Here’s one I don’t get.
There was an old Daffy Duck cartoon where Daffy was bieng chased by a dog. At one point the dog gets himself stuck in a knothole in a barrel, leaving his rump exposed. Daffy shakes a little salt on the dog’s rump, bares his teeth and prepares to bite.
But, just before he bites down, he says “Ut! Wait a minute”. He then pulls from his pocket a little blue book, tears out a little square of paper or a stamp or something, and then proceeds to bite the dog.
Huh!?
WWII meat rationing - people were given “rationing books” which gave them permission to buy meat - before getting the meat, one had to surrender stamps from the book - Hence, before Daffy could take a bite of the “rump roast”, he must tear out the appropiate stamps.
Note: during WWII, nearly everything was rationed - the “A” gasoline rationing stickers show up in several 'tunes of the era.
Every year for a number of years, the Warner Bros. studio would show a blooper reel during their Christmas party-basically actors flubbing their lines and cursing and such. One year, the folks at Termite Terrace produced this little, obviously pre thought-out, scene for the reel.
Another interesting reference that shows up sometimes in cartoons: Bing Crosby owned a number of racehorses. They weren’t very good. (Headline from 2000: “Cwosby’s Howse Hasn’t Come In Yet!”)
In the very first episode of South Park (the one where aliens kidnap Ike) Cartman, who keeps insisting that there’s no such thing as UFOs, finally shouts “and I am definitely NOT under alien control-” then there’s a loud ZAP! and he starts dancing and signing that god awful “I like to sing-a” tune.
I had a tough time explaining to others I was watching it with exactly what it was from!
'bout the sky of blue-a,
or a tea for two-a,
anything-a with a swing-a
to an I love you-a,
Damn it!! I have stuck in my head!!
Are you guys sure this is Liberace? I never saw him perform anywhere (including TV), but I was thinking it was Ira Gershwin, referring to his brother George.
Yes. I’ve heard this many times, and I know from other sources that Liberace referred constantly to his brother George during hi 1950s TV show.
Liberace - right down to the candelabra.
Next silly question?
On Henry Aldrich and other pop references.
Those lines-- Mother calling for her teenage boy (which mothers used to do in the GODs-do they stll?),either by hanging out of apartment windows,or on their porches.HENRY-Henry Aldrich,to which Henry replied Coming Mother-were the opening lines of the radio show.Instantly recognizable in those days.Like the Beaver theme song before the cast is introduced.
He was the forerunner of the Archie comics,up to,I guess.the Dobie Gillis tv series.
Open the Door Richard was a top ten novelty song of the late 40s/early 50s.A significant portion of pop music in those days.Mitch Miller was a big proponent of those.I think every one of Columbia’s/Capitol’s ? artists had to do at least one.
Others of the genre that may have made the cartoons would be Rag Mop,Mairzy Doats,up to possibly the Thing (you’ll never get rid of that ratatat) by Phil Harris,one of the 30s/40s Hollywood band leaders, drinking buddy to the stars,and occasional Jack Benny foil.Incidentally another caricature done in a cartoon I’ve seen on TMC.
Man I need a slug of Geritol after these memories.
In a really old WB cartoon, Daffy is in an operating room in a hoispital. He holds up several title cards, including one with “SILENCE IS FOO” and one with a word in Hebrew or Yiddish, with Aleph and one other Hebrew character.
Silence is Foo comes from the same places as Foo Fighters: Smokey Stover, a '40s cartoon strip.
I don’t think so, I happen to have a video clip of this on my PC at home. Porky in B&W hammering and hits his thumb.
“Open the Door, Richard” was written in 1947 by Jack McVea and Don Howell, and went to #1 as recorded by Count Basie. Louis Jordan also had a hit (#6) with the song circa 1952 or so.
Louis Jordan had a lot of semi-novelty hits, but that cat could swing, high, wide, and gutbucket!
I loved it when the Simpsons gave a reference to Jack Benny Program regular Frank Nelson, whose main claim to fame was the word “yeeesssss?”
Homer: “Why do you talk like that?”
Waiter: “I had a strooooooooke!”
Speaking of WB cartoons and 40’s references, there’s one where Elmer Fudd is walking through a park, passing a bunch of celebrities performing for money before seeing Bugs. I think one is Bing Crosby and another is Jack Benny (w/violin), but I forget who the others are or which cartoon it is.
The third character in the park is Eddie Cantor, and the 'toon was “What’s Up Doc?”, a supposed biography of Bugs.
Lots of great 1890s vaudeville songs turn up in Bugs cartoons: “She’s the Daughter of Rosie O’Grady,” “Oh Dem Golden Slippers,” “Those Endearing Young Charms,” “On Moonlight Bay,” and of course, “Hello My Baby.”
Spend some time looking through this site- it’s great. JDM
And in the toon where “She’s the Daughter of Rosie O’Grady” showed up, the end scene has Bugs looking at a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, doesn’t it? (Or maybe it was another character.)
Also from “Hollywood Steps Out”:
When the woman does her bubble dance, one man keeps saying “Gee ! Gee! Gee!” He’s J. Edgar Hoover, the “Chief G Man.” Seated at another table is the mustachioed Jerry Colonna, along with the imaginary “Yahoodi,” one of Bert Gordon’s characters from his “Mad Russian” characterization. Yahoodi doesn’t exist, of course, and all we see are the binoculars “Yahoodi” is using, suspended in mid-air. Harpo, of cousr, spoils the fun by drawing a bead on the bubble with his slingshot, and bursting it. 
From the same cartoon, “Hollywood Steps Out”–who is the sourpus who asks “You boys having a good time”, and the table full of sourpusses who respond with a deadpan “yes”?
IIRC one of the sourpusses is wearing a straw hat. That’s Buster Keaton, “The Great Stone Face”.
dantheman: you’re right, Bugs is reading that book at the end of the cartoon.