Knock Knock

Inspiration for an artist sometimes comes when least expected. The idea for cartoon's Woody Woodpecker is a story of legends when the bird made his film debut in November 1940 "Knock Knock." Director Walter Lantz found himself in need of a new character for Universal Pictures' animated division. During his honeymoon at a Nevada ranch with bride actress Grace Stafford, the newlyweds heard a persistent woodpecker doing his work on the roof. Grace, knowing Walt was searching for a new cartoon protagonist, suggested he use the irksome bird.

Although Lantz was a bit dubious a bird could successfully carry a cartoon series, he assigned animator Ben Hardaway to draw the pesky avian (Some, including the director, claim drawer Alex Lovy deserves credit for its initial design). Hardaway, who drew the first sketches of Bugs Bunny, promptly outlined a rendition of the Woody Woodpecker seen in "Knock Knock." He showed the drawing of the woodpecker to voice actor Mel Blanc who spoke for Woody in the first three cartoons, only to be replaced by a number of actors, including Lantz's wife Grace in 1950. She's uncredited because she felt kids shouldn't know the pecker's verbal skills were voiced by a woman. Meanwhile, Blanc sued Lantz in 1948 for using his laughter in the Academy Award-nominated "The Woody Woodpecker Song." While a judge ruled Blanc had no standing because he failed to copyright his Woody voice, Lantz paid him an out-of-settlement amount on appeal.

Andy Panda, who appears in "Knock, Knock," was Universal studio's primary character at the time before Woody knocked him off his mantle. Earlier Andy had replaced Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (originally a Walt Disney creation) series in 1939. The bear's popularity soared until Woody arrived on the scene. In Woody's debut Andy Panda and his father, Papa Panda, are irritated by the woodpecker's constant drilling on the roof of their house. Woody's first words when he breaks through the roof is "Guess who?" which soon became his trademark phrase. In a series of misdirected attempts to capture the woodpecker, both pandas are frustrated by the crafty Woody. A trick Andy always was successful in using, sprinkling salt on the bird's tail, boomerangs on the bears, resulting in a surprise ending.

At first Bernie Krieser, the distributor for Universal, didn't want to handle the cartoon, telling Lantz, "He's the ugliest thing I've ever seen." Walter replied, "You're not paying for these pictures, all you're doing is distributing them, so release him, because I'm taking a chance." The response to Woody was overwhelmingly off the charts by the enthusiastic paying public. Universal green lit Lantz's new character for further cartoons in the woodpecker's new series, with his solo cartoon, 1941's "Woody Woodpecker," the first to call him that name. Since then, Woody's physical appearance has somewhat been altered with the times. As a mainstay and official mascot for Universal studio, the bird's popularity remains consistent in film and on television. Woody is ranked by TV Guide as the 46th Greatest Cartoon Character of All Time. His image is seen on the nose of William Engineering team's racing cars in the Formula One Grand Prix while his balloon is one of the highlights in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Although it's was an Andy Panda cartoon, it's more noted for the debut of Walter Lantz's greatest creation, and one of the most famous cartoon stars ever, Woody Woodpecker. A Must-See!

This Short, although it's an Andy Panda's but is so remarkable as it's where famous Woody the Woodpecker has appeared for the very first time, although his first appearance didn't indicate the fame he gained afterward but it indicated the very first characteristics of the funny, full of life and motion, colorful and crazy bird!!

The episode starts with that Andy is telling his father the fairy quote that says: To catch a bird, you've to put salt on its tail, all at once, they hear a loud continuous knock on the wooden roof of their home, when papa Panda goes to check the roof, he finds that a strange Woodpecker (Woody) is pecking on the wooden roof, papa panda tries to catch him in vain with all possible ways, in a series of funny and comedy scenes, papa panda fails to catch the crazy woodpecker, while Andly succeeds at the end by putting the salt on its tail ..

In this short and in the 1st scene that Woody Woodpecker appears in front of papa Panda, he says his famous quote that reserved and became Woody's trademark afterward:"Guess Who?!" Of course Woody in his first appearance wasn't perfect and tuned in shape and voice, his shape wasn't quite the same as his traditional shape as he was rather in a shape of a fat bird instead of the decent little light bird afterward, also his belly was in dark red color instead of the white belly afterward, his head was smaller with longer nozzle and long neck instead of the reasonable head with the cute little sharp nozzle afterward, of course these modifications were made by his genius creator Walter Lantz to reach the best ever shape and figure, also his voice wasn't exactly the same birdie unrepeatable voice, his voice was made by the all-time-great performer Mel Blanc which is -in my opinion- the best ever voice performer of all time, Mel Blanc performed the voice of Woody Woodpecker from 1940 till 1950, afterward and in a strange coincidence as Walter Lantz stated afterward, his wife Grace Lantz, wanted to perform the voice of Woody, at 1st Lantz refused and he made an announcement that he needs a new performer to perform the voice of the Woodpecker, Grace submitted in the contest by another name and won, Lantz - to his amazement - discovered that his wife is the best performer that can perform the voice of Woody the Woodpecker and since then, and for more than 30 years Grace Lantz continued to perform the voice of Woody Woodpecker in the period from 1950 till 1980 and for more than 150 Woody's episodes ..

Walter Lantz stated a lot of times that the idea and creation of the character of Woody Woodpecker came as a result of a funny story that - strangely - almost the same as in the short movie Knock Knock, that when he was with his wife Grace in their honey moon in the country side, they were staying in a wooden little house, and at one early morning he woke up after hearing loud knocks on the wooden roof of the house, when he went up to check he found nothing, after a while, the knock continued .. after several times of going up and down for checking the source of knocking, he discovered that there's a little woodpecker pecking that roof .. and then the idea came into Lantz's mind to create a character from this Woodpecker, This was really the great ever masterpiece of Lantz as Woody became so famous and known for both children and elders as well ..

Lantz had already so many famous characters before Woody like Dinky Doodle which was in the 1920s and 1930s, Oswald the lucky rabbit in the 1930s, Andly Panda in 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, Space mouse in 1930s and 1940s, also he had characters that appeared after Woody like Chilly Willy in 1950s till 1980s, Beary bear in 1950s till 1980s and inspector Wiggly in 1950s and 1960s but Woody was the most famous and none of them reached his fame

Woody Woodpecker has a secret unrepeatable charm that made his fame, Woody is a birdie character but he's not similar to the his era's birdie cartoon characters like Donald Duck or Daffy Duck, this secret charm depends on the creative mind of Walter Lantz, Lantz has continuously developed Woody and created to him different environments and conditions, Woody had adventures almost every where in the world from the arctic polar snow to the heat of the deserts, from the bottoms of the sea to the far planets of space, Had adventures almost in all the times of history with integrated world of different supporting characters and villains like Wally Walrus, Buzz Buzzard, Dooley and the mad Deutsch doctor ...

The creativity of Walter Lantz made him one of the best ever genius creative cartoon producers in all time like Walt Disney and Tex Avery

Thanks Walt *** Lo'ay

Happens all the time-a seasoned pro gives a young unknown a break and it makes the unknown a star! Woody went on to eclipse Andy Panda in popularity and was the top draw for Lantz studios in the years that followed. But the two always had a cordial, if somewhat bizarre, friendship, appearing in a number of shorts together. They were often seen vacationing together in their off-screen time, unlike well-known rivals at two other major studios and retired together with their families somewhere in California. Great short that's lots of fun. Well worth tracking down. Highly recommended.

"Knock Knock" is the first cartoon with Woody Woodpecker, though it was considered an Andy Panda movie by Universal Studios. However, Andy really has little to do in the film...it's mostly Andy's dad fighting with this annoying Woodpecker!

The story is very simple. The Panda household is being annoyed by incessant pecking on their house by the woodpecker (his name is never given in the film). So, Papa Panda tries to stop the woodpecker...with expected results.

The quality of this cartoon is nearly as good as a film by Looney Tunes or MGM. This quality of animation and story were not the norm for Universal....usually they were more limp. Worth seeing...especially for its historical value.