- I Love to Singa
Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = I Love to Singa
series =Merrie Melodies
caption =
director =Tex Avery
story_artist =
animator =Robert Clampett (uncredited)
Charles Jones
Virgil Ross
musician =Norman Spencer
voice_actor =Tommy Bond
Billy Bletcher
Bernice Hansen
Joe Dougherty
Martha Wentworth
producer =Leon Schlesinger
studio = Leon Schlesinger Productions
distributor =Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
release_date =July 18 1936
color_process =Technicolor
runtime = 8 min (one reel)
movie_language = English
imdb_id = 0027779"I Love to Singa" is both the title of a song written by
Harold Arlen andE.Y. Harburg and a later "Merrie Melodies " animatedshort subject based on that song. Arlen and Harburg originally wrote the tune for the 1936Warner Bros. feature-length film "The Singing Kid". It is performed three times in the film: first byAl Jolson andCab Calloway , then by the Yacht Club Boys and Jolson, and finally again by Calloway and Jolson.During this period, it was customary for Warners to have their animation production partner, Leon Schlesinger Productions, make "Merrie Melodies" cartoons based upon songs from their features. One of the resulting short subjects, "I Love to Singa", was directed by
Tex Avery and released by Warners onJuly 18 ,1936 . The cartoon, one of the earliest "Merrie Melodies" produced inTechnicolor 's 3-strip process, is recognized as one of Avery's early masterpieces.Plot
"I Love to Singa" depicts the story of a young
owlet who wants to singjazz , instead of theclassical music that his German parents wish him to perform. The plot is a light-hearted tribute to that ofAl Jolson 's film "The Jazz Singer".The young owl, voiced by
Tommy Bond , best known as "Butch" of the "Our Gang (Little Rascals)" films, is unjustly kicked out of his family's house by his disciplinarianviolin ist father (voiced byBilly Bletcher ) after he is caught singing jazz instead of "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes " to his mother (voiced byMartha Wentworth )'s reed (pump) organ accompaniment. While wandering, he comes across aradio amateur contest , hosted by "Jack Bunny" (a pun onJack Benny ), and billing himself as "Owl Jolson", wins the contest, but not before his father has finally seen his son's potential and allowed him to freely sing jazz.Cultural influence
The "I Love to Singa" cartoon has taken on something of a cult following in recent years. In the "
Cartman Gets an Anal Probe " episode of the adult cartoon "South Park ", charactersEric Cartman andOfficer Barbrady lapse into Owl Jolson's odd song-and-dance routine whenever they get hit with an alien beam. In Warners'2003 film "", Owl Jolson's dance sequence from "I Love to Singa" repeatedly appears on the video screen of the ACME Corp. Chairman (Steve Martin ), since he cannot properly operate hisremote control . He also shows up in the "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" game, in the France, Las Vegas, and Africa levels. He can be turned on and shut off by being hit by either character. When approached, Bugs and Daffy will make comments."I Love to Singa" was reissued in the Blue Ribbon series in the early 1940's, but was restored with original titles. This version was included in the "
Looney Tunes Golden Collection " Vol. 2 DVD box set, released in 2004. It is also included as a special feature on the Warner Bros. DVD releases of the 1927Al Jolson film "The Jazz Singer" and the 2006 CGI animated film "Happy Feet ".External links
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