Credits: Animation – Lew Marshall, Layout – Tony Rivera, Backgrounds – Fernando Montealegre, Written by Mike Maltese; Story Direction – Alex Lovy, Titles – Art Goble, Production Supervision – Howard Hanson.
Voice Cast: Yakky – Jimmy Weldon; Chopper – Vance Colvig; Kid, Father – Daws Butler.
Music: Hoyt Curtin.
Copyright 1961 by Hanna-Barbera Productions.
Plot: Yakky tries to teach Chopper to fly.
Mike Maltese isn’t even trying here.
You’ve seen it in countless cartoons. Wile E. Coyote drops from a great height because a plan gets botched up. He may hold out a sign. Or he may do some bit of business when he splats on the ground. In this cartoon, Chopper falls through the chimney of a house. A kid says, “Daddy, is that Santa Claus?” “No, son,” replies the father. “It’s just a dog.” “Oh,” adds the kid.
That’s a punch line? It’s a dog, all right.
The difficulty with this cartoon is there are no antagonists. So we’re supposed to laugh at Chopper’s misfortune. But Chopper isn’t funny. And he doesn’t say or do anything funny. He just drops after one of Yakky’s failed schemes to launch him into the air. He quotes Quick Draw McGraw once and that’s about the funniest it gets.
And the dialogue...
Yakky: Gee, you don’t have much fun, do you, Chopper?
Chopper: Oh, well, I don’t mind so much. Although I did always kinda have a secret ambition.
Yakky: What is it, Chopper, huh? What is it?
Chopper: Aw, I don’t want to tell ya. It’s kinda silly.
Yakky: Now, if you don’t tell me, I won’t [something] we’re pals any more.
Chopper: Aw, now you shouldn’t oughta say things like that. It hurts ma feelin’s.
Yakky: Well, tell me then.
Yeah, tell him. Stop padding the cartoon with dialogue drivel.
Yakky ends the cartoon with Chopper’s “Ain’t that cute” catchphrase. Animation Lew Marshall pulls Yakky’s neck up during the final laugh.
Tony Rivera handles layouts. Here’s a silhouette shot of Yakky looping-the-loop in mid-air. Hoyt Curtin’s version of Man on the Flying Trapeze is played behind some of Yakky’s airborne action.
The less said about this cartoon, the better. So we won’t say anything more.