In this text, we take a look at Warner Bros. shorts, the Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes series.
Character of Cecil turtle, who appeared in two animations from the MM series and one LT, because of his iconicity, received his own note.
Merrie Melodies
Pagan Moon (Year: 1932)
In this animation, a turtle appears, on which one of the characters stands for a part of the way. The annoyed turtle, however, throws him off its back, takes off the shell and uses it as a boat to swim back.
Freddy the Freshman (Year: 1932)
This animation shows, i.a., an American football game in which the turtle also takes part. He falls unhappily on his back, unable to get up on his own, so he comes out of the shell, gets up and lifts it, putting it back on.
Pop Goes Your Heart (Year: 1934)
Turtles appear in two forms in this animation. The first are four turtles that jump from the log into the water and swim (they do not come out of the shells, but swim “on the backs”, using them as boats). The second is a turtle walking in the forest, which is being chased by a bear. He hides into the shell and leans out the other way round (i.e. the shell remained in place, but the turtle inside twisted and stuck his head out where he had his tail), bites the bear on the nose, chasing it away, and then turns back in the shell.
Shake Your Powder Puff (Year: 1934)
Turtle appears here as one of the musicians, he plays “on himself”, using his shell as a drum.
Flowers for Madame (Year: 1935)
Two turtles can be seen in the parade of various animals.
I Haven’t Got a Hat (Year: 1935)
The turtle is in one scene, playing on himself like on a drum.
Into Your Dance (Year: 1935)
The turtle appears in two scenes, first playing the cymbals, then the drum.
I Wanna Play House (Year: 1936)
There is a very similar scene as described above, with a turtle rotating in his shell because he is being accosted by a bear, the main difference is that it is a small bear, not an adult. Perhaps it can be counted as animation recycling, that occurs sometimes.
Boulevardier from the Bronx (Year: 1936)
Baseball game is shown, in which one of the players (the catcher) is a turtle. Probably for better protection, he twists his shell “back to front”.
Don’t Look Now (Year: 1936)
A pair of turtles is shown, male-turtle adores female-turtle, but she only shows interest in him after being hit by a cupid’s arrow – to the extent that she leaves her shell and joins him in his.
The Coo-Coo Nut Grove (Year: 1936)
The turtle is in two scenes, in one he dances, in the other he swims on his shell in the water.
The Woods Are Full Of Cuckoos (Year: 1937)
In one of the scenes the turtle is shown, she is unambiguously signed, as Deanna Terrapin.
The Lyin’ Mouse (Year: 1937)
Two turtles are shown sitting together, but when the mouse imitates a lion’s roar, she (judging by the fact that she has a flower on her hat) jumps into his shell and they escape together.
Daffy Duck And Egghead (Year: 1938)
A turtle appears in the role of a peacemaker, but also as a person proposing a duel to other characters. In the end, he gets shot in the shell.
The Good Egg (Year: 1939)
A 100% turtle-filled story about a hen that adopted a turtle egg, from which of course, the turtle hatched. He wanted to hang out with other chicks, but they weren’t interested, they even teased him and made fun of him. At the end, however, thanks to his different nature, he managed to save them when they were drowning, and then he was accepted as a normal colleague. You can also see the unusual structure of the turtle’s shell, when the chicken’s mother wants to put a diaper on him, she just tilts it up, when he is floating on the water, if he wants to, he can also stick his head out through the “window” in the middle of the back, like in some kind of the boat.
Sioux Me (Year: 1939)
Turtle is in one scene, he eats a lightning pill and gains super speed for a while.
The Little Lion Hunter (Year: 1939)
Turtle is in one scene, he slowly walk, but when he sees the hunter, he starts to walk much faster.
Aloha Hooey (Year: 1942)
In one of the scenes, a raven, trying to escape from a shark, hides inside a turtle’s shell. Owner does not like this, he explains it to the new tenant quite emphatically, and then, coming out of the shell himself, he kicks him out.
Dog Tired (Year: 1942)
The main element of this animation is the fight for the bone. At some point the turtle gets pulled in – as a result of confusion, the dog chasing the bone ends up “in the shell”, while the turtle itself falls out of it, with the bone in its mouth – and he starts to run away with that bone.
The Shell Shocked Egg (Year: 1948)
100% turtle animation. The beginning focuses on a turtle burying four of its eggs in the sand. One, however, partially hatches prematurely, i.e. only the lower/rear legs break through from the shell, on which the little turtle begins to move. Next, they show the adventures of the wanderer and the hatching of the remaining turtles and the turtle mother realizing that one is missing, so she starts digging where the egg should be, to find it. As a result of a combination of circumstances, the toddler is finally returned to the care of his mother, who, using a solar lamp, helps him to hatch. He, however, complains that although he already hatched, he is still in the shell.
Henhouse Henery (Year: 1949)
The turtle appears in one longer scene, the titular Henery attacks him and even climbs into his shell, from which the turtle throw him away.
Mouse-Taken Identity (Year: 1957)
Turtle appears here only in the form of a shell that the cat Sylwester wears while hunting a small kangaroo. In the background in the museum you can also see a skeleton that can be considered as an attempt to show the skeleton of a turtle.
Nelly’s Folly (Year: 1961)
Turtle appears in just one scene.
Looney Tunes
Bosko’s Woodland Daze (Year: 1932)
In this animation, a walking turtle appears.
Hollywood Capers (Year: 1935)
A turtle playing on the piano appears – how often happen in such animations, if necessary, he can contradict biology and, for example, leaving the other limbs in the right places, stick his head out of the shell in place where his tail should be.
Buddy in Africa (Year: 1935)
A turtle appears, playing on itself as if on some kind of instrument, he has strings on the front of the shell.
Alpine Antics (Year: 1936)
The turtle appears in two scenes here. First time as a skater who skates on ice, to his surprise, he notices that his reflection does not follow the rules of physics. In the second appearance, he shoots the pistol at the start of the race – as a result of the recoil, he falls from the tree on which he is standing (hiding into the shell during the flight down).
Porky in the North Woods (Year: 1936)
First, there is one turtle in the group scene, then a lot of turtles, playing on themselves like on the drums as they march. Also, riding on their shells in the snow, they attack the main negative character.
Porky’s Building (Year: 1937)
Turtles working on a construction site are shown, carrying cement in their shells.
Porky at the Crocadero (Year: 1938)
The turtle is shown twice, once among dancing couples, then playing on itself as an instrument, with strings attached to the front of his shell.
It’s an Ill Wind (Year: 1939)
The turtle appears in one scene, the dog accosts him, so the turtle defends himself.
Porky’s Baseball Broadcast (Year: 1940)
The turtle playing baseball reappears – as re-use of animations with the turtle made for the short Boulevardier from the Bronx from 1936. Likewise, he puts his shell back to front, etc., although here he has a tad fewer scenes, not all turtle elements have been reused.
Porky’s Poor Fish (Year: 1940)
At first, the turtle appears only in the form of a shadow/contour, seeing that someone has broke to the store, he rides the accompanying seahorse, later you can see him normally.
Who’s Who in the Zoo (Year: 1942)
One short scene shows a turtle and… a hair. Tortoise and the hair sounds like Tortoise and the Hare, a classic a story.
Wacky Blackout (Year: 1942)
Three hatching turtles are shown, two “regular” and one that believes to be a Jeep. His behavior and appearance closely coincide with what he thinks about himself.
The Ducktators (Year: 1942)
The animation was created as a parody of the situation in the world at that time, hence animal equivalents of such characters as Hitler and Mussolini appear there. The turtle element appears in a piece where the target of the satire is the Japanese general Hideki Tōjō – as a duck he places a sign on what appears to be a small island. The islet, however, turns out to be a turtle, dissatisfied with such treatment, so he chases the duck, beating him with a sign.
Robinson Crusoe Jr (Year: 1942)
There is a turtle, he dances and swaps outfits with another character (Friday).
Odor of the Day (Year: 1948)
The turtle appears in one scene, he is shown as “naked”, without a shell, he comes out of the water, some lake or river in which he used to bathe and puts on the shell he left on the shore – and get hit by a dog.
Curtain Razor (Year: 1949)
At the audition, there is, among others, a turtle speaking with a thousand votes – but when they have to be presented, he only manages to make only 999 votes, which is why he leaves sad.
Devil May Hare (Year: 1954)
Among the animals that run away from the arrival of the Tasmanian Devil, there is a turtle who gets into a brief conversation with Bugs (after he stops him, using a shovel in a very cartoonish way). Some people refer to this turtle as Cecil-like, sometimes even outright claiming that it is Cecil’s cameo.
Author: XYuriTT
