Saturday Cartoon

Brian Zick July 21, 2007

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Red Hot Riding HoodMade for MGM in 1943, this cartoon is the first of several Tex Avery directed variants on the Little Red Riding Hood fable. (Here's another.) These were, rather obviously, not cartoons produced to entertain children. Avery told interviewer Joe Adamson that, despite his crew having the Army in mind as an audience when they made the cartoon, the studio censor had ordered several cuts made. But a sergeant who was stationed at MGM to plan training films saw an uncensored version. And, subsequently, studio chief Louis B. Mayer got a telegram from the Army requesting the uncut version for personnel overseas. The depth and breadth of Tex Avery's comedic genius is on full display in this cartoon, which won a spot near the top on the list of The 50 Greatest Cartoons, As Selected by 1000 Animation Professionals. Preston Blair designed and animated the "new" Red, and she was such an instantaneously popular character that studio employees managed to acquire finished animation cels before they were even shot.Directed by Tex Avery Animation by Irv Spence, Ed Love, and Preston Blair

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