Bob Clampett
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Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American
animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...
, director,
producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
and
puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...
. He was best known for his work on the ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well as the television shows '' Time for Beany'' and '' Beany and Cecil''. He was born and raised not far from
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
and, early in life, showed an interest in animation and puppetry. After leaving high school a few months shy of graduating in 1931, he joined the team at Harman-Ising Productions and began working on the studio's newest short subjects, ''Looney Tunes'' and ''
Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
''. Clampett was promoted to a directorial position in 1937. During his 15 years at the studio, he directed 84 cartoons later deemed classic, and designed some of the studio's most famous characters, including
Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...
, Daffy Duck and Tweety. Among his most acclaimed films are '' Porky in Wackyland'' (1938) and '' The Great Piggy Bank Robbery'' (1946). He left Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1945 and turned his attention to television, creating the puppet show '' Time for Beany'' in 1949. A later animated version of the series, ''Beany and Cecil'', was initially broadcast on ABC in 1962 and rerun until 1967. It is considered the first fully creator-driven television series and carried the byline "a Bob Clampett Cartoon". In his later years, Clampett toured college campuses and animation festivals as a lecturer on the history of animation. His Warner cartoons have seen renewed praise in decades since for their surrealistic qualities, energetic and outrageous animation, and irreverent, wordplay-laden humor. Animation historian Jerry Beck lauded Clampett for "putting the word 'looney' in ''Looney Tunes''."


Early life

Clampett was born in San Diego, California to Robert Caleb Clampett and Mildred Joan Merrifield. His father was born in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland in 1882, and immigrated to the United States with his parents at age two in 1884. Bob showed art skills by the age of five. From the beginning, he was intrigued with and influenced by Douglas Fairbanks, Lon Chaney,
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
,
Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
and Harold Lloyd, and began making film short-subjects in his garage when he was 12. Living in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
as a young boy, he and his mother Joan lived next door to
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
and his brother Sydney Chaplin. Clampett also recalled watching his father play
handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...
at the Los Angeles Athletic Club with another of the great silent comedians, Harold Lloyd. From his teens on, Clampett showed an interest in
animation Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
. He has made
hand puppets A hand puppet is a type of puppet that is controlled by the hand or hands that occupies the interior of the puppet.Sinclair, A, ''The Puppetry Handbook'', p.15 A glove puppet is a variation of hand puppets. Rod puppets require one of the puppeteer ...
as a child and, before adolescence, completed what animation historian Milt Gray describes as "a sort of prototype, a kind of nondescript dinosaur sock puppet that later evolved into Cecil." In high school, Clampett drew a full-page comic about the nocturnal adventures of a cat, later published in color in a Sunday edition of the '' Los Angeles Times''. King Features took note and offered Clampett a "cartoonist's contract" beginning a $75 a week after high school. King Features allowed him to work in their Los Angeles art department on Saturdays and vacations during high school. King Features occasionally printed his cartoons for encouragement, and paid his way through Otis Art Institute, where he learned to paint in oils and to sculpt. Clampett attended Glendale High School and Hoover High School in
Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''. It may refer to: Places Australia * Glendale, New South Wales ** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre *Glendale, Queensland, ...
, California but left Hoover a few months short of graduating in 1931. He found a job at a doll factory owned by his aunt,
Charlotte Clark Carolyn Clark was an American seamstress who created the first line of Mickey Mouse dolls and other Disney characters. She is also related to Looney Tunes director Bob Clampett. Biography Clark was born Carolyn Geis in Indianapolis, Indiana ...
. Clark was looking for an appealing item to sell and Clampett suggested
Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an animated cartoon Character (arts), character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime mascot of The Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red sho ...
, whose popularity was growing. Unable to find a drawing of the character anywhere, Clampett took his sketchpad to the
movie theater A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
and came out with several sketches. Clark was concerned with copyright, so they drove to the Disney studio. Walt and
Roy Disney Roy Disney may refer to: * Roy O. Disney (1893–1971), partner and elder brother of Walt Disney * Roy E. Disney Roy Edward Disney KCSG (January 10, 1930 – December 16, 2009) was an American businessman. He was the longtime senior executive f ...
were delighted, and they set up a business not far from the Disney studio. Clampett recalled his short time working for Disney: "Walt Disney himself sometimes came over in an old car to pick up the dolls; he would give them out to visitors to the studio and at sales meetings. I helped him load the dolls in the car. One time his car, loaded with Mickeys, wouldn't start, and I pushed while Walt steered, until it caught, and he took off."


Career


''Looney Tunes''

Clampett was, in his words, so "enchanted" by the new medium of sound cartoons that he instead joined Harman-Ising Studios in 1931 for ten dollars a week.
Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...
viewed one of Clampett's 16mm films and was impressed, offering him an assistant position at the studio. His first job was animating secondary characters in the first ''Merrie Melodie'', '' Lady, Play Your Mandolin!'' (1931). The same year, Clampett began attending story meetings after submitting an idea eventually used for '' Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!''. The two series were produced at Harman-Ising until mid-1933 when they split into Leon Schlesinger Productions. In his first years at the studio, Clampett mostly worked for
Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
, under whose guidance Clampett grew into an able animator. When he joined Harman-Ising, Bob Clampett was only 17 years old. By 1934, Schlesinger was in a bit of a crisis trying to find a well-known cartoon character. He noted that the ''
Our Gang ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...
'' series consisted of nothing but "little kids doing things together," and a studio-wide drive to get ideas for an animal version of ''Our Gang'' commenced. Clampett submitted a drawing of a pig (Porky) and a black cat (Beans), and, in an imitation of the lettering on a can of Campbell's Pork and Beans, wrote "Clampett's Porky and Beans." Porky debuted in the Friz Freleng-directed '' I Haven't Got a Hat'' in 1935. Around the same time, Schlesinger announced a studio-wide contest, with a money prize to whichever member of the staff turned in the best original story. Clampett's story won first prize and was made into '' My Green Fedora'', also directed by Freleng. Clampett felt encouraged after these successes and began writing more story contributions. After Schlesinger realized he needed another unit, he made a deal with Tex Avery, naming Clampett his collaborator. They were moved to a ramshackle building used by gardeners and WB custodial staff for storage of cleaning supplies, solvents, brooms, lawnmowers and other implements. Working apart from the other animators in the small, dilapidated wooden building in the middle of the Vitaphone lot, Avery and Clampett soon discovered they were not the only inhabitants - they shared the building with thousands of tiny termites. They christened the building " Termite Terrace", a name eventually used by historians to describe the entire studio. The two soon developed an irreverent style of animation that would set Warner Bros. apart from its competitors. They were soon joined by animators
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
, Virgil Ross, and
Sid Sutherland Sidney E. Sutherland (August 7, 1901 – April 20, 1968) was an American animator, screenwriter, and sound editor who is best known as the animator of many classic Warner Bros. cartoons. Career Sutherland's professional life was varied across ...
, and worked virtually without interference on their new, groundbreaking style of humor for the next year. It was a wild place with an almost college fraternity-like atmosphere. Animators would frequently pull pranks such as gluing paper streamers to the wings of flies.
Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...
, who rarely ventured there, was reputed on one visit to have remarked in his lisping voice, "Pew, let me out of here! The only thing missing is the sound of a flushing toilet!!" On the side, Clampett directed a sales film, co-animated by
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
and in-betweened by Robert Cannon. Clampett filmed Cannon in live action as the hero and rotoscoped it into the film. Clampett planned to leave Leon Schlesinger Productions, but Schlesinger offered him a promotion to director and more money if he would stay. Clampett was promoted to director in late 1936, directing a color sequence in the feature ''
When's Your Birthday? ''When's Your Birthday?'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Joe E. Brown. While original prints of this film had a cartoon sequence in Technicolor directed by Bob Clampett and Leon Schlesinger, mos ...
'' (1937). This led to what was essentially a co-directing stint with fellow animator Chuck Jones for the financially ailing Ub Iwerks, whom Schlesinger subcontracted to produce several Porky Pig shorts. These shorts featured the short-lived and generally unpopular Gabby Goat as Porky's sidekick. Despite Clampett and Jones' contributions, however, Iwerks was the only credited director. Clampett's first cartoon with a directorial credit was ''
Porky's Badtime Story ''Porky's Badtime Story'' is a 1937 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Robert Clampett (his first short as director) and an uncredited Chuck Jones. The short was released on July 24, 1937, and stars Porky Pig and Gabby Goat. The s ...
''. Under the Warner system, Clampett had complete creative control over his own films, within severe money and time limitations (he was only given $3,000 and four weeks to complete each short). During production of '' Porky's Duck Hunt'' in 1937, Avery created a character that would become Daffy Duck and Clampett animated the character for the first time. Clampett was so popular in theaters that Schlesinger told the other directors to imitate him, emphasizing gags and action. When Tex Avery departed in 1941, Avery's unit was taken over by Clampett, while Norman McCabe took over Clampett's old unit. Clampett finished Avery's remaining unfinished cartoons. When McCabe joined the armed forces,
Frank Tashlin Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972), also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator, cartoonist, children's writer, illustrator, screenwriter, and film director. He was best kn ...
rejoined Schlesinger as director, and that unit was eventually turned over to
Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...
. Milton Gray notes that from '' The Hep Cat'' (1942) on, the cartoons become even more wild as Clampett's experimentation reached a peak. Clampett later created the character of Tweety, introduced in ''
A Tale of Two Kitties ''A Tale of Two Kitties'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and features music by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on November 21, 1942, and features the debut of ...
'' in 1942. His cartoons grew increasingly violent, irreverent, and surreal, not beholden to even the faintest hint of real-world physics, and his characters have been argued to be easily the most rubbery and wacky of all the Warner directors'. Clampett was heavily influenced by the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, as is most visible in '' Porky in Wackyland'' (1938), wherein the entire short takes place within a Dalí-esque landscape complete with melting objects and abstracted forms. Clampett and his work can even be considered part of the surreal movement, as it incorporated film as well as static media. It was largely Clampett's influence that would impel the Warners directors to shed the final vestiges of all Disney influence. Clampett was also known for creating some brief voices or sound effects in some of the cartoons, for some of these he impersonated the Warner Bros. zooming in shield sound effect (otherwise known as "Bay-woop!"). Clampett liked to bring contemporary cultural movements into his cartoons, especially jazz; film, magazines, comics, novels, and popular music are referenced in Clampett shorts, most visible in ''
Book Revue ''Book Revue'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 5, 1946, and features Daffy Duck. The plotline is a mixture of the plots of Frank Tashlin's ''Speaking of the Weather'' ...
'' (1946), where performers are drawn onto various celebrated books. Clampett was a good source for censorship stories, though the accuracy of his recollections has been disputed. According to an interview published in ''Funnyworld'' #12 (1971), Clampett had a method for ensuring that certain elements of his films would escape the censors' cut. It consisted of adding material aimed just at the censors; they would focus on cutting those and thus leave in the ones he actually wanted.Cohen (2004), p. 36-37 Clampett left the studio in May 1945, although short films directed by him would continue to be released until late 1946. '' The Big Snooze'' was his final cartoon with the studio and was one for which he did not get screen credit (only one of three he directed pitting Bugs Bunny and
Elmer Fudd Elmer J.''Hare Brush'' (1956) Fudd is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes''/'' Merrie Melodies'' series and the archenemy of Bugs Bunny. He has one of the more disputed origins in the Warner Bros. cartoon pantheo ...
). While the generally accepted story was that Clampett left over matters of artistic freedom, despite that some people claimed that he left the studio on his own. Clampett's style was becoming increasingly divergent from those of Freleng and Jones. He was fired by Eddie Selzer, who was far less tolerant of him than Schlesinger had been, and this is thought by some to be the primary reason for his departure. The Warners style that he was so instrumental in developing was leaving him behind. Warner Bros. had recently bought the rights to the entire Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies studio from Schlesinger and, while his cartoons of 1946 are today considered on the cutting edge of the art for that period, at the time, Clampett was ready to seek new challenges. Clampett left at what some considered the peak of his creativity and against everyone's advice.


Later career and ''Beany and Cecil''

In 1946 after Warner Bros. bought out Leon Schlesinger, his key executives Henry Binder and Ray Katz went to Screen Gems and took Clampett with them. Clampett worked for a time at
Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
, then the cartoon division of Columbia Pictures, as a screenwriter and gag writer. In 1947
Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...
incorporated animation (by Walter Lantz) into its
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 â€“ October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
feature film ''Sioux City Sue''. It turned out well enough for Republic to dabble in animated cartoons; Bob Clampett directed a single cartoon, ''It's a Grand Old Nag'', featuring the equine character Charlie Horse. Republic management, however, had second thoughts due to dwindling profits, and they discontinued the series. Clampett took his direction credit under the name "
Kilroy Kilroy may refer to: * Kilroy (surname) * ''Kilroy'' (TV series), a BBC day time chat show hosted by Robert Kilroy-Silk * Kilroy, a main character beginning with Season 2 in the television series '' Taken'' * Kilroy's College, a distance educatio ...
". In 1949, Clampett turned his attention to television, where he created the famous puppet show '' Time for Beany''. The show, featuring the talents of voice artists
Stan Freberg Stan Freberg (born Stanley Friberg; August 7, 1926 – April 7, 2015) was an American actor, author, comedian, musician, radio personality, puppeteer and advertising creative director. His best-known works include " St. George and the Dragonet ...
and Daws Butler, would earn Clampett three Emmys.
Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
and Albert Einstein were both fans of the series. In 1952, he created the ''Thunderbolt the Wondercolt'' television series and the 3D prologue to '' Bwana Devil'' featuring Beany and Cecil. In 1954, he directed ''Willy the Wolf'' (the first puppet variety show on television), as well as creating and voicing the lead in the ''Buffalo Billy'' television show. In the late 1950s, Clampett was hired by Associated Artists Productions to catalog the pre-August 1948 Warner cartoons it had just acquired. He also created an animated version of the puppet show called '' Beany and Cecil'', whose 26 half-hour episodes were first broadcast on ABC in 1962 and were rerun on the network for five years. Clampett's studio was at 729 Seward Street in Hollywood, later a Klasky Csupo studio. In his later years, Bob Clampett toured college campuses and animation festivals as a lecturer on the history of
animation Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
. In 1974 he was awarded an Inkpot Award. In 1975 he was the focus of a documentary entitled '' Bugs Bunny: Superstar'', the first documentary to examine the history of the Warner Bros. cartoons. Clampett, whose collection of drawings, films, and memorabilia from the golden days of Termite Terrace was legendary, provided nearly all of the behind-the-scenes drawings and home-movie footage for the film; furthermore, his wife, Sody Clampett, is credited as the film's production co-ordinator. In an audio commentary recorded for ''Bugs Bunny: Superstar'', director Larry Jackson claimed that in order to secure Clampett's participation, and access to Clampett's collection of Warners history, he had to sign a contract that stipulated Clampett would host the documentary and also have approval over the final cut. Jackson also claimed that Clampett was very reluctant speaking about the other directors and their contributions.


Rivalry with Chuck Jones

Though Clampett's contribution to the Warner Brothers animation legacy was considerable and inarguable, he has been criticized by his peers as "a shameless self-promoter who provoked the wrath of his former Warner's colleagues in later years for allegedly claiming credit for ideas that were not his."
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
particularly disliked Clampett and intentionally avoided making any mention of his association with him in his 1979 compilation film '' The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie'' (compiled by Jones and
Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
, in which the two list themselves and other Warners directors), although he did briefly mention working with Clampett in his 1989 autobiography ''Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of An Animated Cartoonist'' and his 1998 interview for the American Television Archive. Some of this animosity appears to have come from Clampett's perceived "golden boy" status at the studio (Clampett's mother was said to be a close friend of cartoon producer
Leon Schlesinger Leon Schlesinger (May 20, 1884 – December 25, 1949) was an American film producer who founded Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the Golden Age of American animation. He was a distant r ...
), which allowed him to ignore studio rules that everyone else was expected to follow. In addition,
Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...
, the voice actor who worked with Clampett at the same studio for ten years, also accused Clampett of being an "egotist who took credit for everything." Beginning with a magazine article in 1946, shortly after he left the studio, Clampett repeatedly referred to himself as "the creator" of Bugs Bunny, often adding the side-note that he used Clark Gable's carrot-eating scene in '' It Happened One Night'' as inspiration for his "creation". (Clampett can be observed making this claim in '' Bugs Bunny: Superstar''.) The other two directorial fathers Bugs is claimed to have had are Tex Avery, who directed '' A Wild Hare'', his first official short; and
Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...
, the least known of the three best-known ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
/
Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...
'' directors, but who drew the definitive Bugs Bunny model sheet. Depending on the source, Bugs' primary creator could be either Jones or Freleng. Some argue that, based on a viewing of the early Bugs cartoons of the late 1930s and early 1940s, the character was not "created" by one director, but evolved in personality, voice, and design over several years through the collective efforts of Clampett, Avery, Jones, Freleng, McKimson, Mel Blanc, Cal Dalton, Ben Hardaway and Bob Givens. In ''Bugs Bunny: Superstar'', Clampett also takes credit for drawing the model sheet for the first
Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...
cartoon, '' I Haven't Got a Hat'' (1935), even though it was actually drawn by Friz Freleng. Animation historian Milton Gray details the long and bitter rivalry between Clampett and Jones in his essay "Bob Clampett Remembered". Gray, a personal friend of Clampett, calls the controversy "a deliberate and vicious smear campaign by one of Bob's rivals in the cartoon business". He reveals that Jones was angry at Clampett for making some generalizations in his 1970 interview with ''Funnyworld'' that gave Clampett too much credit, including taking sole credit for not only Bugs and Daffy but also Jones's Sniffles character and Freleng's Yosemite Sam. He writes that Jones began making additional accusations against Clampett, such as that Clampett would "go around the studio at night, looking at other directors' storyboards for ideas he could steal for his own cartoons." Jones wrote a letter of accusations in 1975 and, according to Gray, distributed copies to every fan he met—seemingly the genesis of the growing controversy. Gray asserts that Clampett was a "kind, generous man ho wasdeeply hurt and saddened by Jones's accusations. €¦I feel that Bob Clampett deserves tremendous respect and gratitude for the wonderful work that he left us." Other Warner Bros. peers, such as musical coordinator
Carl Stalling Carl William Stalling (November 10, 1891 – November 29, 1972) was an American composer, voice actor and arranger for music in animated films. He is most closely associated with the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' shorts produced by War ...
and animator Tex Avery, stood by Clampett during his talks on the cartoon industry in the 1960s and 1970s.


Death

Clampett died of a heart attack on May 2, 1984 in Detroit, Michigan, six days before his 71st birthday, while touring the country to promote the home video release of ''Beany & Cecil'' cartoons. He is buried in Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills.


Legacy

Since 1984, The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award is given each year at the Eisner Awards. Recipients of the award include June Foray, Jack Kirby, Sergio Aragonés, Patrick McDonnell, Maggie Thompson, Ray Bradbury and Mark Evanier. Clampett's ''
Tin Pan Alley Cats ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' is a 1943 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' directed by Bob Clampett. A follow-up to Clampett's successful '' Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs'', released earlier in 1943, ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' focuses upon contemporary them ...
'' (1943) was chosen by the Library of Congress as a "prime example of the music and mores of our times" and a print was buried in a time capsule in Washington, D.C. so future generations might see it. '' Porky in Wackyland'' (1938) was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 2000, deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." John Kricfalusi, best known as the creator of '' The Ren & Stimpy Show'', got to know Clampett in his later years and has reflected on those times as inspirational. Kricfalusi calls Clampett his favorite cartoon director and calls '' The Great Piggy Bank Robbery'' (1946) his favorite cartoon: "I saw this thing and it completely changed my life, I thought it was the greatest thing I'd ever seen, and I still think it is." Animation historian Leonard Maltin has called Clampett's cartoons "unmistakable". Milton Gray believes that Schlesinger put Clampett in charge of the black and white cartoon division in order to save it, and many historians have singled out a scene in ''Porky's Duck Hunt'', in which Daffy exits, as a defining Clampett moment. Maltin called it "a level of wackiness few moviegoers had ever seen". Historian Charles Solomon noted a rubbery, flexible animation quality visible in all Clampett's shorts, and Maltin noted an "energetic, comic anarchy". While Clampett's cartoons were not as well known in the latter half of the 20th century because television syndicators only had the rights to the post-1948 Warner cartoons, his creations have increased in notoriety and acclaim in recent decades. Martha Sigall recalled Clampett as "an enthusiastic and fun type of guy". She describes him as consistently nice to her and very generous when it came to gifts or donations to a cause.Sigall (2005), p. 50 She had left the Termite Terrace in 1943 and did not meet Clampett again until 1960. She did, however, hear from people whom Clampett helped break into the animation business and/or mentored.Sigall (2005), p. 54 Clampett is survived by his three children who currently preserve his work. They are Robert Clampett Jr., who worked for his father as a puppeteer at Bob Clampett Productions; Ruth Clampett, an author of several books, including a book about an animated couple (she also founded Clampett Studio collections after her father's death); and Cheri Clampett, a therapeutic yoga specialist.


Films with Bob Clampett's involvement

* ''
When's Your Birthday? ''When's Your Birthday?'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by Harry Beaumont and starring Joe E. Brown. While original prints of this film had a cartoon sequence in Technicolor directed by Bob Clampett and Leon Schlesinger, mos ...
'' (1937) (animated sequence directed by Clampett and photographed in Technicolor) * '' Porky and Gabby'' (1937) (co-supervision with Ub Iwerks and
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...
) * '' Porky's Super Service'' (1937) (co-supervision with Chuck Jones and Ub Iwerks) * ''
Porky's Badtime Story ''Porky's Badtime Story'' is a 1937 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Robert Clampett (his first short as director) and an uncredited Chuck Jones. The short was released on July 24, 1937, and stars Porky Pig and Gabby Goat. The s ...
'' (1937) (first Looney Tunes short supervised by Clampett and assistant Chuck Jones, first supervisal credit) * '' Get Rich Quick Porky'' (1937) (co-directed with Chuck Jones) * '' Rover's Rival'' (1937) (co-directed with Chuck Jones) * '' Porky's Hero Agency'' (1937) (co-directed with Chuck Jones) * ''
Porky's Poppa ''Porky's'' is a 1981 sex comedy film written and directed by Bob Clark about the escapades of teenagers in 1954 at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida. The film influenced many writers in the teen film genre and spawned two sequels: ...
'' (1938) (co-directed with Chuck Jones) * ''
What Price Porky ''What Price Porky'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on February 26, 1938, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. Plot When Porky goes to feed his hens and chickens, a group of ducks ...
'' (1938) * '' Porky's Five and Ten'' (1938) * '' Injun Trouble'' (1938) * ''
Porky's Party ''Porky's Party'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on June 25, 1938, and stars Porky Pig. Plot The cartoon begins with Porky Pig lighting candles on a birthday cake while singing and ...
'' (1938) * ''
Porky & Daffy ''Porky & Daffy'' is a 1938 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on August 6, 1938, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. Plot In the home of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, Porky's relationship with Daf ...
'' (1938) * '' Porky in Wackyland'' (1938) * '' Porky's Naughty Nephew'' (1938) * '' Porky in Egypt'' (1938) * '' The Daffy Doc'' (1938) * '' The Lone Stranger and Porky'' (1939) * ''
Porky's Tire Trouble ''Porky's'' is a 1981 sex comedy film written and directed by Bob Clark about the escapades of teenagers in 1954 at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida. The film influenced many writers in the teen film genre and spawned two sequels: ...
'' (1939) * ''
Porky's Movie Mystery ''Porky's Movie Mystery'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on March 11, 1939, and stars Porky Pig. It is a parody of the Mr. Moto series. Plot A radio news report from Walte ...
'' (1939) * ''
Chicken Jitters The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
'' (1939) * ''
Kristopher Kolumbus, Jr. Kristopher Kolumbus Jr. is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on May 13, 1939, and stars Porky Pig in the role of Christopher Columbus. Plot Since this cartoon is set in 1492, P ...
'' (1939) * ''
Polar Pals Polar may refer to: Geography Polar may refer to: * Geographical pole, either of two fixed points on the surface of a rotating body or planet, at 90 degrees from the equator, based on the axis around which a body rotates *Polar climate, the cli ...
'' (1939) * ''
Scalp Trouble ''Scalp Trouble'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on June 24, 1939, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The cartoon has been criticized for its stereotypical and insensitive depict ...
'' (1939) * '' Porky's Picnic'' (1939) * '' Wise Quacks'' (1939) * '' Porky's Hotel'' (1939) * '' Jeepers Creepers'' (1939) * '' Naughty Neighbors'' (1939) * '' Pied Piper Porky'' (1939) * '' The Film Fan'' (1939) * '' Porky's Last Stand'' (1940) * ''
Africa Squeaks ''Africa Squeaks'' is a 1940 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on January 27, 1940, and stars Porky Pig. The cartoon is a parody of the movie ''Stanley and Livingstone'' starring Spencer Tracy ...
'' (1940) * '' Ali-Baba Bound'' (1940) * '' Pilgrim Porky'' (1940) * '' Slap-Happy Pappy'' (1940) * '' Porky's Poor Fish'' (1940) * '' The Chewin' Bruin'' (1940) * ''
Patient Porky ''Patient Porky'' is a 1940 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and scored by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on August 24, 1940, and stars Porky Pig. Bugs Bunny's prototype makes a c ...
'' (1940) * '' Prehistoric Porky'' (1940) * '' The Sour Puss'' (1940) * '' The Timid Toreador'' (1940) (co-supervision with Norm McCabe) * '' Porky's Snooze Reel'' (1941) (co-supervision with Norm McCabe) * '' Goofy Groceries'' (1941) (first Merrie Melodies short directed by Clampett) * ''
Farm Frolics ''Farm Frolics'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. '' Merrie Melodies'' cartoon supervised by Bob Clampett. It was released on May 10, 1941. Plot The cartoon starts with the arm of an animator drawing a farm scene which then colors itself, and the camera ...
'' (1941) * ''
A Coy Decoy ''A Coy Decoy'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on June 7, 1941, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The film is set in a closed book store at night, when the many characters an ...
'' (1941) * '' Meet John Doughboy'' (1941) * '' We, the Animals Squeak!'' (1941) * ''
The Henpecked Duck ''The Henpecked Duck'' is a Warner Bros. '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett and written by Warren Foster. The cartoon was released on August 30, 1941, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon char ...
'' (1941) * '' The Cagey Canary'' (1941) (planned by Tex Avery, finished) * '' Wabbit Twouble'' (1941) (planned by Tex Avery, finished) * ''
Porky's Pooch ''Porky's Pooch'' is a 1941 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on December 27, 1941, and stars Porky Pig. This is the last short Bob Clampett directed that used his old unit, which would ultimat ...
'' (1941) * '' Aloha Hooey'' (1942) (planned by Tex Avery, finished) * '' Crazy Cruise'' (1942) (planned by Tex Avery, finished) * '' Any Bonds Today?'' (1942) * '' Horton Hatches the Egg'' (1942) * ''
The Wacky Wabbit ''The Wacky Wabbit'' is a 1942 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. It stars Bugs Bunny (Voice by Mel Blanc) and Elmer Fudd (voiced by Arthur Quirk Bryan). Plot Singing a modified version of " Oh! Susanna," Elmer Fudd trudges i ...
'' (1942) * '' Nutty News'' (1942) * ''
Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid ''Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid'' is a 1942 ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures. It marks the first appearance of Beaky Buzzard in a Warner Bros. sho ...
'' (1942) * ''
Wacky Blackout ''Wacky Blackout'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on July 11, 1942. Plot As with a number of early-1940s ''Looney Tunes'' shorts, the plot consists of a loosely tied collection of c ...
'' (1942) * '' Eatin' on the Cuff or The Moth Who Came to Dinner'' (1942) * '' The Hep Cat'' (1942) * ''
A Tale of Two Kitties ''A Tale of Two Kitties'' is a 1942 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and features music by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on November 21, 1942, and features the debut of ...
'' (1942) * '' Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs'' (1943) * '' Tortoise Wins by a Hare'' (1943) * '' The Wise Quacking Duck'' (1943) * ''
Tin Pan Alley Cats ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' is a 1943 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' directed by Bob Clampett. A follow-up to Clampett's successful '' Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs'', released earlier in 1943, ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' focuses upon contemporary them ...
'' (1943) * '' A Corny Concerto'' (1943) * '' Fighting Tools'' (1943) * '' Falling Hare'' (1943) * ''
An Itch in Time ''An Itch in Time'' is a 1943 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on December 4, 1943 and features Elmer Fudd, with a dog and cat that look similar to Willoughby and Claude Cat. The voice ...
'' (1943) * '' What's Cookin' Doc?'' (1944) * '' Booby Traps'' (1944) * ''
Tick Tock Tuckered ''Tick Tock Tuckered'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on April 8, 1944, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. This is a color remake of the cartoon ''Porky's Badtime Story'' (1937) ...
'' (1944) * '' Russian Rhapsody'' (1944) * '' Slightly Daffy'' (1944) (directed by
Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
, color remake of ''
Scalp Trouble ''Scalp Trouble'' is a 1939 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on June 24, 1939, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck. The cartoon has been criticized for its stereotypical and insensitive depict ...
'') * '' Hare Ribbin''' (1944) * ''
Birdy and the Beast ''Birdy and the Beast'' is a 1944 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on August 19, 1944, and stars Tweety. Plot Tweety is sitting in his nest, when a cat watches him. Tweety flies off and the cat cha ...
'' (1944) * ''
Buckaroo Bugs ''Buckaroo Bugs'' is a 1944 American Western '' Looney Tunes'' cartoon film directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on August 26, 1944, and features Bugs Bunny in his official Looney Tunes debut. Plot The film is set in a small t ...
'' (1944) * '' The Old Grey Hare'' (1944) * '' Draftee Daffy'' (1945) * '' Tokyo Woes'' (1945) * '' A Gruesome Twosome'' (1945) * ''
Wagon Heels ''Wagon Heels'' is a 1945 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' short directed by Bob Clampett. The short was released on July 28, 1945, and stars Porky Pig. The cartoon is a color remake of the 1938 ''Looney Tunes'' black-and-white short '' Injun T ...
'' (1945) * '' The Bashful Buzzard'' (1945) * ''
Book Revue ''Book Revue'' is a 1946 Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on January 5, 1946, and features Daffy Duck. The plotline is a mixture of the plots of Frank Tashlin's ''Speaking of the Weather'' ...
'' (1946) * '' Baby Bottleneck'' (1946) * '' Kitty Kornered'' (1946) * '' The Great Piggy Bank Robbery'' (1946) * '' Bacall to Arms'' (1946) (finished by Arthur Davis) * '' The Big Snooze'' (1946) * '' The Goofy Gophers'' (1947) (pre-production, finished by Arthur Davis) * '' Birth of a Notion'' (1947) (planned, eventually directed by
Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...
) * '' Dough for the Do-Do'' (1949) (directed by Friz Freleng, archival from '' Porky in Wackyland'' and ''
Tin Pan Alley Cats ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' is a 1943 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' directed by Bob Clampett. A follow-up to Clampett's successful '' Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs'', released earlier in 1943, ''Tin Pan Alley Cats'' focuses upon contemporary them ...
'') * '' His Hare-Raising Tale'' (1951) (directed by Friz Freleng, scenes from '' Falling Hare'' used as flashbacks)


Shorts that did not enter production

* ''For He's a Jolly Good
Fala The Armed Forces of the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Forças Armadas de Libertação de Angola) or FALA was the armed wing of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), a prominent political faction during the Angolan Civil ...
'' (1945) (starring President Roosevelt's dog Fala, project abandoned after Roosevelt's death the same year) * ''Fat Rat and the Stupid Cat'' (1946) (starring
Sylvester Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...
and Tweety, project abandoned after Clampett's departure but storyboards do exist)


Republic Pictures

* ''It's a Grand Old Nag'' (1947) (credited as Kilroy)


General sources

* *


Citations


Further reading

* * Maltin, Leonard. (1980). ''Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons''. New York: McGraw-Hill. .


External links


Lambiek Comiclopedia article.

In His Own Words: Bob Clampett on ''Time for Beany''
*
Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database



On a Desert Island with...Bob Clampett




* ttp://www.michaelbarrier.com/Essays/Milt_Gray/Gray_on_Clampett.htm Milt Gray's essay on Bob Clampett
Toon Tracker Beany and Cecil page


* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clampett, Bob 1913 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American artists American parodists Parody film directors American people of Irish descent American puppeteers American surrealist artists Animators from California Articles containing video clips Artists from San Diego Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Emmy Award winners Film directors from California Inkpot Award winners Otis College of Art and Design alumni Surrealist filmmakers Walt Disney Animation Studios people Warner Bros. Cartoons directors