Walter Lantz decided that one new cartoon star wasn't enough for his new cartoon studio. He wanted a character he was sure would develop into a full-fledged star. So he and his crew came up with a new adversary for Andy Panda and his father to match wits with in their new picture: a crazy, red headed woodpecker. The plot of the cartoon involved the woodpecker drilling holes in the Panda family roof, and Andy Sr. and Jr. trying to get rid of it.Of course, like all of the other characters at rival studios that would soon develop into full-fledged stars, being released in 1940, the woodpecker had problems. The head of the Universal short subjects department, Bernie Kreiser, rejected the new cartoon, entitled Knock Knock, telling Lantz that the woodpecker was the ugliest thing he had ever seen. "You're not paying for these pictures," Lantz told him. "All you're doing is distributing them, so release him, because I'm taking a chance". And so he did. The cartoon was a smash with moviegoers, and Kreisler asked for a series of comebacks, pretending nothing ever happened.
Lantz has said that a peculiar experience inspired him to create the character. He was on his honeymoon at Sherwood Lake, and throughout the night, a redheaded woodpecker was drilling holes in his cottage roof. Of course, it seems to be just a Hollywood tall-tale, as Lantz was on his honeymoon in 1941, almost a whole year after Knock Knock was released. With the character's first comeback film, Lantz needed a name for the character, and decided to go with 'Woody Woodpecker', which was also the title of the film. In this film, Woody goes to see a psychiatrist, after all of the forest animals call him crazy.
Most of Woody's early pictures involved him trying to get food, gate crashing an event, or heckling some unworthy slob. Like all characters, Woody's design changed after his first few years, to something cuter and more streamlined. The 1944 masterpiece, Barber of Seville, introduced the new look for Woody (designed by Emery Hawkins), which would remain the same for the rest of the 1940s. 1944 also introduced another important factor in Woody's career: his long-time adversary, Wally Walrus, in The Beach Nut. Wally would be the key character Woody would match wits with for many years (similar to Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd).
Woody was one of the most popular icons of the 1940s, and even got a song created for him, entitled (what else?), The Woody Woodpecker Song. It was recorded by Kay Kyser, and sung by Gloria Wood and Harry Babbit, in 1948. The song was a smash hit in June, 1948 (selling over 250,00 records within ten days of release). To help cash in on the popular tune, Lantz had the song rushed into his latest picture, Wet Blanket Policy, with Wood and Babbit supplying vocals. The cartoon has the honor of being the only one ever to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.
If that's not enough, Wet Blanket Policy also introduced another of Woody's co-stars, Buzz Buzzard, the conman always willing to filch Woody. Lantz had to close the studio for a brief period due to financial reasons after 1949. Beginning in 1951, Woody would be Lantz's only star until 1953.
With Ben Hardaway gone, Lantz had to get a new voice for Woody. When Lantz was holding auditions for the voice, Grace Stafford slipped in her recording of Woody. When Lantz picked that particular recording for the voice, he was shocked that he had picked his own wife! Woody went through several design changes in the 1950s, courtesy of Paul Smith and Alex Lovy. The new look for the new Woody is said to have been done by Laverne Harding. Woody was now cuter, slimmer, and had a comb similar to Warner Bros. Road Runner.
Woody's popularity seemed to be growing as the years went on. In 1957, Walter Lantz signed a deal with ABC and Kellogg's to do a half-hour programming of his theatrical shorts, entitled The Woody Woodpecker Show, with Woody as the lead character. Lantz himself would be in the show, not only in the opening and closing, but he even had special segments during the program. The first years of the show featured segments entitled A Moment with Walter Lantz, in which he showed how the cartoons from his studio are really made, with an animated Woody to help him along.
Of course, with the constant pecking of heads and explosions, ABC felt the show needed more educational value in the program. By the early 1960s, the "moments" were replaced with a corny segment called Woody's Newsreel. No comedic value whatsoever were in these, it was just black-and-white footage of various subjects, like sports, aviation, and farming, narrated by Lantz.
In 1972, the Woody Woodpecker theatrical cartoon series came to an end. After 32 years, and 198 shorts, Woody was put into a retirement from show biz. Woody and his pals still lived on, thanks to television distribution and merchandising of them.
In 1999, Universal wanted to cash in on the characters, so they hired a bunch of random people to put together an all-new look and show for Woody Woodpecker and his friends. This new series was called The Woody Woodpecker Show. Woody was voiced by Billy West, and starred in cheaply animated and written cartoons. The most likely reason for the show's immediate failure is that the people Universal hired really didn't care about the Lantz cartoon characters at all.
Lantz has said that a peculiar experience inspired him to create the character. He was on his honeymoon at Sherwood Lake, and throughout the night, a redheaded woodpecker was drilling holes in his cottage roof. Of course, it seems to be just a Hollywood tall-tale, as Lantz was on his honeymoon in 1941, almost a whole year after Knock Knock was released. With the character's first comeback film, Lantz needed a name for the character, and decided to go with 'Woody Woodpecker', which was also the title of the film. In this film, Woody goes to see a psychiatrist, after all of the forest animals call him crazy.
Most of Woody's early pictures involved him trying to get food, gate crashing an event, or heckling some unworthy slob. Like all characters, Woody's design changed after his first few years, to something cuter and more streamlined. The 1944 masterpiece, Barber of Seville, introduced the new look for Woody (designed by Emery Hawkins), which would remain the same for the rest of the 1940s. 1944 also introduced another important factor in Woody's career: his long-time adversary, Wally Walrus, in The Beach Nut. Wally would be the key character Woody would match wits with for many years (similar to Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd).Woody was one of the most popular icons of the 1940s, and even got a song created for him, entitled (what else?), The Woody Woodpecker Song. It was recorded by Kay Kyser, and sung by Gloria Wood and Harry Babbit, in 1948. The song was a smash hit in June, 1948 (selling over 250,00 records within ten days of release). To help cash in on the popular tune, Lantz had the song rushed into his latest picture, Wet Blanket Policy, with Wood and Babbit supplying vocals. The cartoon has the honor of being the only one ever to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.
If that's not enough, Wet Blanket Policy also introduced another of Woody's co-stars, Buzz Buzzard, the conman always willing to filch Woody. Lantz had to close the studio for a brief period due to financial reasons after 1949. Beginning in 1951, Woody would be Lantz's only star until 1953.
With Ben Hardaway gone, Lantz had to get a new voice for Woody. When Lantz was holding auditions for the voice, Grace Stafford slipped in her recording of Woody. When Lantz picked that particular recording for the voice, he was shocked that he had picked his own wife! Woody went through several design changes in the 1950s, courtesy of Paul Smith and Alex Lovy. The new look for the new Woody is said to have been done by Laverne Harding. Woody was now cuter, slimmer, and had a comb similar to Warner Bros. Road Runner.
Woody's popularity seemed to be growing as the years went on. In 1957, Walter Lantz signed a deal with ABC and Kellogg's to do a half-hour programming of his theatrical shorts, entitled The Woody Woodpecker Show, with Woody as the lead character. Lantz himself would be in the show, not only in the opening and closing, but he even had special segments during the program. The first years of the show featured segments entitled A Moment with Walter Lantz, in which he showed how the cartoons from his studio are really made, with an animated Woody to help him along.Of course, with the constant pecking of heads and explosions, ABC felt the show needed more educational value in the program. By the early 1960s, the "moments" were replaced with a corny segment called Woody's Newsreel. No comedic value whatsoever were in these, it was just black-and-white footage of various subjects, like sports, aviation, and farming, narrated by Lantz.
In 1972, the Woody Woodpecker theatrical cartoon series came to an end. After 32 years, and 198 shorts, Woody was put into a retirement from show biz. Woody and his pals still lived on, thanks to television distribution and merchandising of them.
In 1999, Universal wanted to cash in on the characters, so they hired a bunch of random people to put together an all-new look and show for Woody Woodpecker and his friends. This new series was called The Woody Woodpecker Show. Woody was voiced by Billy West, and starred in cheaply animated and written cartoons. The most likely reason for the show's immediate failure is that the people Universal hired really didn't care about the Lantz cartoon characters at all.
