Garbo Cartoons
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Scrappy's Added Attraction (USA 1939)
Scrappy is a cartoon character created by Dick Huemer for Charles Mintz's Krazy Kat Studio.
The story opens inside a theatre, where animated humans watch the end of a Columbia live action western, then scramble all over the place to get better seats. A hilarious parody of the excesses of coming attractions trailers, starring Scrappy, Margie, Poopsie (Oopy with buck teeth), a dumb lion and a chortling villain (delightfully voiced by Mel Blanc) named Titan, the Terrible Twerp, ensues.
Everything on screen contradicts the narrator, who at one point just can't think of another superlative. Live action hands add a daisy to a putrid junkyard setting. Bold titles proclaim, "More Suspense And Very Much Expense!"
Titan corrects the narrator's pronunciation. Scrappy and Margie do impromtu impressions of John Barrymore and Greta Garbo respectively.
The film breaks so live action hands sew it up with needle and thread In closing the narrator admits, "In as much as this is the most marvelous story ever told, the greatest cast ever assembled and the most colossal production ever produced, we feel that no picture we might make could ever justify this description, we have decided not to make it. Besides, you've seen it, anyway."
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The Autograph Hound (USA 1939)
Donald Duck & Greta and Clark Gable & Greta
In this Walt Disney production Autograph hound Donald, despite the security guard, manages to get signatures from Greta Garbo, 'Mickey Rooney' , Sonja Henie, The Ritz Brothers, and Shirley Temple before he's recognized and everyone wants his autograph.
Early sketches of Garbo, Donald Duck and Clark Gable
This charming short has Donald in Hollywood, seeking autographs from famous celebrities. He sneaks into the set hitching a ride with Greta Garbo. Then he discovers the Holy Grail: Mickey Rooney's dressing room! The Mickster signs Donald's book and give him some free tormenting, as well! Then Donald comes across Sonja Henie, who skates her name into the ice. Donald turns red when Shirley Temple recognizes him. When word gets out that Donald is on set, all the stars in Hollywood stop what they're doing to get the Duck's autograph.
Poster art from of The Autograph Hound
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Malibu Beach Party (USA 1940)
Warner Brothers Picture. Jack Bunny (a spoof of Jack Benny) invites Hollywood celebrities to his Malibu house for a party. Garbo surfing using her enormous feet.
Garbo surfing using her enormous feet
Thanks to Philby |
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You ought to be in Pictures (USA 1940)
You Ought to Be in Pictures is a 1940 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short film featuring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The film combined live-action and animation, and features live-action appearances by Leon Schlesinger, writer Michael Maltese, and other Schlesinger Productions staff members.
At the end of this cartoon, Daffy dangles the prospect of Porky who star's opposite Garbo. Than he get's a tomato in his face. Daffy calls Garbo 'Greeta'.
Daffy calls Garbo 'Greeta'.
Daffy Duck: Hey, Porky. I hope you didn't sign up here again, 'cause I know where there's a pip of a job at twelve grand a week, playing opposite Greta...
Daffy Duck: ... Garbo.
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Hollywood Steps Out (USA 1941)
Hollywood Steps Out is a 1941 short cartoon by Warner Brothers, directed by Tex Avery, that features caricatures of Hollywood celebrities of the day. The setting is at the famed Ciro's nightclub, where they are seen having dinner.
Bing Crosby appears as the Master of Ceremonies; he has to shoo his race horse off the stage. The stars then start dancing to music by conductor Leopold Stokowski.
Cary Grant asks cigarette girl Greta Garbo for a light, which she strikes off of her enormous shoe.
When aired on The WB, two scenes are cut: one was Garbos. She offers Cary Grant a cigarette and lights it with the sole of her large high heeled shoe and another where Harpo Marx puts a row of matches under Garbo's shoe and lights them, giving her a hotfoot, only to have her slowly react to the pain.
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The Daffy Duckaroo (USA 1942)
Daffy was a singing cowboy and say's in the headline: “I Want to Be A Lone... Ranger!"
Singing cowboy Daffy retires
Singing cowboy Daffy retires to the Painted Desert (still wet). He falls for an Indian maiden with a Brooklyn accent, but her very large boyfriend catches them. Daffy dresses in drag, which fools him for a while until Daffy's wig falls off. The boyfriend chases Daffy into the Petrified Forest (where Daffy freezes and breaks tomahawks).
The Indian sends smoke signals from a phone booth and his tribe attacks Daffy, trapping him under his house trailer. They steal his tires, but return them because they don't fit.
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Tiny Toon Adventures (USA 1990)
A virtue of the 1990s satirical cartoon series Tiny Toon Adventures was its reverence for Old Hollywood and cartoons of the past. The episode Fields of Honey is all about that.
Babs Bunny wonders why she's the only student at Acme Looniversity without a classic Looney Tunes star to mentor her (Buster Bunny has Bugs Bunny, Plucky Duck has Daffy Duck). She discovers the reason when she finds out about a female cartoon star named Honey who faded into obscurity and reclusiveness after the 1930s (much like Greta Garbo).
Babs watches one of Honey's short cartoons and is thrilled to discover that Honey does celebrity impressions, just like her. After declaring, "I'm the biggest star in Hollywood!", Honey impersonates Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel inspiring Babs to do a Garbo pose of her own. It's a sweet and fun way to celebrate both Greta Garbo and the iconography of Hollywood's past.
Thanks to Quote Unquote sir
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