Frank Graham

Frank Graham

Born: November 22, 1914
Died: September 2, 1950
in Detroit, Michigan, USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Graham attended the University of California for one year and left to begin his acting career in Seattle, both on the stage and in radio. He was brought to Hollywood in 1937 to join KNX Radio. He had been married two years before to Dorothy Jack of Seattle. He was the star of Night Cap Yarns over CBS from 1938 through 1942 and was the announcer of dozens of programs, including the Ginny Simms, Rudy Vallee and Nelson Eddy shows.

He starred in Jeff Regan, Investigator and co-developed the radio drama Satan’s Waitin’ with Van Des Autels. Graham was also The Wandering Vaquero, the narrator of The Romance Of The Ranchos radio series (1941–1942), also on the CBS network.

One of his few live action roles was playing the tile character in the film Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher (1943). He had also served as a writer for the radio program on which the film was based upon.

Graham played numerous characters in animated films for Walt Disney, MGM, Columbia and Warner Bros. He voiced the Wolf in Tex Avery's Droopy cartoons, as well as the Mouse in King-Size Canary at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He provided the voices of the Fox and Crow in the eponymous-named shorts at Columbia.

He was found dead at age 35 in his convertible in the carport of his home in Los Angeles on September 2, 1950. A coroner declared he had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Movies for Frank Graham...

Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection Vol. 5
Title: Looney Tunes: Spotlight Collection Vol. 5
Character: Narrator (archive footage)
Released: October 30, 2007
Type: Movie
The Looney Tunes Guide to Fairy Tales: In a storybook setting, Looney Tunes characters share with kids the necessary ingredients for a proper fairy tale
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Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
Title: Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection
Character: Killer
Released: May 15, 2007
Type: Movie
Frederick "Tex" Avery directed some of the funniest cartoons ever made, but he relied primarily on situations and moving graphics, rather than on the personalities of familiar characters. Droopy, the phlegmatic basset hound, was one of the few characters Avery used regularly: His low-key presence was the perfect counter to the extreme takes, fast cuts, frenetic action, and general mayhem going on around him. Avery is also noted for "self-reflexive gags:" the characters know they're in a cartoon and often comment on the fact. In "Dumb-Hounded,"a sprinting wolf cuts a corner too sharply, skids past the sprocket holes at the edge of the film, and onto the blank screen. Droopy frequently turns to the camera and comments, "You now what? I'm happy."
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The Chump Champ
Title: The Chump Champ
Character: Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Released: November 4, 1950
Type: Movie
Droopy and Gorgeous Gorillawitz (Spike) are competing for the title of King of Sports and for a kiss from the Queen of Sports. Spike cheats as much as possible but can never seem to beat Droopy.
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Jerry and the Lion
Title: Jerry and the Lion
Character: The Lion (voice) (uncredited)
Released: April 8, 1950
Type: Movie
Jerry agrees to help an escaped circus lion, whose first need is food. But first they'll have to evade Tom, who heard the news bulletin and is armed with a shotgun.
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Albert in Blunderland
Title: Albert in Blunderland
Character: Planning Board Ant / Ant Guards (voice)
Released: January 6, 1950
Type: Movie
Albert, an auto mechanic is listening to a radio broadcast about a society based on the "coordinated cooperation of ants". He becomes excited about the idea, and becomes a little careless. The hood of the car, crashes down on his head, knocking him out cold. While unconcious, he dreams about being a worker among ants in the state-controlled nation of Antrolia. At first he is enthusiastic, but soon becomes disenchanted. When he threatens to strike, the soldier ants drag him before a firing squad. Just as he is being executed, he wakes up. He jumps into the car, races to the radio station and assaults the speaker, who is still extolling the virtures of state-planning boards and a controlled, planned economy. The speech, on red paper, flies into the air, as the mechanic grabs the microphone to give the audience "the real low-down on them ants".
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Each Dawn I Crow
Title: Each Dawn I Crow
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: September 23, 1949
Type: Movie
Chided by a narrator, John Rooster thinks Elmer Fudd is going to slaughter him with an axe for Sunday dinner and is willing to do anything to prevent his hour of doom.
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The House of Tomorrow
Title: The House of Tomorrow
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 11, 1949
Type: Movie
Tex Avery's narrator shows us the amazing features of the ultra-modern House of Tomorrow.
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So Much for So Little
Title: So Much for So Little
Character: Narrator
Released: January 1, 1949
Type: Movie
Little Johnny Jones, to be born in the next year, is shown growing to a ripe, healthy old age, thanks to the efforts of his local public health officers. But without them, he might be one of the 5% or so that dies in the first year. The price for the public health service: about 3 cents a week.
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King-Size Canary
Title: King-Size Canary
Character: Mouse (voice)
Released: December 6, 1947
Type: Movie
A hungry cat has the idea of giving "Jumbo Gro" fertilizer to a scrawny canary to make him a bigger meal, which leads to a race between the cat, the canary, a dog, and a mouse to see who can grow the biggest.
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Slap Happy Lion
Title: Slap Happy Lion
Character: Mouse (voice) (uncredited)
Released: September 20, 1947
Type: Movie
The king of the jungle, after a well spent day terrorising the rest of the animals, is petrified by a mouse.
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Northwest Hounded Police
Title: Northwest Hounded Police
Character: Escaped Prisoner (voice) (uncredited)
Released: August 3, 1946
Type: Movie
The wolf escapes from Alka-Fizz prison, but persistent Sergeant McPoodle (Droopy) of the Canadian Mounties follows his trail wherever he goes.
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Honesty Is the Best Policy
Title: Honesty Is the Best Policy
Character: Professor J. Waldo Purrington / Fish Vendor (voice)
Released: July 25, 1946
Type: Movie
Professor J. Waldo Purrington wants breakfast but has run out of food, he spots a fish truck outside but he has no money to pay for a fish so he decides to steal one, but he remembers his calendar quote "honesty is the best policy", so he can't bring himself to steal it, so he decides to try and make one fall out of the truck so he won't feel guilty.
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The Eager Beaver
Title: The Eager Beaver
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: July 12, 1946
Type: Movie
Anxious to get to work with the big guys damming the river before the flood hits, a little beaver keeps getting in the way of their work. Finally, the foreman sends him off to chop down that big tree "way over there." Meanwhile, the flood rushes closer and closer.
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Springtime for Thomas
Title: Springtime for Thomas
Character: Jerry's Devil Conscience / Butch (voice)
Released: March 30, 1946
Type: Movie
It's spring, and Tom is much more interested in the female cat next door than in Jerry.
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Catnipped
Title: Catnipped
Character: Doctors
Released: February 14, 1946
Type: Movie
The cat of the house lets the canary of the house out of its cage, with intent of eating said bird. The dog of the house shows up, with intent of not allowing the cat to eat the canary, and the cat is soon in need of medical attention, including a blood transfusion. The blood-donor is the canary, and the cat is soon chirping like a canary.
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Baseball Bugs
Title: Baseball Bugs
Character: Additional Voices (voice) (uncredited)
Released: February 2, 1946
Type: Movie
Bugs Bunny single handedly takes on the “Gas-House Gorillas,” a baseball team of hulking, cigar-chomping bullies.
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Tokyo Woes
Title: Tokyo Woes
Character: Narrator
Released: November 15, 1945
Type: Movie
Created for the US Navy in World War II. The Mr. Hook character was created by Hank Ketcham while at Walter Lantz Studios, where the first- and only color- Mr. Hook cartoon was produced. A wartime propaganda film about Japan and war bonds. The loudspeaker grille is in the shape of a peace sign as it shouts at Mr. Hook.
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Phoney Baloney
Title: Phoney Baloney
Character: Fox / Crow (voice)
Released: November 1, 1945
Type: Movie
A $5,000 reward is put out for the capture of a notorious wolf. Two of the wanted posters are put on the trees where the Fox and the Crow live. When they see the posters, each thinks the other is the wanted one, and they try to capture each other for the reward money. After many attempts, they end up at a police station where their mistake is pointed out to them. They then punish themselves profusely for making the error. Re-released theatrically in 1956.
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Treasure Jest
Title: Treasure Jest
Character: Fox / Crow (voice)
Released: August 30, 1945
Type: Movie
The fox is sailing the high seas looking for buried treasure. The crow, eyeing the fox as a sucker, passes his island home off as "Treasure Island", assuring the fox it is loaded with gold (which he proves by showing the fox phoney gold bricks which are really construction bricks painted yellow). However, there is a $2.00 fee for digging on his island which the fox refuses to pay. He tries to extract the "gold" by himself but the crow sabotages his efforts. First, he removes the blade from the fox's pickax.
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Swing Shift Cinderella
Title: Swing Shift Cinderella
Character: Wolf (voice) (uncredited)
Released: August 25, 1945
Type: Movie
The big bad wolf starts out chasing Little Red Riding Hood but switches to Cinderella after seeing the film's title, and ends up being chased in turn by her fairy godmother.
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Fresh Airedale
Title: Fresh Airedale
Character: Narrator, Shep's Master
Released: August 25, 1945
Type: Movie
Shep the dog is seen by his master as loyal and loving, but the cat knows he is really a self-centered, conniving weasel who lets burglars in the house and takes credit for the good deeds of others.
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Hot Footlights
Title: Hot Footlights
Character: Cowboy / King Cole
Released: August 2, 1945
Type: Movie
A caricature of W.C. Fields runs a theater show with four separate short stories in which nursery rhymes are sung in the beginning (by Andrews Sisters lookalikes) and then acted out.
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Kuku Nuts
Title: Kuku Nuts
Character: Fox / Crow (voice)
Released: July 26, 1945
Type: Movie
Stranded on an island, the starving Fox gets sick of coconuts, but when he sees the Crow, he desperately tries to eat him, only to wind up failing in every attempt.
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Something You Didn't Eat
Title: Something You Didn't Eat
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: June 11, 1945
Type: Movie
Animated short documentary film made to advance the cause of a balanced diet for the benefit of the public health and for the advancement of the American war effort.
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The Shooting of Dan McGoo
Title: The Shooting of Dan McGoo
Character: Wolf
Released: April 14, 1945
Type: Movie
Dangerous Dan McGoo (Droopy) faces the wolf, a dangerous outlaw who is trying to steal his girl Lou, during the Alaska gold rush. Loosely based on "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W. Service.
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Jerky Turkey
Title: Jerky Turkey
Character: Junior Pilgrim (voice)
Released: April 7, 1945
Type: Movie
A dopey Pilgrim goes hunting a turkey who speaks in a Jimmy Durante impersonation and runs the local black market. War and rationing gags abound (Pilgrims line up behind a sign reading "Ye Cigarettes Today"), as well as a running gag featuring a bear wearing an "Eat at Joe's" sandwich sign. The turkey harnesses the power of gags to save himself.
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Fiesta Time
Title: Fiesta Time
Character: Donkey
Released: April 4, 1945
Type: Movie
It's Fiesta Time in Mexico, so two little kids and a donkey have fun.
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The Three Caballeros
Title: The Three Caballeros
Character: (voice)
Released: December 21, 1944
Type: Movie
For Donald's birthday he receives a box with three gifts inside. The gifts, a movie projector, a pop-up book, and a pinata, each take Donald on wild adventures through Mexico and South America.
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Big Heel-Watha
Title: Big Heel-Watha
Character: Narrator / Interpreter / Indian Chief (voice) (uncredited)
Released: October 21, 1944
Type: Movie
To prove he's a true Indian Brave, Big Heel-Watha decides to catch a squirrel - but wouldn't you know it; Screwy Squirrel is the first one he sees...
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Mr. Moocher
Title: Mr. Moocher
Character: Fox / Crow (voice)
Released: September 7, 1944
Type: Movie
While doing their respective yardwork, the fox and crow (next-door neighbors) overhear a radio broadcast encouraging everyone to "love thy neighbor". The fox concludes, "I'm going to love my neighbor... if it kills me!" The crow tends to make a nuisance of himself as he borrows the fox's lawn mower and destroys it. Next, he borrows everything in sight the fox owns for an upcoming "Birthday" (at which point, the fox destroys his radio). The fox installs a security system but the crow still arrives at his house through an underground route. Finally, the fox travels to the Southwestern U.S. desert planting his home atop a high rock pillar... but the crow still returns. At this point, the fox freaks out borrowing something from the crow... "Some feathers 'cause I wanna be an Indian!". The naked crow concludes that the fox is "a mental case".
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Mr. Fore by Fore
Title: Mr. Fore by Fore
Character: Bull / Golfer
Released: July 7, 1944
Type: Movie
Focuses on an inept golfer.
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The Chow Hound
Title: The Chow Hound
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 15, 1944
Type: Movie
Snafu learns of the folly of hoarding and wasting military food supplies.
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The Dream Kids
Title: The Dream Kids
Character: Fox / Crow
Released: April 28, 1944
Type: Movie
It's the dead of winter and Crow is alone in the frigid tundra. He happens upon Fox's cabin, but finds his host less than hospitable.
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The Lady and the Monster
Title: The Lady and the Monster
Character: Narrator
Released: April 17, 1944
Type: Movie
A millionaire's brain is preserved after his death by a scientist and his two assistants, only to create a telepathic monster.
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Going Home
Title: Going Home
Character: Narrator
Released: January 1, 1944
Type: Movie
Pvt. Snafu's unit suffers the consequences of blabbing military secrets while on leave at home.
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Chicken Little
Title: Chicken Little
Character: Narrator / Foxy Loxy / Chicken Little / Cocky Locky / Turkey Lurkey / Additional characters (voice) (uncredited)
Released: December 17, 1943
Type: Movie
It's a peaceful day at the local poultry farm until Foxy Loxy happens along intent on a chicken dinner. He takes the advice of a book on psychology by striking "the least intelligent" first and convinces dim witted Chicken Little the sky is falling. Chicken Little spreads the word but when head man Cocky Locky proves the story to be false, Foxy Loxy spreads rumors that Cocky Locky isn't the smart chicken he appears to be, which leads to the ultimate undoing of the chickens at the hands of Foxy Loxy.
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Rumors
Title: Rumors
Character: Narrator - Soldier (voice)
Released: December 1, 1943
Type: Movie
Snafu inadvertantly starts a panic on his base when he begins a mistaken rumour that the base is about to be bombed.
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The Cocky Bantam
Title: The Cocky Bantam
Character: Freddy Falcon / Dick Rooster / Hooded Salesman
Released: November 12, 1943
Type: Movie
A hungry vulture contacts the black market to get a chicken dinner, but ends up getting a live banty rooster.
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Reason and Emotion
Title: Reason and Emotion
Character: Narrator / Reason (voice)
Released: August 27, 1943
Type: Movie
A World War II propaganda film about the need to remain calm and logical during wartime.
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Dizzy Newsreel
Title: Dizzy Newsreel
Character: Narrator / Various
Released: August 27, 1943
Type: Movie
Newsreel parodies.
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The Fly In The Ointment
Title: The Fly In The Ointment
Character: Fly / Bats
Released: July 23, 1943
Type: Movie
A cultured spider attempts to charm and devour an ill-mannered fly.
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Tree for Two
Title: Tree for Two
Character: Fox / Crow
Released: June 23, 1943
Type: Movie
The Fox is a tree surgeon, who provides his services to the weather-beaten old tree the Crow calls home and doesn't want fixed.
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Coming!! Snafu
Title: Coming!! Snafu
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 1, 1943
Type: Movie
Introducing Private Snafu, the nation's worst soldier and his various versions in different branches of the armed forces. The cartoon, ironic and humorous in tone, was created during World War II and it was designed to instruct service personnel about security, proper sanitation habits, booby traps and other military subjects, and also to improve troop morale. The main character's name is a play on the military slang acronym SNAFU, "Situation Normal: All Fouled Up."
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Duty and the Beast
Title: Duty and the Beast
Character: Narrator / Dog
Released: May 28, 1943
Type: Movie
Focuses on a hunting dog.
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The Lonesome Mouse
Title: The Lonesome Mouse
Character: (voice) (uncredited)
Released: May 22, 1943
Type: Movie
Jerry crashes a vase onto Tom's head, which gets Mammy to throw Tom out. Jerry at first revels in his freedom, but soon tires of this, and, under a flag of truce, hatches a plan with Tom.
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Red Hot Riding Hood
Title: Red Hot Riding Hood
Character: Wolf (voice) (uncredited)
Released: May 8, 1943
Type: Movie
Tired of always playing the same roles, Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother and the Wolf demand a new version of the tale. The story then plays out in a more contemperary urban environment, with Little Red Riding Hood working as a pin-up girl in a night club.
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Plenty Below Zero
Title: Plenty Below Zero
Character: Fox / Crow
Released: April 23, 1943
Type: Movie
This entry in Columbia's "Fox and Crow" series (production number 5006) finds the Crow staying north instead of flying south for the winter, and steals his food from the Fox's meager supply.
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Dumb-Hounded
Title: Dumb-Hounded
Character: The Killer (voice) (uncredited)
Released: March 20, 1943
Type: Movie
The wolf escapes from prison but can't get away from police dog Droopy no matter how hard he tries. This is the first cartoon starring Droopy.
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Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher
Title: Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher
Character: Cosmo Jones
Released: January 29, 1943
Type: Movie
Cosmo Jones, a correspondence-school detective from a small town, comes to the big city to offer his services to the police. He happens by where a gangster is killed by an opposing gang. Socialite Phyllis Blake is running around with gang member Tom and the opposing gang plan on kidnapping her. Cosmo is with Sergeant Flanagan when the attempt is made in front of a night club, where a bystander is seriously wounded in the gun-battle. Police Chief Murphy blames Flanagan for the shooting and demotes him. Cosmo, with the aid of a porter, Eustace and Flanagan's fiancée, Susan, tries to find the killer. Phyllis is finally kidnapped and Cosmo decides the act was committed by one of the two gangs. He has her father place an ad in the newspaper that contact has been made with the kidnappers. Each gang thinks the other is pulling a double cross, and one gang wipes out the other.
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Slay It with Flowers
Title: Slay It with Flowers
Character: Fox / Crow
Released: January 29, 1943
Type: Movie
The Fox arrives at his penthouse apartment with an assortment of seeds and vegetables to plant in his garden. Naturally, the crow notices his haul and immediately tries to steal some for himself. The fox discovers the crow and evicts him by replacing the seeds with hot peppers. The crow returns to encounter a Hitler-esque scarecrow planted by the fox but the crow dresses as Stalin to frighten the scarecrow away! The fox puts salt on the crow's tail and throws him from the building but the crow discovers salt has no effect on a bird's ability to fly and returns to the penthouse to tussle with the fox some more. Finally, the fox reveals he is using the seeds to plant a victory garden at which point the patriotic crow finally promises to leave the fox alone and the two shake hands (with a joy buzzer).
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King Midas, Junior
Title: King Midas, Junior
Character: Narrator / Radio Announce
Released: December 18, 1942
Type: Movie
Midas Junior inherits the Golden Rubber touch on his birthday and is unhappy because everything he touches turns to rubber. But when he learns there is a great shortage and need for rubber, he happily goes around turning everything to rubber.
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Toll Bridge Troubles
Title: Toll Bridge Troubles
Character: Fox / Crow (voice) (uncredited)
Released: November 27, 1942
Type: Movie
The fox is gaily driving down the highway on his motor-scooter. The Crow, using his "Sucker Detector", spots the Fox as an obvious sucker. He goes to work disguising a free public bridge as a "toll bridge" passing himself off as the toll man. The fox doesn't want to pay the two dollars and attempts to cross to the other side without paying. He tries going across on a raft but the crow attaches it to an anchor. He tries using a "roller-coaster" ramp but the crow detaches it. Lastly, he tries driving underwater using an oxygen tank but the Crow replaces it with a helium tank sending the Fox skyward. Finally, the fox pays the $2.00 at which point the Crow reveals himself, yelling, "Sucker!"... but Foxy gets even.
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Fox Pop
Title: Fox Pop
Character: Fox Prisoner (voice)
Released: September 4, 1942
Type: Movie
Hearing that silver foxes are all the rage in high society, a fox paints himself silver and gets himself trapped, finding out too late that it's only his fur anyone is interested in.
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The Early Bird Dood It!
Title: The Early Bird Dood It!
Character: Bird (voice) (uncredited)
Released: August 29, 1942
Type: Movie
The early worm barely escapes the bird, again. In search of a way to get rid of the bird, he enlists the help of a cat, but the bird is too smart for the cat.
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Saludos Amigos
Title: Saludos Amigos
Character: Self
Released: August 24, 1942
Type: Movie
A whimsical blend of live action and animation, "Saludos Amigos" is a colorful kaleidoscope of art, adventure and music set to a toe-tapping samba beat. From high Andes peaks and Argentina's pampas to the sights and sounds of Rio de Janeiro, your international traveling companions are none other than those famous funny friends, Donald Duck and Goofy. They keep things lively as Donald encounters a stubborn llama and "El Gaucho" Goofy tries on the cowboy way of life....South American-style.
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Blitz Wolf
Title: Blitz Wolf
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: August 22, 1942
Type: Movie
Yet another variation on the Three Little Pigs theme, this time told as WW2 anti-German propaganda (the US had just entered the war), with the wolf as a thinly-disguised Hitler.
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Foney Fables
Title: Foney Fables
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: August 1, 1942
Type: Movie
A series of fractured fairy tales vignettes.
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The Wild and Woozy West
Title: The Wild and Woozy West
Character: Sheriff (voice)
Released: April 29, 1942
Type: Movie
Wild and Woozy West is another of the unsung cartoons from the Columbia studio of the '40s. It concerns the capture of the western wolf villain Angel Face, wanted dead or alive (perferrably dead). Among his list of crimes is "using naughty words".
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Horton Hatches the Egg
Title: Horton Hatches the Egg
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: April 11, 1942
Type: Movie
Horton the elephant agrees to watch over lazy Maisie bird's egg while she vacations. Much later, after...
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Wacky Wigwams
Title: Wacky Wigwams
Character: Narrator / Indians
Released: February 22, 1942
Type: Movie
A satire focusing on Native American life on and off the reservation. It is filled with black-out sight gags, word-play and caricatures.
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The Night Before Christmas
Title: The Night Before Christmas
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Released: December 6, 1941
Type: Movie
It's snowy and cold outside, and warm inside where Jerry squeezes past a mousetrap to cavort under a present-laden Christmas tree. Mistaking the sleeping Tom for a plush toy, Jerry wakes him and a mad chase ensues.
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Private SNAFU Coming!!
Title: Private SNAFU Coming!!
Character: (archive sound)
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
Private Snafu is the title character of a series of black-and-white American instructional cartoon shorts produced between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. The character was created by director Frank Capra, chairman of the U.S. Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit, and most were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, Philip D. Eastman, and Munro Leaf.[1]