Chuck Redux

Chuck Jones: Pussyfoot 1951

PUSSYFOOT 1951

Pussyfoot it may be to millions of fans, but to Chuck Jones Pussyfoot had no permanent name, “…call [him] Everykitten.”   Jones continues, “All the kitten had was the ability to love, so drawing him was comparatively simple.  A kitten’s ears are much bigger in relation to the face than an adult cat’s, and as in all young mammals, his forehead is very high.  I wanted him to be so darling that you feel you must pick him up and hug him, which is precisely what I wanted Marc Anthony to want to do.”

Pussyfoot first appeared in the short animated film, Feed the Kitty, directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese.  It bowed (and me-owed) in theaters nationwide on February 2, 1952.  Robert Gribbroek was the animator and Philip DeGuard created the backgrounds.  Carl Stalling was the musical director and with Bea Benaderet as the voice of Marc Anthony’s mistress.

 

Pussyfoot 1951 is based upon one of two existing model sheets, dated a year apart (1950 and 1951.)  Although many people work on the creation of an animated film, the characters are always consistent in their delineation because each person drawing them had the character model sheet with different poses of the character on it before him.  Directors often provided more specific guides as well.  Chuck Jones, for instance, provided several hundred key layout drawings as well as drawing the model sheets himself. 

Pussyfoot 1951 has been created as a 16 field cel and in an edition of 100 (with 40 Familial Proofs and 20 Hors de Commerce.)  It bears the authorized signature mark of Chuck Jones and the holographic seal of Linda Jones Enterprises. 

Filmography for Pussyfoot, all directed by Chuck Jones:

• Feed the Kitty (1952)

• Kiss Me Cat (1953)

• Feline Frame Up (1954)

• Cat Feud (1958)

• Another Froggy Evening

  (cameo, 1995)

Chuck Jones Genuinely Cared: One Example

We received a comment in the last few days on my post from February 7 Years and Still Living On...

When I read it today, I thought is truly epitomized the way Chuck cared about people, remembered people, and made a lasting impression on people by his incredible presence and caring.

Thank you, Greg, for taking the time to bring this memory back to us.

1983-1993 I worked for the NBC affiliate in New Orleans. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Jones when he came to New Orleans to donate his time to the annual Children's Hospital Telethon. At the time I was a studio camera operator. One day in the studio Mr. Jones and I were speaking of family and I told him I had two young children and mentioned their names. He seemed to be truly interested in what I had to say. I was a young man at the time and impressed with his genuine sense of care. About two weeks after the telethon I received a package at the station. Inside that package was a sketch of Bugs Bunny standing behind a studio camera that had the call signs WDSU on its side. Bugs was wearing a head set with his hands on the controls. There was a short message next to Bugs that read " To Tara and Hutch, love Bugs Bunny and Chuck Jones". That sketch has been hanging in my daughter Tara's room since the day I brought it home. Thank you Chuck Jones. I will never forget.

Posted by: Greg Gonzales | June 05, 2009 

Chuck Jones Image of the Day: 1956

Just came across this image in my journey through an archive drawer:

This is a layout drawing by Chuck Jones from Barbary Coast Bunny, 1956.  This is the original drawing that Chuck drew to communicate to the animators what Bugs Bunny would look like at the precise moment while delivering his line in response to Nasty Canasta's asking if he wanted to play 'Draw Poker'.

Here is the scene from the film:

And here is a link to the cartoon on Yutube:

http://bit.ly/icgmY



I hope you enjoy.

Craig

Chuck Jones: Bewitched Bunny 1954

BEWITCHED BUNNY 1954, a Golden Age Edition          

The Warner Bros. version of Witch Hazel (first voiced by Bea Benaderet and then in subsequent appearances, to much acclaim, by June Foray) bowed in theaters nationwide on July 24, 1954 in the Chuck Jones directed Bewitched Bunny.  Borrowing liberally from the Brothers Grimm tale of Hansel and Gretel (as well as Snow White), Bewitched Bunny continues Jones’ experimentation and innovation in character and scenic design.  Using simple, yet elegant, lines to delineate the complexities of character through visual punnery (Hazel’s head ends at the brim of her hat, who can forget those hairpins,) Jones confidently ups the madcap silliness quotient and verbal swordplay between Bugs and Witch Hazel*.  

His unit composed of such stalwart talent as Mike Maltese, Lloyd Vaughan, Ken Harris, Ben Washam and the inimitable Maurice Noble, were equally up to the challenge of developing the stylistic and artistic re-imagining of the animated short film.  Since the release of The Dover Boys in 1942, Jones had been noted, and often imitated, for his groundbreaking and imaginative use of shape, color and movement. 

“When I began thinking about the character of Witch Hazel, I first tried to imagine what the witches in Macbeth would look like, and I decided that they were big.  Witches also have hats, and Hazel has hers.  It is an odd one.  I wanted the hat to be shapeless and insubstantial, looking as if it might explode in a cloud of dust at any moment…Her clothes cover her body completely, and I assume that she is the same shape as the outfit she is wearing.  When she went out, she put on bloomers and high-heeled shoes, which I wanted to look like a drawing rather than a three-dimensional form.”

---Chuck Jones in Chuck Reducks, Drawing From the Fun Side of Life

 

Bewitched Bunny, created from an original Chuck Jones layout drawing for the film, is the first in a series of Golden Age Editions art from Chuck Jones that will celebrate, in limited edition and a variety of media, cartoons created by Jones during the 1950s.  Estate signed in gold ink along with the hand signature of June Foray, this edition features a background created from an original used in the production of Bewitched Bunny. 

*Witch Hazel is the name of a North American shrub from which a medicinal brew and an alcohol-based rub is made. 

Volunteers needed: Stand up and play your part

As President Obama says, "We need your service right now, at this moment in history.  I'm not going to tell you what your role should be.  That's for you to discover.  But I'm asking you to stand up and play your part. I'm asking you to help change history’s course."

Chuck Jones Center for Creativity offers volunteer opportunities that will use your unique skills and bring you joy.  You'll also experience the satisfaction that comes with giving your precious time to enrich the lives of other people.

Which sorts of opportunities, you ask?

If you enjoy spending time with young people and encouraging their imaginations, ask us about assisting with our afternoon classes in creativity through art for young people ages 5-14.  You don't have to be an artist, although basic drawing skills are definitely a plus.  The location of this opportunity is in the city of Orange, in Orange County, California.

If you would rather talk to people on the telephone or work on a computer, ask about helping us administer our community programs and fundraising efforts.  No, you don't have to ask anyone for donations, and you'll enjoy talking to parents about our classes and assisting with the day-to-day activities of a growing nonprofit organization.  The location of this opportunity is in the city of Irvine, in Orange County, California.

Would you like to hear more?  Send us a message!

Do you have a completely different idea about volunteering with us?  Tell us, please!

No time to give, but you'd love to make a donation?  Yes, donate now!

Will the time you spend with us change the course of history?  Let's find out!

 

Chuck Jones Image of the Day: 1962

Original sketch by Chuck Jones circa 1962 from Adventures of the Road Runner: