Droopy (theatrical shorts)
- This article is about the theatrical series. For other uses, see Droopy.
| Droopy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Tex Avery |
| Production company | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributor: | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Original release | March 20, 1943―July 4, 1958 |
| Starring | Bill Thompson Tex Avery Don Messick Daws Butler |
| Producer(s) | Fred Quimby William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Music composed by | Scott Bradley |
| Director(s) | Tex Avery Dick Lundy Michael Lah William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
Droopy is a series of animated slapstick comedy theatrical shorts created by Tex Avery. It was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from 1943 to 1958, and initially produced by Fred Quimby, the head of MGM's animation studio until 1955. Avery created the title character and directed the majority of the shorts.
The series centers around the antics of Droopy, a mild-mannered, yet sluggish Basset Hound who defies expectations of those around him, including arch-rivals Butch and the Wolf. Additionally, the shorts themselves put emphasis on Avery's trademark humor style, with instances of violent slapstick, visual gags, innuendoes, and self-referential jokes appearing in every possible scenario.
Production
Development
Music
The score of this series was composed by Scott Bradley.
Shorts
| Title | Number | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Dumb-Hounded | 1 | March 20, 1943 |
| The Shooting of Dan McGoo | 2 | March 3, 1945 |
| Wild and Woolfy | 3 | November 3, 1945 |
| Northwest Hounded Police | 4 | August 3, 1946 |
| Señor Droopy | 5 | April 9, 1949 |
| Wags to Riches | 6 | August 13, 1949 |
| Out-Foxed | 7 | November 5, 1949 |
| The Chump Champ | 8 | November 4, 1950 |
| Daredevil Droopy | 9 | March 31, 1951 |
| Droopy's Good Deed | 10 | May 5, 1951 |
| Droopy's Double Trouble | 11 | November 17, 1951 |
| Caballero Droopy | 12 | September 27, 1952 |
| The Three Little Pups | 13 | December 23, 1953 |
| Drag-a-Long Droopy | 14 | February 20, 1954 |
| Homesteader Droopy | 15 | July 10, 1954 |
| Dixieland Droopy | 16 | December 4, 1954 |
| Deputy Droopy | 17 | October 28, 1955 |
| Millionare Droopy | 18 | September 21, 1956 |
| Grin and Share It | 19 | May 17, 1957 |
| Blackboard Jumble | 20 | October 4, 1957 |
| One Droopy Knight | 21 | December 6, 1957 |
| Sheep Wrecked | 22 | February 7, 1958 |
| Mutts About Racing | 23 | April 4, 1958 |
| Droopy Leprechaun | 24 | July 4, 1958 |
Cast
- Bill Thompson, Tex Avery, Don Messick, and Daws Butler as Droopy
Legacy
While achieving some success, the shorts alone aren't what kept Droopy in the spotlight, which was only achieved by folding Droopy and his universe into the Tom and Jerry universe, another property that began in the hands of MGM. He first appeared as a co-star with backup segments in Filmation's The Tom and Jerry Comedy Show in 1980. He then was given more exposure in Hanna-Barbera's Tom & Jerry Kids between 1990 to 1993, in which he co-starred with his son, Dripple, in Droopy & Dripple backup segments. This may be the peak of the Droopy franchise, as it lead to a spin-off series, Droopy, Master Dectective in 1993 (which actually began life as an undeveloped movie), although it was short-lived. Droopy has since had cameos in Tom and Jerry Tales and The Tom and Jerry Show, both by Warner Bros. Animation.
In 1988, Droopy had a cameo in Disney's Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where he appeared as a elevator operator in Toontown. He has continued to have similar cameos in Tom and Jerry feature-length movies beginning with Tom and Jerry: The Movie in 1992.
