Woody Woodpecker Movie Coming!?

Woody Woodpecker may be coming to the big screen -- Cool!

I located an article that is a few years old but shows there is interest in bringing Woody back to the forefront of pop culture.

Click the link below to read about Walter Lantz's favorite bird.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/woody-woodpecker-movie-universal-illumination-262540

Andy Panda The Wacky Weed (1946) Walter Lantz Production cartoons

1st Chilly Willy Cartoon

Here is the very first Chilly Willy cartoon, entitled Chilly Willy. It is interesting to see how Chilly changes over the years. Chilly's appearance is different in this episode from later episodes.

From The Walter Lantz Encyclopedia:
Chilly Willy the penguin is one of the Walter Lantz studio's most recognized and beloved stars, and seemed to flourish in the late 50s, a period when most people feel the Lantz cartoons were in decline. In 1949, Walter Lantz retired his second biggest star, Andy Panda, leaving only one major character to star in his new cartoons: Woody Woodpecker.

In 1953, Lantz wanted a new character, and one of his directors, Paul Smith, began work on a cartoon entitled Chilly Willy. This cartoon features a little penguin, more similar in design to the ones found in 1945's Sliphorn King of Polaroo than the Chilly Willy we think of today, voiced by Sara Berner. This cartoon set up the general formula of Chilly wanting to find warmth that most future Chilly Willy cartoons would adhere to, and it introduced an early version of the familar Chilly Willy theme song.

Gabby Gator is Woody Woodpecker's Best Foe

Woody Woodpecker faced some tough yet amusing adversaries in his animated adventures. They included Wally Walrus, Buzz Buzzard and Ms. Meany. My pick for his best adversary is Gabby Gator, though.

For those readers who do not remember him, Gabby was a bright green alligator who was usually shown in a yellowish shirt and some sort of hat. He was not as creepy or tough as Buzz, but he gave Woody a run for his money. Also, he provided some great comedic scenes.

The first official appearance of Gabby Gator is the cartoon "Southern Fried Hospitality" (1960). Similar alligators like Gabby had appeared in the Woody cartoons "Romp in the Swamp" (1958) and "Everglade Raid" (1959) but it was "Southern Fried" where he is officially named, according to information from The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia.

Gabby was voiced by Daws Butler, a legend in the animation world. He was the voice of many famous cartoon characters. Besides voicing Gabby, he was the voice of Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Scooby-Dum and Huckleberry Hound, to name a few. Also, Butler trained many working actors including Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson), according to my research. Other Lantz characters Daws gave voice to were Chilly Willy and his sidekick, Smedley the dog. But, back to Gabby...

The cartoon "Greedy Gabby Gator" (1963) is the last time the alligator was in a Woody Woodpecker short. The plot is similar to other Gabby appearances. Gabby sees Woody Woodpecker heading toward the Okedokee Swamp, so he nabs Woody and makes him think that he has arrived at Gabby's Health Resort. He manages to escape from Gabby with the help of a crocodile. Interestingly, Gabby Gator finds himself chased by the crocodile.

As much as I love Gabby as one of Woody's main foes, there is a drawback to Gabby-many of his cartoons are the same. In many of his appearances the gator is hungry and decides to eat Woody. Some cartoon lovers would argue that if you have seen "Southern Fried Hospitality," there is no reason to see any other Gabby cartoon. I disagree, of course.

Gabby's appearances:
Southern Fried Hospitality (1960)
Gabby's Diner (1961)
Woody's Kook-Out (1961)
Rock-A-Bye Gator (1962)
Rocket Racket (1962)
Voo-Doo Boo-Boo (1962)
Little Woody Riding Hood (1962)

Greedy Gabby Gator (1963)