50 Greatest Cartoons... and other classic animation from the days of yore

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source

"The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals" is a 1994 book by animation historian Jerry Beck, consisting of articles about, and rankings of fifty highly-regarded animated short films made in North America, as well as many other notable cartoons.

The 50 Greatest Cartoons:

Featuring public domain cartoons from YouTube & Archive.org, official YouTube pages & legit streaming sites.



50 Felix in Hollywood (1923)

49  The Dover Boys (1942)  
48  A Unicorn in the Garden (1953)
47  A Corny Concerto (1943)
46  Quasi at the Quackadero (1975)
45  Book Revue (1946 clip)
44  The Man Who Planted Trees (1987)
43  The Barber of Seville (1944)

42  The Cat Concerto (1947)

41  Rooty Toot Toot (1952)
40  Peace on Earth (1939)
39  Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944 clip)  
38  Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)
37  Bimbo's Initiation (1931)

36 Feed the Kitty (1952 clip)

35  Ali Baba Bunny (1957 clip)  
34  You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940 clip)  
33  Superman (1941)
32  The Cat Came Back (1988)
31  The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950 clip)  
30  Rabbit Seasoning (1952 clip)
29  Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953)
28  Northwest Hounded Police (1946)

27  Clock Cleaners (1937)
26  Brave Little Tailor (1938)
25  The Big Snit (1985)
24  The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)
23  Little Rural Riding Hood (1949)
22  Der Fuehrer's Face (1943)
21  Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (1943)
20  Minnie the Moocher (1932)
19  Snow White (1933)

18  The Skeleton Dance (1929)
17  Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936)

16  The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946 clip)

15  Bad Luck Blackie (1949)
14  The Old Mill (1937)
13  Steamboat Willie (1928)
12  Rabbit of Seville (1950 clip)  
11  Three Little Pigs (1933)

10  King Size Canary (1947)
 9  Gerald McBoing Boing (1951)
 8  Porky in Wackyland (1938 clip)  
 7  Red Hot Riding Hood (1943)

 6  Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)
 5  One Froggy Evening  (1955 clip)
 4  Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century (1953 clip)
 3  The Band Concert (1935)
 2  Duck Amuck (1953 clip)
 1  What's Opera, Doc? (1957 clip)

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Some thoughts:

Don't know why some Canadian shorts from the '80's were mentioned since they were still "new" (considering the list is from 1994) and why from  not other countries like the UK  or Italy? Or a follow up with international animation.

Not sure if the AFI have listed indie movies in their list of the 100 Greatest Films (doubt it since it would've been mentioned, though probably a few), but that's also debatable. While animation is an art form, theatrical shorts were more mainstream  &  independent animation was only shown in film festivals or "art house" theatres (or "MTV's Liquid Television"). Honestly, it gives more variety on the list since there's more to animation.

Only two silent era cartoons, granted that animation was at it's infancy but "Trolley Troubles" (Oswald Rabbit) had great angles and "roller coaster" like visuals. Also some of the Fleischer "Out of the Inkwell" series  as well (not into them, though still a part of animation history). Also stop motion like George Pal's "Puppetoons".

17 Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies
9 Disney
7 MGM
5 Fleischer
4 UPA
3 Canadian (indie)
2 indie (US)
1 Lantz
1 Windsor McKay
1 Otto Messmer


There's going to be a book (also from Jerry Beck) that focuses on the 100 greatest Looney Tunes shorts.  

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Top 25 Looney Tunes from "MarioSonic94" from RetroJunk Though more like 47, but with a lot of ties...

comments on most of the cartoons

25. "The Hole Idea" (1955)

It's a creative short with many good sight gags with the portable hole.


23. "Porky's Duck Hunt" (1937)

Daffy's debut... While Tex Avery is probably more well known with MGM, he was one of the early directors to help Warner Bros. to discover it's style  and created two memorable characters (the other being Bugs Bunny).

18.  DePatie-Freleng Road Runner cartoons (1965/1966)

While some shorts had good ideas like  Coyote using a spy kit in "Sugar & Spies", but the animation was choppy like the robot in "The Solid Tin Coyote". Used to air often on Nickelodeon with other '60's era Looney Tunes shorts.


16. "Pest In The House" (1947)

I always find it funny that Elmer gets punched despite of Daffy's actions. Then again, he's the one that sends bellhop Daffy to the guy's room.

15. "Scaredy Cat" (1948) & "Claws For Alarm" (1954)

Porky & Sylvester... somewhat funnier than the cartoons featuring the cat with Tweety, IMHO

14. "Deduce, You Say" (1956) "Robin Hood Daffy" (1958)

"Robin Hood Daffy" is probably the funniest of the two. Especially when he hits himself with a  lance.

12. "Knighty Knight Bugs" (1958)

While it won an Oscar, there's much better Bugs Bunny cartoons out there. Even a few others like "Rhapsody Rabbit" & "A Wild Hare" that were nominated.

11. "Transylvania 65-000" (1963)

One of the few good '60's Looney Tunes cartoons.

8. "The Duxorist" (1987)

It's an OK short, though wouldn't rank it with the  rest.

6. "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century" (1953)

Classic short

5. "Duck Amuck" (1953)

Great concept and quite original. Granted that there was "Out of the Inkwell"  a few decades earlier with an animator communicating with a cartoon, but this is slightly different since Daffy and the audience didn't know what to expect.

4. "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" (1946)

One of the best Daffy Duck cartoons and from Bob Clampett.

The person also stated other favorites from Bob Clampett, which he/she also could've placed them on the list.  Though appear as a fan of Chuck Jones and later Looney Tunes from the 1950's/1960's.

3. "A Wild Hare" (1940)

While it's the official debut of Bugs Bunny and an Academy Award nominated cartoon, I wouldn't put it on the Top 10. Though more great cartoons would come and Bugs would become one of the most well known fictional characters like Mickey Mouse & Superman.

2. "One Froggy Evening" (1955)

another popular cartoon and quite enjoyable

The three honorable mentions:

"Show Biz Bugs" (1957)... a bit overrated since it's pretty much Daffy being upstaged by Bugs on the vaudeville stage.

Chuck Jones' hunting trilogy: "Rabbit Fire", "Rabbit Seasoning", and "Duck, Rabbit, Duck" (1951, 1952, 1953)

Funny and shows some clever dialog and gags


"Daffy Duck In Hollywood" (1938)

A good cartoon, though there's better early Daffy cartoons, IMHO. Like "Daffy Duck & Egghead" & "Daffy Duck & The Dinosaur" Though the random film clips put together is somewhat of a prototype of some the stuff seen on YouTube.


1. "What's Opera Doc?" (1957)

 interesting list

[Out of the Blue]

What would be your list of the best "Beavis and Butt Head" or "Ren & Stimpy" cartoons?

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For "Beavis & Butt-Head", I'd rank "The Great Cornholio", "Stewart's House", "No Laughing", "Prank Call" and "Washing The Dog".

Ren & Stimpy: "Stimpy's Invention", "Haunted House", "Robin Hoek", "Son of Stimpy", and "The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen"

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I can't remember the titles for some of the "Beavis and Butt Head" cartoons but there was the one where they went to Mexico, one called "High Blood Pressure," "Tired," and the one where they got the head lice and tried to get rid of them by putting their heads in a bug zapper.

The "Ren & Stimpy" ones that I thought were really funny were the space episodes like "Space Madness," "Marooned," "Scottsman in Space" (that one was especially twisted and funny), and the one where they went to the lost continent of Acromeglia (even thought that wasn't one of the space episodes).

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100 Greatest Looney Tunes blog

#1 -- Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century
#2 -- Duck Amuck
#3 -- To Beep Or Not To Beep
#4 -- One Froggy Evening
#5 -- What's Opera Doc?
#6 -- The Hunting Trilogy
        "Rabbit Fire"
        "Rabbit Seasoning"
        "Duck! Rabbit Duck!"
#7 -- Operation: Rabbit
#8 -- Now Hear This
#9 -- High Note
#10 -- Knighty Knight Bugs
#11 -- Show-Biz Bugs
#12 -- Porky In Wackyland
#13 -- Birds Anonymous
#14 -- Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
#15 -- The Scarlet Pimpernickle
#16 -- Rabbit of Seville
#17 -- Baby Bottleneck
#18 -- Chow Hound
#19 -- Bully For Bugs
#20 -- Robin Hood Daffy
#21 -- Hyde and Go Tweet
#22 -- Hare-way to the Stars
#23 -- The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall
#24 -- Mexican Boarders
#25 -- Ali Baba Bunny
#26 -- Often An Orphan
#27 -- Really Scent
#28 -- Falling Hare
#29 -- Satan's Waitin'
#30 -- My Little Duckaroo
#31 -- By Word Of Mouse
#32 -- A Witch's Tangled Hare
#33 -- Three Little Bops
#34 -- Devil May Hare
#35 -- Pizzicato Pussycat
#36 -- Martian Through Georgia
#37 -- Scrap Happy Daffy
#38 -- Compressed Hare
#39 -- Canned Fued
#40 -- Early To Bet
#41 -- Ready, Woolen, & Able
#42 -- The Foghorn Leghorn
#43 -- A Mouse Divided
#44 -- Lumber Jack-Rabbit
#45 -- Much Ado About Nutting
#46 -- Hare Splitter
#47 -- Night of the Living Duck
#48 -- Pigs in a Polka
#49 -- The Last Hungry Cat
#50 -- From A to Z-Z-Z-Z
#51 -- Rebel Rabbit
#52 -- Dough Ray Me-Ow
#53 -- Stupor Duck
#54 -- The Wacky Wabbit
#55 -- Bye Bye Bluebeard
#56 -- Design for Leaving
#57 -- Louvre Come Back to Me
#58 -- A Fractured Leghorn
#59 -- Rabbit's Kin
#60 -- The Lion's Busy
#61 -- The Mouse on 57th Street
#62 -- Stop! Look! and Hasten!
#63 -- Herr Meets Hare
#64 -- Golden Yeggs
#65 -- Knight-Mare Hare
#66 -- Bartholomew Versus the Wheel
#67 -- The Hypo-Chondri-Cat
#68 -- Curtain Razor
#69 -- To Hare is Human
#70 -- The Pied Piper of Guadalupe
#71 -- Odor of the Day
#72 -- Tortoise Wins by a Hare
#73 -- A Sheep in the Deep
#74 -- Easter Yeggs
#75 -- Porky Pig's Feat
#76 -- Carrotblanca
#77 -- Case of the Missing Hare
#78 -- Muscle Tussle
#79 -- My Favorite Duck
#80 -- Raw! Raw! Rooster
#81 -- Lighter than Hare
#82 -- Nelly's Folly
#83 -- Dog Gone South
#84 -- Napolean Bunny-Part
#85 -- The Old Grey Hare
#86 -- Jumpin' Jupiter
#87 -- Ducking the Devil
#88 -- Tabasco Road
#89 -- Snow Business
#90 -- A Ham in a Role
#91 -- Swooner Crooner
#92 -- Wackiki Wabbit
#93 -- The Stupid Cupid
#94 -- The Unexpected Pest
#95 -- Wet Hare
#96 -- Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers
#97 -- Wise Quackers
#98 -- There They Go-Go-Go!
#99 -- Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner
#100 -- The Great Piggy Bank Robbery

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Honorable mentions from the '100 Greatest' blog

All good choices. Though some could easily replace some of the mediocre (IMHO) cartoons on the list like "My Little Duckaroo" & "A Witch Tangled Hare".

Judging from the list (considering it's mostly post 1948 shorts), it could be "Long Haired Hare", "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century", or "Hillbilly Hare".

Come to think of it, the only Bugs vs. Yosemite Sam listed is the Oscar winning "Knighty Knight Bugs".

So let's not waste any more time. Here are my Honorable Mentions:


- Transylvania 6-5000 (1963), directed by Chuck Jones
---Bugs goes up against a vampire, who doesn't love that?
- Buckaroo Bugs (1944), directed by Bob Clampett
---Believe it or not, this was a special request from one of my readers, and I really felt bad that I wasn't able to include it.
- No Barking (1954), directed by Chuck Jones
---Not only is this a fun cartoon, but it was animated entirely by Ken Harris, one of Jones' top animators.
- The Hole Idea (1955), directed by Bob McKimson
---The premise of creating a portable hole is funny enough, but there's also the fact that McKimson not only directed this short, but animated it all on his own. Now THAT'S impressive!
- Hollywood Steps Out (1941), directed by Tex Avery
---Termite Terrace was well-known for putting caricatures of famous actors and actresses in their shorts, but this is probably the most famous one, staring an entire ensemble of Hollywood's finest in all their animated glory.
- Water, Water Every Hare (1952), directed by Chuck Jones
---Bugs finds himself locked in a castle with a mad scientist (parodying Vincent Price) and everyone's favorite giant orange monster, Gossamer (called Rudolph in this short)!
- Daffy Dilly (1948), directed by Chuck Jones
---While struggling as a salesman for joke and novelty items, Daffy learns that a dying millionaire will bequeath his fortune to anyone who can make him laugh again... if only Daffy can get past the butler first!
- Bugs and Thugs (1954), directed by Friz Freleng
---Bugs has his first encounter with Rocky and Mugsy, a pair of low-life gangsters who learn the hard way not to mess with everyone's favorite rabbit.
And finally... a tie between A Wild Hare (1940) and Porky's Duck Hunt (1937), for being the first cartoons to feature the modern version of Bugs (as well as his first pairing with Elmer Fudd), and the introduction of Daffy Duck!

So remember, that's not all, folks! See you back here soon with my pick for the #1 greatest Looney Tunes Cartoon of all time!

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Nevermind, "Lighter Than Hare" is a Bugs vs. Yosemite Sam cartoon.

Honestly, don't think I remember watching it and not on the DVD sets nor YouTube.

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Warner Bros. cartoons from Top 50 Greatest Cartoons book:

1. "What's Opera Doc?"
2. "Duck Amuck"
4. "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century"
5. "One Froggy Evening"
8. "Porky In Wackyland"
12. "The Rabbit of Seville"
16. "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery"    
21. "Coal Black & De Sebben Dwarfs"
30.  "Rabbit Seasoning"
31. "The Scarlet Pumpernickle"
34. "You Ought To Be In Pictures"
35. "Ali Baba Bunny"
36. "Feed The Kitty"
39. "Little Red Riding Rabbit"
45. "Book Revue"
47. "A Corny Concerto"
49. "The Dover Boys"

from "other great cartoons" list:

"Baseball Bugs"
"The Big Snooze"
"Bugs Bunny Gets The Boid"
"Bugs Bunny & The Three Bears"
"Fast & Furry-ous"
"Gorilla My Dreams"
"Hair Raising Hare"
"I Love To Singa"
"Kitty Kornered"
"The Old Grey Hare"
"Rabbit Hood"
"Rhapsody In Rivets"
"Rhapsody Rabbit"
"Tweetie Pie"
"A Wild Hare"
"Scaredy Cat"
"A Tale of Two Kitties"  

...34 cartoons that more likely would be included in the upcoming "100 Greatest Looney Tunes" book

Though #1 might probably be the same, but the order of the 17 cartoons  might be ranked differently.

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Judging from the list (considering it's mostly post 1948 shorts), it could be "Long Haired Hare", "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century", or "Hillbilly Hare".

The second guess was correct!

#1 cartoon from the "100 Greatest Looney Tunes" blog

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Cartoons of 1939 blog
January 29, 2010 3:00 am




Film historians have declared the year 1939 the pinnacle of Hollywood movie making. But what about the cartoons?

Cartoon buff Ted Watts is reviewing all 158 Hollywood cartoon short subjects (and one feature) produced in that banner year, 70 years ago, one at a time in release order, on a new blog called Cartoons of 1939.

Ted provides plot information, credits and lots of frame grabs. It’s a fun idea. If you want to start at the beginning, click here.

Only familiar with a few titles, though mostly WB and Disney.

Warner Bros were still in it's "Disney" phase, directors experimenting with visual gags,  and didn't really established itself until the 1940's. Though there were several good cartoons like "Daffy Duck & The Dinosaur", "Jeepers Creepers" (Porky), and "Porky's Picnic".


Also several Disney faves from Donald Duck ("Autograph Hound", "Donald's Lucky Day", "Hockey Champ") and Mickey  ("The Pointer"...and "Mickey's Suprise Party" that was an ad for Nabisco made for the 1939 World's Fair)


"Wanted: No Master" & "Jitterbug Follies", two MGM cartoons directed by cartoonist Milt Gross. Seen them on "Late Night Black & White" on Boomerang last year and were a bit ahead of it's time since most MGM cartoons at the time were more Disney like. Though he was fired for some reason (what I've read).


"Owl & The Pussycat"... recognized it since clips was featured on "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures". BTW,  not the Barbra Streisand film. Also "Hook, Line, & Sinker"...which saw on YouTube.

"A Haunting We Will Go", "Scrambled Eggs", and "Life Begins For Andy Panda" are on the Woody Woodpecker DVD sets.

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The Academy Award winning animated short for 1939 is Disney's Silly Symphony  "Ugly Duckling"

And only one from that year was ranked on the 50 greatest list, ranked in 1994: "Peace On Earth" (MGM), which was stated to been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Among the "100 Greatest Looney Tunes" (2010), "Old Glory" and "Thugs With Dirty Mugs".


Fleischer: (public domain)

"Customers Wanted" (Popeye)
"Aladdin & His Wonderful Lamp" (Popeye)
"The Scared Crows"    (Betty Boop)
"Musical Mountaineers" (Betty Boop)
"So Does An Automobile" (Betty Boop)
"Small Fry"
"The Fresh Vegetable Mystery"
"Always Kickin" (Hunky & Spunky)
"Barnyard Brat" (Hunky & Spunky)
"Gulliver's Travels" (feature film)

Warner Bros:

(public domain shorts from YouTube & Archive.org/cartoons from AOL's Slashcontrol Kids WB channel)
"A Day At The Zoo" (Egghead...aka Proto-Elmer Fudd)
"Hamateur Night" (Egghead)
"Prest-O Change-O" (Proto-Bugs)
"Daffy Duck & The Dinosaur"
"Robin Hood Makes Good"
"Gold Rush Daze"
"Bars & Stripes Forever"
"Porky & Teabiscuit"
"The Film Fan" (Porky Pig)
"Polar Pals" (Porky Pig)
"Old Glory" (Porky Pig)

Other:
"The Three Bears" (Terrytoons)
"The Two-Headed Giant"
"Krazy's Shoe Shop"
"The Little Lost Sheep" (Krazy Kat)
"Nell's Yells"
"Mountain Ears"
"Mother Goose In Swingtime"
"I'm Just A Jitterbug"
"Breakfast Pals" (advertisement for Rice Krispies)

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Can't really decide what year was the best for animated shorts and it varies from studios that produced the cartoons...

1939... pretty much hit or miss in terms of theatrical animation since many studios were still trying to emulate Disney and haven't exactly evolved. Not saying that all cartoons were bad or anything.

MGM also had yet to establish itself it's a few years before Bill Hanna & Joe Barbera created Tom & Jerry in 1940 and  Tex Avery joining the studio in 1941. In the 1930's they had "Happy Harmonies" shorts, but no breakout character. "Calico Dragon",  "The Old Mill Pond" & "Peace On Earth" were nominated for an Oscar, but were beaten out by Disney. Though MGM would win in 1940 for "The Milky Way"...though the debut Tom & Jerry short "Puss Gets The Boot" was also nominated.

Nothing against Disney since I enjoy several Donald Duck & Mickey Mouse shorts, but most of their Silly Symphonies are boring and doesn't have much entertaiment value despite of it's great/innovative animation  (ie use of multiplane camera in "The Old Mill"). Though several are good like "Three Little Pigs" & "Woodland Cafe".

Fleischer... Most animation buffs tend to prefer early Betty Boop cartoons since the character was toned down when the Hays Code was in effect.  They were already well established with Betty Boop, Popeye, and it's rubber hose style animation in the 1930's. The studio was taken over  by Paramount and  renamed  'Famous Studio's in  1942.

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50 Greatest Cartoons by decade:

1910's: (1)

"Gertie the Dinosaur" (1914)

1920's: (3)
"Felix in Hollywood" (1923)
"Steamboat Willie" (1928)
"The Skeleton Dance" (1929)

1930's: (11)
"Bimbo's Initiation" (1931)
"Minnie the Moocher" (1932)
"Snow White" (1933)
"Three Little Pigs" (1933), Academy Award winner
"The Band Concert" (1935)
"Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor" (1936), nominated for Academy Award
"The Old Mill" (1937), Academy Award winner
"Clock Cleaner"s (1937)
"Brave Little Tailor" (1938), nominated for Academy Award
"Porky in Wackyland" (1938)
"Peace on Earth" (1939), nominated for Academy Award

1940's: (16)
"You Ought to Be in Pictures" (1940)
"Superman" (1941), nominated for Academy Award
"The Dover Boys" (1942)  
A Corny Concerto (1943)
"Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" (1943)
"Der Fuehrer's Face" (1943), Academy Award winner
"Red Hot Riding Hood" (1943)
"The Barber of Seville" (1944)
"Little Red Riding Rabbit" (1944)
"Book Revue" (1946)
"The Great Piggy Bank Robbery" (1946)
"Northwest Hounded Police" (1946)
"The Cat Concerto" (1947), Academy Award winner
"King Size Canary" (1947)
"Bad Luck Blackie" (1949)
"Little Rural Riding Hood" (1949)

1950's: (14)
"Rabbit of Seville" (1950)
"The Scarlet Pumpernickel" (1950)
"Gerald McBoing Boing" (1951), Academy Award winner
"Feed the Kitty" (1952)
"Rabbit Seasoning" (1952)
"Rooty Toot Toot" (1952), nominated for Academy Award
"Duck Amuck" (1953)
"Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century" (1953)
"The Tell-Tale Heart" (1953), nominated for Academy Award
"Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom" (1953), Academy Award winner
"A Unicorn in the Garden" (1953)
"One Froggy Evening"  (1955)
"Ali Baba Bunny" (1957)
"What's Opera, Doc?" (1957)
 

1960's: (1)
"Bambi Meets Godzilla" (1969)

1970's: (1)
"Quasi at the Quackadero" (1975)

1980's: (3)
"The Big Snit" (1985), nominated for Academy Award
"The Man Who Planted Trees" (1987), Academy Award winner
"The Cat Came Back" (1988), nominated for Academy Award


Most from a year:

1953: 5
1943: 4
1946 & 1952: 3  

Academy Award winners: 7

Academy Award nominees: 8

source for the Academy Award winners/nominations: Wikipedia