The Coo Coo Bird

. . . Woodpecker picture is already the 22nd in the series, and it's still early in 1947. One would think that at this point the creator/producer of this series, Walt Lance, would be running out of ideas for further woodpecker escapades. Of course, Splinter and Knot-Head began to loom large in Walt's imagination, as the inevitable "nephews" inspired by Popeye, Don the Duck, Daffy Duck and Mick the Mouse began to seep through the seams of the Lance multiverse. Speaking of Walt, the 22nd episode of Behind the Scenes with Walter is titled SOUND EFFECTS IN CARTOONS, running 4 minutes, 6 seconds. It educates viewers that his team crumples cellophane to mimic the sound of fire, obtains the noise of a squeaky door from a tortured balloon and evokes a galloping horse with coconut halves.

. . . three recent American Pachyderm Political Party vice presidents. The first one-time Veep alluded to is that spelling bee loser, Dan, who could not spell "tomatoes'" correctly to save his face. Woody sees from a newspaper headline that quail hunting season will begin the next day. During the 1900's, most Americans studied at least one newspaper daily, so as not to sound like the sort of total numb-skulls overrunning our globe Today. The next future Veep highlighted here is Dick Chain-free, who shot his best friend in the face while quail hunting in the White House's Rose Garden. Veep Number Three is Mike Senseless, who was hunted himself through the once-hallowed halls of the U. S. Capitol upon the orders of his Commander-in-Chief. What a trio of cuckoo birds!

The Coo Coo Bird was released in 1947 by Lantz studios, where now the woodpecker was having, former animator Dick Lundy control and director of the short films from Disney in the late '30s and early' 40s, especially the creator of Duck Donald. And of course he took what he learned and experienced over the years in his cartoons. If you're a fan of old cartoons like I should note that there is a very big influence of Disney studios in the years 1947-1949 in Lantz studios, due to Dick Lundy. Obviously, Dick brought elements is Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse to the Woodpecker was in this drawing, even quoted in lantzpédia site. It is this influence that we see in The Coo Coo Bird, where the woodpecker trying to sleep, so that nothing interferes. But nothing goes right into the night bird, this time is on a board in the middle of a big city (but at the end of the design has a huge backyard, leading to believe that the design is pass in a rural area), and suddenly a neon light of a hotel disrupts your sleep, and then the sound of a cuckoo in the clock, he is overwhelmed by his building's glass window, and gets into trouble with a crazy automatic table which serves as a bed, and at the end of the design since the day he is chased by two dogs and a hunter, making it a body of woodpecker and two dogs together (there is a clear influence MGM Tex Avery and Warner Looney there). Then he gives hardly the end of the short, one can conclude that the short has a history of Donald Duck, mixed with funny gags that recall the wacky shorts from Warner and MGM. It's a great design!

Was very fond of Woody Woodpecker and his cartoons as a child. Still get much enjoyment out of them now as a young adult, even if there are more interesting in personality cartoon characters and better overall cartoons.

That is in no way knocking Woody, because many of his cartoons are a lot of fun to watch and more and also still like him a lot as a character. Some may disagree, but to me 'The Coo Coo Bird' is one of his better efforts. A few of his previous cartoons, especially when partnered with Wally Walrus, saw him as a bit of a jerk while never being unbearably annoying, but he isn't here.

One really relates to his struggles to get a good night's sleep and the lengths he goes to get one, which is one of the main reasons why it's one of his best to me (think there are many who have craved a good night's sleep only to have it disturbed, went through it myself last night). Another is that 'The Coo Coo Bird' is less predictable than some of his previous cartoons which followed a formula but still did so very well.

While there may be cartoon characters with slightly more interesting personalities, Woody is still at his best funny and commanding and the most likable he's been in a while.

As ever, the animation is great. The characters are well drawn, but even better are the rich colours, meticulously detailed backgrounds and smooth backgrounds.

Music is another strength here. It's characterful, lushly orchestrated and is not only dynamic with the action it even enhances it. The writing is amusing and chuckle-worthy enough and the gags are well-timed and often hilarious, while with a subject that is so easily identifiable from second one to the finish.

Voice acting is solid.

All in all, classic Woody Woodpecker. 10/10 Bethany Cox