Behind the Scenes of Looney Tunes: Unpacking 'You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)'

[@fromthesidelines]

As Friz later recalled, he tried to tell the MGM brass that just because "The Captain and the Kids" appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the country, that didn't mean they'd automatically become a success as theatrical cartoon stars [he said Hans and Fritz were "too mean" to be likeable characters on the screen]. Even Leon Schlesinger knew better than to adapt comic strips into movie series {he did the reverse with Bugs Bunny, and his NEA newspaper strip flourished for decades}.......but the studio didn't listen to Freleng, and the series ended after one year and 15 cartoons. Friz later directed several one-shot cartoons until his contract was up, and Schlesinger welcomed him back with open arms at the end of 1939.

[@jonathanadair6847]

Maltese: Who do you think you are, driving through here like that? Porky: Why, I’m P-P-Porky Pig. Maltese: Oh, so you’re Porky Pig Porky nods Maltese: And you wanna go in there? Porky nods Maltese: And you want me to be a nice guy and let you go in there? Porky nods Maltese: So I can lose my job? Porky nods before catching himself and shakes his head no Maltese: Well, I’m not a nice guy. And I’m not gonna let you in. And I’m NOT gonna lose my job. But I AM gonna throw you out!”

[@canaisyoung3601]

It's Michael Maltese with Mel Blanc's voice.

[@fromthesidelines]

*"GET OUT AND STAY OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"* 😡

[@PetProjects2011]

I've seen this cartoon many times and never noticed Leon looking upward briefly as he shakes Porky's hand.

[@macsnafu]

Mixing animation with live action was rather rare for Warner Bros. but it had been done several times before, like in the Fleischer cartoons of Koko the Clown.

[@GR8FLMD3AD]

Your videos are helping me in this dumpster fire of a timeline. Thank you.

[@karinyupinyan]

They do use footage of You Ought To Be In Pictures in the Roger Rabbit behind the scenes video, in a sort of history lesson. So yea, I am pretty positive that Zemmeckis was most likely, quite familiar with this short.

[@BrianLT]

This is the cartoon that proves that Chuck Jones didn’t make daffy greedy-friz freleng did it about 8-9 years before!

[@canaisyoung3601]

I know, right?

[@stephenholloway6893]

True but you can at least argue that Chuck and his team did make it more permanent instead of sometimes in Friz's case before Rabbit Fire and a couple of shorts by Chuck before that.

[@BrianLT]

@@stephenholloway6893 yeah. Chuck made it the definitive version of the character. (I love both versions by the way.)

[@chipshaw3774]

That building still stands at the NW corner of Fernwood and Van Ness in LA. The entrance door and windows are gone but it’s still recognizable!

[@mrhobs]

Anyone know why the Platinum BLU-RAY 2 (not DVD) is so expensive? I mean you can still get volume 1 for a halfway reasonable price, and I think you can still get volume 3 brand new. (I have both.) They must’ve really cheaped out and only done the smallest print possible with volume 2. I want to complete my Platinum trilogy, but I ain’t paying $250 for volume 2 lol. Thankfully I got in at the right time for the Collector’s Choice blu-rays, that is, just recently. Pre-ordered the vol 1-4 set. Surprised this channel doesn’t have a video on it. 🙂

[@stephenholloway6893]

Solid short by not only Porky and Daffy but Friz as well. By far the best black and white short they ever did. Besides the interaction with Michael Maltese (yes Mel redub the voice) and Porky I do enjoy Leon in the short interacting with both characters especially when he pays no attention to Daffy during his act. Thos was the best version of the title song which was used in the Golden Collection from volumes 3 to 6. Sure while the budget wasn't high but despite that it still holds up. Solid 10 out of 10. I do suspect that it was the 1st one made when Friz came back but unless we can find that part out we may never know for sure production wise what came 1st. Then again either of the 2 un finished Hardaway and Dalton shorts could have been finished 1st.

[@marcomacias3960]

i think the one on the left is from the short ''Its an Ill Wind''

[@MattHunterSays]

the "Captain and the Kids" shorts weren't all bad, but they didn't really work as the big "series" MGM had hoped for. I think they were looking at the success of Popeye , and trying to duplicate that. The problem was, the Captain wasn't very likeable... just a bumbling, cranky, fat oaf. The kids were just little hellions, and "Mama" was kind of nondescript in terms of character. There was also a growing anti-German sentiment in the couple years leading up to WWII, and Freleng, being Jewish, probably shared in that. Thank goodness he went back to Warner and made classics like this one!

[@stephenholloway6893]

You can't blame MGM for trying with the Captain and the Kids but yeah in hindsight it was a bad idea to try and adapt them since the characters in the grand scheme of things weren't that likeable. Friz Freleng Robert Allen and William Hanna did at least try and make them work but ultimately failed.