Remember this latter 1950's Warner Bros. Cartoon - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

rezny717 · 09-23-2011, 09:23 PM

That was an animated takeoff (very cleverly done,too)of the Jack Benny TV Program that featured the voices of Jack Benny(Benny appeared in the flesh at the end),his wife Mary Livingstone,Eddie Anderson as "Rochester",Don Wilson and Mel Blanc as Ed,who,incidentally,were all cast members of "The Jack Benny Program(1950-1965,CBS/NBC/)

rezny717 · 09-23-2011, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rezny717

That was an animated takeoff (very cleverly done,too)of the Jack Benny TV Program that featured the voices of Jack Benny(Benny appeared in the flesh at the end),his wife Mary Livingstone,Eddie Anderson as "Rochester",Don Wilson and Mel Blanc as Ed,who,incidentally,were all cast members of "The Jack Benny Program(1950-1965,CBS/NBC/)

And the cartoon was titled The Mouse That Jack Built.Remember this one?

TV Knowledge Fan · 09-28-2011, 01:56 PM

"The Mouse That Jack Built" was originally released in April 1959, and directed by Bob McKimson (who'd already directed several cartoons depicting Jackie Gleason's "Honeymooners" charcaters as mice; three "Honeymousers" cartoons were produced). Jack worked closely with writer Tedd Pierce to make sure his character- and those of his supporting cast- was exactly the way they were featured on his radio and TV programs {I'm quite sure Jack himself thought up the line at the beginning, when he finishes mangling Mendelsohn's "Spring Song" on his violin and brashly declares, "Who's this guy, Isaac Stern?", a reference to one of the great classical violinists, and one of Jack's close friends}. There's also the inevitable "local" reference, as when Mary suggests that, for a "cheap" date, Jack should take her to "the Monkey House at the Griffith Park Zoo". Mel Blanc also doubled as Jack's famous sputtering "Maxwell" automobile (as he did on radio); normally, he wasn't "Ed, the underground security guard", but Joseph Kearns [who played the role from 1945 through '61] wasn't available.

And all Jack wanted as compensation for his work on this cartoon was a print of it for his personal collection {I don't know if he wanted 16 or 35mm, through}.

Frosty81 · 02-21-2014, 04:05 PM

Does anyone know the name of the piece that plays under the title card for "The Mouse That Jack Built"? That same tune was heard played (on the violin) by the Jack Benny caricature in the 1950 Bugs short "What's Up, Doc?" as well as in the second Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote short, 1952's "Beep, Beep" (during the zigzagging scene).

~Ben

MacLeaper · 02-21-2014, 04:24 PM

Cool- I'm not sure that I'm familiar with this cartoon (though I may have seen it and just not realize it.) I do recall the Looney Tunes' version of The Honeymooners though- that's a great cartoon... mainly, of course, because The Honeymooners is such a great show- love it.

Frosty81 · 02-25-2014, 03:28 AM

I can answer my question about the mystery song: it's Rodolphe Kreutzer's "Etude No. 2." It was also heard in these other WB shorts:

"What's Up, Doc?" (1950) - played on violin by the Jack Benny caricature as Elmer walks around looking for a partner for his act (Bugs Bunny).
"Beep, Beep" (1952) - during the zigzagging scene
"The Pied Piper of Guadalupe" (1961) - this Mexican-style reworking of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" features Sylvester learning this tune on the flute, though rather off-key.

I was inspired to learn what it was after Michael Winslow's character, Larvell Jones, did a violin-like noise to this tune during the airplane scene in Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach.

~Ben

blacksheepone · 06-26-2014, 10:13 PM

I remember that one.
The part I recall most (it's like they're singing it back and forth):
Jack: "Oh, Rochester!"
Rochester: "Yes, boss?"
Jack: "Where's my new white jacket?"
Rochester: "I'm wearin' it!"
Jack: "Not any more you're not." (speaking now).
Rochester: "But boss, you lended it to me to wear for a week for five bucks."
Jack: "The week ended five minutes ago, now hard it over."
Rochester (hands coat over): "Oh, okay, boss."

Now some people nowadays would consider this offensive, but to me both
as a kid and as an adult, I found it hilarious and captured the spirit of the
actual Jack Benny Show that aired on TV in the 50's. It was very clever,
only they were mice instead of people. Same with the parody of the
Honeymooners (Ralph, Norton, Alice and Trixie) as mice (The Honey-mousers;
"Hey, Ralphie-boy, Va-va-va-voom!!!!") I would have sworn that was
Jackie Gleason and Art Carney doing those voices, but I don't think it was.
If they did, it must have been uncredited. Hope they got paid, LOL.

But the Mouse That Jack Built was definitely voiced by Jack Benny,
Mary Livingston, Rochester, and Don Wilson (the announcer).

By a very knowledgeable Looney Tunes fan.

09-23-2011, 09:23 PM	#1
rezny717 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 06, 2011 Location: Lincoln,Nebraska Posts: 659	Remember this latter 1950's Warner Bros. Cartoon That was an animated takeoff (very cleverly done,too)of the Jack Benny TV Program that featured the voices of Jack Benny(Benny appeared in the flesh at the end),his wife Mary Livingstone,Eddie Anderson as "Rochester",Don Wilson and Mel Blanc as Ed,who,incidentally,were all cast members of "The Jack Benny Program(1950-1965,CBS/NBC/)

09-28-2011, 01:56 PM	#3
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	Yes, I remember this one...and very fondly! "The Mouse That Jack Built" was originally released in April 1959, and directed by Bob McKimson (who'd already directed several cartoons depicting Jackie Gleason's "Honeymooners" charcaters as mice; three "Honeymousers" cartoons were produced). Jack worked closely with writer Tedd Pierce to make sure his character- and those of his supporting cast- was exactly the way they were featured on his radio and TV programs {I'm quite sure Jack himself thought up the line at the beginning, when he finishes mangling Mendelsohn's "Spring Song" on his violin and brashly declares, "Who's this guy, Isaac Stern?", a reference to one of the great classical violinists, and one of Jack's close friends}. There's also the inevitable "local" reference, as when Mary suggests that, for a "cheap" date, Jack should take her to "the Monkey House at the Griffith Park Zoo". Mel Blanc also doubled as Jack's famous sputtering "Maxwell" automobile (as he did on radio); normally, he wasn't "Ed, the underground security guard", but Joseph Kearns [who played the role from 1945 through '61] wasn't available. And all Jack wanted as compensation for his work on this cartoon was a print of it for his personal collection {I don't know if he wanted 16 or 35mm, through}.

02-21-2014, 04:24 PM	#5
MacLeaper Child of the 80s Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 20, 2001 Posts: 3,359	Cool- I'm not sure that I'm familiar with this cartoon (though I may have seen it and just not realize it.) I do recall the Looney Tunes' version of The Honeymooners though- that's a great cartoon... mainly, of course, because The Honeymooners is such a great show- love it.
	__________________ "Oh boy!" - Dr. Sam Beckett "You can do anything you wanna do if you put your mind to it." - MacGyver "Have mercy!" - Uncle Jesse "Ha, I kill me!" - ALF "I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. No man comes to The Father but by Me."- Jesus Christ (John 14:6)

02-21-2014, 04:05 PM	#4
Frosty81 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 23, 2007 Location: Milwaukie, OR Posts: 214	Does anyone know the name of the piece that plays under the title card for "The Mouse That Jack Built"? That same tune was heard played (on the violin) by the Jack Benny caricature in the 1950 Bugs short "What's Up, Doc?" as well as in the second Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote short, 1952's "Beep, Beep" (during the zigzagging scene). ~Ben

02-25-2014, 03:28 AM	#6
Frosty81 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 23, 2007 Location: Milwaukie, OR Posts: 214	I can answer my question about the mystery song: it's Rodolphe Kreutzer's "Etude No. 2." It was also heard in these other WB shorts: "What's Up, Doc?" (1950) - played on violin by the Jack Benny caricature as Elmer walks around looking for a partner for his act (Bugs Bunny). "Beep, Beep" (1952) - during the zigzagging scene "The Pied Piper of Guadalupe" (1961) - this Mexican-style reworking of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" features Sylvester learning this tune on the flute, though rather off-key. I was inspired to learn what it was after Michael Winslow's character, Larvell Jones, did a violin-like noise to this tune during the airplane scene in Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach. ~Ben

06-26-2014, 10:13 PM	#7
blacksheepone Member Occasional Poster Join Date: May 13, 2014 Location: Montgomery, Alabama Posts: 32	I remember that one. The part I recall most (it's like they're singing it back and forth): Jack: "Oh, Rochester!" Rochester: "Yes, boss?" Jack: "Where's my new white jacket?" Rochester: "I'm wearin' it!" Jack: "Not any more you're not." (speaking now). Rochester: "But boss, you lended it to me to wear for a week for five bucks." Jack: "The week ended five minutes ago, now hard it over." Rochester (hands coat over): "Oh, okay, boss." Now some people nowadays would consider this offensive, but to me both as a kid and as an adult, I found it hilarious and captured the spirit of the actual Jack Benny Show that aired on TV in the 50's. It was very clever, only they were mice instead of people. Same with the parody of the Honeymooners (Ralph, Norton, Alice and Trixie) as mice (The Honey-mousers; "Hey, Ralphie-boy, Va-va-va-voom!!!!") I would have sworn that was Jackie Gleason and Art Carney doing those voices, but I don't think it was. If they did, it must have been uncredited. Hope they got paid, LOL. But the Mouse That Jack Built was definitely voiced by Jack Benny, Mary Livingston, Rochester, and Don Wilson (the announcer). By a very knowledgeable Looney Tunes fan.