirrel's cartoon to have its alternate name, "(Buck of the Month)".
 [8]
12 The Screwy Truant 1945 [8]
13 The Shooting of Dan McGoo 1945
  • Originally withheld from broadcast during the television restrictions code for its suggestive material.
  • Original print found by Mark Kausler.
 [45]
14 Jerky Turkey 1945
  • In the public domain
 [17]
15 Swing Shift Cinderella 1945
  • Originally withheld from broadcast during the television restrictions code for its suggestive material.
  • Working title was Red Hot Cindy during production
 [45][15]
16 Wild and Woolfy 1945
  • Originally withheld from broadcast during the television restrictions code for its suggestive material.
 [45]
17 Lonesome Lenny 1946
18 The Hick Chick 1946 [8]
19 Northwest Hounded Police 1946 [8][45]
20 Henpecked Hoboes 1946
  • First appearance of the characters George and Junior.
  • Blackface gag present which is cut from television airings.
 [46]
21 Hound Hunters 1947
  • Originally titled What Price Fleadom during production, named used for another Avery cartoon the following year.
 [49]
22 Red Hot Rangers 1947 [46]
23 Uncle Tom's Cabaña 1947
  • Banned from television due to racial stereotypes.
  • LaserDisc: The Compleat Tex Avery
 [46][50]
24 Slap Happy Lion 1947
  • This cartoon and Smarty Cat from Tom and Jerry swapped the ending which is why the reissue has Tom and Jerry ending instead of the blue MGM ending card.
 [45]
25 King-Size Canary 1947 [8]
26 What Price Fleadom 1948
  • The scene where the dog was about to commit suicide was cut.
 [45]
27 Little 'Tinker 1948 [45]
28 Half-Pint Pygmy 1948
  • Banned from television due to racial stereotypes.
  • LaserDisc: The Compleat Tex Avery
 [50]
29 Lucky Ducky 1948
  • Blackface gag cut from television airings.
 [46]
30 The Cat That Hated People 1948 [8][51]
31 Bad Luck Blackie 1949
  • First appearance of the character Spike/Butch the bulldog (Tex Avery's version).
  • Current airings on Cartoon Network, Boomerang and MeTV cut the scene where Butch emerges from the outdoor stove because it resembles a stereotypical Asian face.
 [52]
32 Señor Droopy 1949
  • First cartoon in which the character Droopy is named onscreen.
 [45]
33 The House of Tomorrow 1949 [15]
34 Doggone Tired 1949
  • In the public domain
 [46]
35 Wags to Riches 1949
  • Later got a remake as cinemascope called "Millionaire Droopy".
 [46]
36 Little Rural Riding Hood 1949
  • Originally withheld from broadcast during the television restrictions code for its suggestive material.
  • Last appearance of Red.
 [8]
37 Out-Foxed 1949 [46]
38 The Counterfeit Cat 1949 [46]
39 Ventriloquist Cat 1950
  • Later got a remake as cinemascope called "Cat's Meow".
 [46]
40 The Cuckoo Clock 1950 [53]
41 Garden Gopher 1950
  • Blackface gag airs uncut on MeTV.
 [46]
42 The Chump Champ 1950
  • Only time where Droopy loses in the end.
 [54]
43 The Peachy Cobbler 1951
  • Photo backgrounds
44 Cock-a-Doodle Dog 1951 [45]
45 Daredevil Droopy 1951
  • Blackface gag cut from television airings.
46 Droopy's Good Deed 1951
  • Blackface gag and stereotypes cut from television airings.
  • DVD: Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
 [46]
47 Symphony in Slang 1951 [55]
48 Car of Tomorrow 1951
  • Cartoon Network and Boomerang cuts two scenes of Indian cars and Chinese cars.
49 Droopy's Double Trouble 1951
  • First appearance of Droopy's brother Drippy who is very stronger than him.
50 Magical Maestro 1952
  • Due to it being racist stereotypes, future airings removes the scenes of where a cymbal land on Butch making him look like Chinese, and another where inks was sprayed on Butch as well. Brief scene of cymbal landing on Mysto was also removed.
 [56]
51 One Cab's Family 1952
52 Rock-a-Bye Bear 1952
  • Final cartoon directed by Avery before year-long sabbatical.
 [45]
53 Little Johnny Jet 1953
  • First cartoon directed by Avery after return from sabbatical.
 [45]
54 T.V. of Tomorrow 1953
55 The Three Little Pups 1953 [46]
56 Drag-a-Long Droopy 1954 [57]
57 Billy Boy 1954 [57]
58 Homesteader Droopy 1954 [46]
59 The Farm of Tomorrow 1954 [46][58]
60 The Flea Circus 1954 [46]
61 Dixieland Droopy 1954 [46]
62 Field and Scream 1955 [59]
63 The First Bad Man 1955 [60]
64 Deputy Droopy 1955 [45]
65 Cellbound 1955
  • Directed by Tex Avery and Michael Lah.
  • Last MGM cartoon directed by Tex Avery.
 [45][30]
66 Millionaire Droopy 1956
  • Cinemascope remake of Wags to Riches (1949) by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera after Avery left.
  • Credits mention « directed by Tex Avery ».
  • DVD: Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
 [46]
67 Cat's Meow 1957
  • Cinemascope remake of Ventriloquist Cat (1950) by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera after Avery left.
  • Credits mention « directed by Tex Avery ».
 [30]

1954–1955: Universal & Walter Lantz era

[edit]
# Title Year Notes Availability Ref(s).
1 I'm Cold 1954
  • A Chilly Willy cartoon.
  • First appearance of the character Smedley Dog
 [61]
2 Crazy Mixed Up Pup 1955 [32]
3 The Legend of Rockabye Point 1955 [62]
4 Sh-h-h-h-h-h 1955 [63][64]

1979: Hanna-Barbera era

[edit]
Title Year Notes Ref(s).
Casper's First Christmas 1979 Credited as Musical Sequence Director [65]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Adamson, Joe, Tex Avery: King of Cartoons, 1975, Da Capo Press
  2. ^ a b c Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its golden age. Oxford University Press. pp. 330–331. ISBN 978-0195167290.
  3. ^ Webb 2011, p. 138.
  4. ^ Webb 2011, p. 276.
  5. ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 44. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  6. ^ Webb 2011, p. 259.
  7. ^ Webb 2011, p. 46.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Tex Avery was the master of bizarre, groundbreaking animation
  9. ^ a b Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its golden age. Oxford University Press. p. 332. ISBN 978-0195167290.
  10. ^ Webb 2011, p. 95.
  11. ^ Webb 2011, p. 270.
  12. ^ Webb 2011, p. 6.
  13. ^ Webb 2011, p. 102.
  14. ^ Michael Barrier, J.; Elliott, Duong Van Mai; Barrier, Michael (1999). Hollywood cartoons : American animation in its golden age. ISBN 978-0-19-503759-3.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Grant, John (2006). Animated movies : facts, figures and fun. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-904332-52-7.
  16. ^ Webb 2011, p. 327.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g Talking About Tex
  18. ^ The Censored 11: "The Isle Of Pingo Pongo" (1938)
  19. ^ a b Webb 2011, p. 74.
  20. ^ a b c d e 1938-39 Merrie Melodies: The People's Choice (Pt. 1)
  21. ^ Webb 2011, p. 86.
  22. ^ Webb 2011, p. 39.
  23. ^ The CENSORED Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide: B
  24. ^ Webb 2011, p. 88.
  25. ^ The CENSORED Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide: D
  26. ^ Webb 2011, p. 129.
  27. ^ a b Webb 2011, p. 315.
  28. ^ a b Webb 2011, p. 101.
  29. ^ a b Webb 2011, p. 35.
  30. ^ a b c Webb 2011, p. 68.
  31. ^ Webb 2011, p. 377.
  32. ^ a b c Webb 2011, p. 82.
  33. ^ Webb 2011, p. 152.
  34. ^ Webb 2011, p. 360.
  35. ^ Webb 2011, p. 285.
  36. ^ Webb 2011, p. 26.
  37. ^ The Censored 11: "All This and Rabbit Stew (1941)"
  38. ^ Check Out These 1965 Tex Avery Directed Kool-Aid Commercials
  39. ^ a b Webb 2011, p. 17.
  40. ^ Webb 2011, p. 56.
  41. ^ Webb 2011, p. 61.
  42. ^ "Speaking of Animals Down on the Farm". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  43. ^ "Speaking of Animals in a Pet Shop". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  44. ^ "Speaking of Animals in the Zoo". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  45. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Some Advance Notes on "Tex Avery Screwball Classics" Volume 3
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Lebensold, Peter (December 19, 1970). "TAKE ONE: the film magazine". TAKE ONE. p. 14. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  47. ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. pp. 229–230. ISBN 9781476672939.
  48. ^ Webb 2011, p. 382.
  49. ^ "Irv Spence and Rod Scribner, One-Shot Moonlighters |".
  50. ^ a b "Compleat Tex Avery, The [ML102681]". Laserdisc Database. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  51. ^ Webb 2011, p. 67.
  52. ^ Webb 2011, p. 28.
  53. ^ Webb 2011, p. 84.
  54. ^ Webb 2011, p. 73.
  55. ^ Webb 2011, p. 346.
  56. ^ The Song Begins…It's Magic!
  57. ^ a b Fitness vs. Fatness (Part 6): I Was a (??)-Pound Weakling
  58. ^ Webb 2011, p. 110.
  59. ^ Webb 2011, p. 119.
  60. ^ Webb 2011, p. 120.
  61. ^ "I'm Cold". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  62. ^ "The Legend of Rockabye Point". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  63. ^ "Sh-h-h-h-h-h". IMDb. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  64. ^ "The Final Needle Drop: "The Okeh Laughing Record"". Cartoon Research. October 24, 2016. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023.
  65. ^ Sánchez, Cruz (2014). Tex Avery (in Spanish). ISBN 9788437632292.
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