A Guide to Tex Avery -- The Walter Lantz Years (1954-1955)

Tex Avery left MGM in 1954 (though several cartoons he had already made for them would be released all the way up to 1957) to enjoy a very brief stint at Walter Lantz Productions.  WLP were independently producing cartoons that were distributed through Universal Studios.  Avery seemed to adapt to his new home very quickly, though he didn't stay long, and unfortunately left to never again return to animate short films.  His animation style changed a little to reflect his new home and the changing landscape of the mid-50's, but the madcap antics, creative gags and self-reflexive humor remained in tact.

I watched these in chronological order and have written out a few remarks for all of them.  All of these are fun and definitely worth watching.  My particular recommendations will be highlighted in red.

See also: Tex Avery at MGM -- Part II (1950-1957)

Tex Avery at Walter Lantz Productions (1954-1955)

Crazy Mixed Up Pup (1954)

Avery definitely takes a different stylistic approach with the character animation in this first Lantz short, adopting a much more angular rendering of his subjects.  Absurdity is still rampant and even though the final reversal is pretty obvious, it was funny to see.

I’m Cold (1954)

Avery has a new character to play with and has some fun subverting his normal routine.  Here, Chilly Willy (the cold penguin) is trying to sneak into a coat warehouse to steal furs while the knowing watchdog displays a restrained ability to undo everything Willy tries to accomplish.  The fun of the cartoon is the power play dynamic between the dog and penguin and not the full on torture one inflicts on the other (as was Avery’s norm).  A pleasant cartoon.

The Legend of Rockabye Point (1955)

What begins as a retread of Deputy Droopy with a mix of I’m Cold turns into a really funny expression of cartoon immutability.  A guard dog is keeping watch over a supply of fish while a hungry polar bear must overcome the extra obstacles added by Chilly Willy to avoid having the dog bite him.  Thankfully, Avery keeps things fresh by adding some wonderful gags, including a scorcher with a clarinet.  The final reversal takes a surprisingly sentimental turn, as the dog and polar bear are not able to live without each other.

Sh-h-h-h-h-h (1955)

A really brilliant premise for a cartoon, that basically takes the playful approach to loudness and silence from Rock-a-Bye Bear and Deputy Droopy and flips them with the character inside the room being unable to stop the noises outside.  Here, the character has been traumatized by trombone music and his doctor sends him away to a special silent resort for peace and quiet.  Naturally, his hotel neighbor turns out to be a trombone player who cannot be stopped despite the character’s best efforts that become more and more loud and always backfire. A fantastic twist at the end leads to the character’s literal disintegration.  This is essentially Avery’s last cartoon (though imdb lists the two CinemaScopes as 1956 and 1957) and I find it to be wonderfully inventive, proof to me that had Avery continued animating shorts (even at Lantz), he would have still been able to produce quality cartoons with clever gags and premises.