Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...and welcome to 'Day Twenty-One' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" where I aim to bring you another creepy cartoon classic from the plethora of spooky animated short films that have been released throughout the course of animation history - any of which can be streamed on TV via the magic of Roku - so let's dim those lights, for some more fun & frights! :-O :-)
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - that I published three weeks ago, you will know I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my previous post on 'Day Twenty' of this month-long blogathon, you might recall that it featured 'Mickey Mouse' doing some sleuthing to try and figure-out "Whodunit?" after 'Pluto' went missing one night during a storm. By following a series of footprints (and paw prints) through the woods, he was able to track-down his beloved pup to a castle belonging to 'Dr. XXX'. Interestingly, the voice characterisation for 'Dr. XXX' (aka "The Mad Doctor" character) in the short that was shared in yesterday's post was done by 'Billy Bletcher' - or so I believe, since many actors went uncredited for these vintage animated films - and, by way of coincidence, he also stars in today's creepy cartoon classic. Once again this involves a "Whodunit?" mystery... but, instead of playing the "bad guy" role, Billy Bletcher provides the vocal characterisations for "The Cop" / "Detective" who is investigating the case in this spooky short, to determine exactly "Who Killed Who?" !! :-O ;-) :-D
Released on 19th June 1943, and directed by Frederick Bean 'Tex' Avery, this "Whodunit?" mystery featured the voice characterisations of the afore-mentioned Billy Bletcher (as The Cop / Detective) -although he also provided the "voice" of 'The Ghost' character - along with a cameo (of sorts) for the director, Tex Avery, who (briefly) voices a disgruntled 'Santa Claus'... but more of that later. The rest of the vocal duties were handled by Sara Berner as (the voice of) both 'Skeleton Cuckoo' and 'Maid', plus Robert Emmett O'Connor as 'The Host' (i.e. himself) in the "live action" parts of this cartoon! :-)
Our story - written by Heck Allen (also uncredited) - begins on a dark and stormy night... but not before an opening "live action" sequence, during which the host - Robert Emmett O'Connor - gives us the lowdown on what we are about to see. This is handled very formally, as per the dialogue below:-
After this, it dives straight into the animation, with some moody atmospherics (including thunder and lightning) as the "camera" zooms in on the "Gruesome Gables" mansion, which forms the setting for the "Whodunit?" mystery that is about to unfold. Once inside, we are given a brief glimpse of the surroundings before coming to a room in which an "old boy" (sic) is sitting in an armchair reading a book. We then get a close-up of the book cover, that reveals the title of what the man is reading to be "Who Killed Who? (From the cartoon of the same name)", at which point the "old boy" jumps-up out of his chair and shares with "the audience", while talking directly into the "camera", the following:-
Barely are these words out of his mouth, when a large knife flies across the room and sticks into the wall. As it does so, it becomes clear that this was the preferred "delivery method" for a death note to inform "The Victim" of his imminent demise, in no uncertain terms: "YOU WILL DIE AT 11:30!!". Aside from being a little afraid (as you might expect, under such circumstances) the "old boy" seems to be a little put-out by the timing of all this, saying: "Why This Is Terrible... I Can't Die At 11.30!". Then, no sooner has he uttered this, a second (smaller) knife pins a second (smaller) note to the wall beneath the first. This postscript message reads: "P.S. OK. WE'LL MAKE IT 12.00" - how kind! :-D
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - that I published three weeks ago, you will know I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my previous post on 'Day Twenty' of this month-long blogathon, you might recall that it featured 'Mickey Mouse' doing some sleuthing to try and figure-out "Whodunit?" after 'Pluto' went missing one night during a storm. By following a series of footprints (and paw prints) through the woods, he was able to track-down his beloved pup to a castle belonging to 'Dr. XXX'. Interestingly, the voice characterisation for 'Dr. XXX' (aka "The Mad Doctor" character) in the short that was shared in yesterday's post was done by 'Billy Bletcher' - or so I believe, since many actors went uncredited for these vintage animated films - and, by way of coincidence, he also stars in today's creepy cartoon classic. Once again this involves a "Whodunit?" mystery... but, instead of playing the "bad guy" role, Billy Bletcher provides the vocal characterisations for "The Cop" / "Detective" who is investigating the case in this spooky short, to determine exactly "Who Killed Who?" !! :-O ;-) :-D
Released on 19th June 1943, and directed by Frederick Bean 'Tex' Avery, this "Whodunit?" mystery featured the voice characterisations of the afore-mentioned Billy Bletcher (as The Cop / Detective) -although he also provided the "voice" of 'The Ghost' character - along with a cameo (of sorts) for the director, Tex Avery, who (briefly) voices a disgruntled 'Santa Claus'... but more of that later. The rest of the vocal duties were handled by Sara Berner as (the voice of) both 'Skeleton Cuckoo' and 'Maid', plus Robert Emmett O'Connor as 'The Host' (i.e. himself) in the "live action" parts of this cartoon! :-)
Our story - written by Heck Allen (also uncredited) - begins on a dark and stormy night... but not before an opening "live action" sequence, during which the host - Robert Emmett O'Connor - gives us the lowdown on what we are about to see. This is handled very formally, as per the dialogue below:-
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, through the medium of the animated cartoon, we present a murder mystery condensed from authentic criminal records. It is my sincere purpose in exposing the brutal killer in this horrible case to prove to you beyond the shadow of a doubt that crime does not pay!"
After this, it dives straight into the animation, with some moody atmospherics (including thunder and lightning) as the "camera" zooms in on the "Gruesome Gables" mansion, which forms the setting for the "Whodunit?" mystery that is about to unfold. Once inside, we are given a brief glimpse of the surroundings before coming to a room in which an "old boy" (sic) is sitting in an armchair reading a book. We then get a close-up of the book cover, that reveals the title of what the man is reading to be "Who Killed Who? (From the cartoon of the same name)", at which point the "old boy" jumps-up out of his chair and shares with "the audience", while talking directly into the "camera", the following:-
"If This Picture Is Anything Like The Book, I Get Bumped-Off!"
Barely are these words out of his mouth, when a large knife flies across the room and sticks into the wall. As it does so, it becomes clear that this was the preferred "delivery method" for a death note to inform "The Victim" of his imminent demise, in no uncertain terms: "YOU WILL DIE AT 11:30!!". Aside from being a little afraid (as you might expect, under such circumstances) the "old boy" seems to be a little put-out by the timing of all this, saying: "Why This Is Terrible... I Can't Die At 11.30!". Then, no sooner has he uttered this, a second (smaller) knife pins a second (smaller) note to the wall beneath the first. This postscript message reads: "P.S. OK. WE'LL MAKE IT 12.00" - how kind! :-D
Robert Emmett O'Connor Introduces The Murder Mystery "Who Killed Who?"
Before We Are Swiftly Transported To The "Gruesome Gables" Mansion...
Where We Are Taken Inside For A Brief Glimpse Of Our New Surroundings...
And See That "The Victim" Already Appears To Have Designated Seating !!
Speaking Of Whom... Here We See "The Victim" Reading A Book...
...The Title Of Which Is "Who Killed Who? (From The Cartoon Of The Same Name)"
He Tells Us: "If This Picture Is Anything Like The Book, I Get Bumped-Off!"
...Then A Death Note Confirms: "YOU WILL DIE AT 11:30!!"
At Which Point, 'The Victim' Comments: "Why This Is Terrible... I Can't Die At 11:30!!"
...And Then Comes A Postscript Note: "P.S. OK. WE'LL MAKE IT 12:00"
Anxiously, 'The Victim' turns to look at the clock... to see how much time he has left. The hours pass in seconds and, before 'The Victim' knows it, the clock is striking midnight. SIDE NOTE: If you look at the clock face in the still frame image below, you will see that it is marked "BooooLova" and this was done to parody real-life watchmakers 'Bulova' who were well-known during that time period! ;-) As the clock strikes twelve, out pops a 'Skeleton Cuckoo' to announce the hour and (as it does so) the news that "At The Sound Of The Gun, It Will Be Exactly 12:00" to proclaim his imminent death. As the clock nears the twelfth stroke, we see the 'Skeleton Cuckoo' cup an "ear" with it's "wing" to listen for the sound of the gunshot. Then, right on cue, a door opens and we see the murder weapon... it's a gun - it is HUGE - and it soon begins firing-off a few rounds. After that, we see 'The Victim' clutch at his chest (presumably having taken one or more of those bullets straight through the heart) and then fall to the ground. Before he gets there, however, he freezes in mid-air, and (in true cartoon style) the "old boy" grabs a mattress to ensure a soft landing, or so he thinks... because, in the midst of his death throes, he inadvertently spins around and winds-up falling in the opposite direction to the mattress! On the plus side, his now dead body does get "magically" covered-up in a white sheet right before the door bursts open and in comes a police detective, yelling: "Whodunit?"... "Everybody, Stay Where Y'Are!"... "Don't Nobody Move!" before calling all of the suspects together to interrogate them! :-D
So "The Victim" Turns To Look At The Clock, To See How Much Time He Has Left...
But The Time Passes Quicker Than He Thinks... And It Is Soon Midnight !!
At Which Time... Out Pops The 'Skeleton Cuckoo' To Announce His Imminent Death !!
"At The Sound Of The Gun, It Will Be Exactly 12:00"
The Skeleton Cuckoo Cups An "Ear" With It's "Wing" To Listen-Out For The Shot...
Right On Cue, We See The Murder Weapon... And, It's HUGE !!
After Which The Unknown Assailant Lets-Off A Few Rounds !!
And Shoots "The Victim" Straight Through The Heart !!
At this point, rather than reveal any more of the plot, I thought it best to let you watch how the story unfolds on your own. With a murder having taken place, and the police on the scene to investigate, this murder mystery is still a long way from being over. So just sit back, relax, and press the "Play" button on the video below to enjoy this creepy classic from Tex Avery in your own sweet time! ;-) :-)
Unlike previous videos that I've shared (thus far) in this series of posts, "Who Killed Who?" (1943) did not seem to be available via 'YouTube' and, as a result, the version I am sharing with you today is hosted on the 'Vimeo' website. Of course, in addition to watching this embedded video of the cartoon right here on my blog, you can also choose to stream it on your phone or tablet by using the 'Vimeo' app(s) for both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms on your mobile devices. For those who prefer to watch on their big screen television, there is also a Roku channel for 'Vimeo' which is available via the built-in 'Channel Store', found under "Streaming Channels" from the 'Home' menu of your Roku streaming media player, and the channel icon [aka 'HD Poster' image] to look out for is as follows:-
VIMEO....................................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
TOP TIP: The built-in 'Search' function within the Roku channel for 'Vimeo' is a fairly basic affair and does not permit you to search easily by 'Username' - in this case: "user42320260", also known as "Movie Memories" - or the unique identifier (which is "218295305" for the video shown above) - so your best hope of finding "Who Killed Who?" within the 'Vimeo' channel on your Roku device is to use the exact title provided by the uploader... so, in this case, you would need to type in all (or part) of the following text: "Who Killed Who?" which is shown (in full) across the top of the embedded video included in this post. Experience has taught me that not all the video titles will be included within the 'Vimeo' search results so, if you adopt the same method when searching for another video from their website, your chosen title may not show-up at all. That said, having personally tested this one myself, I can confirm you will see it listed among the 'Search' results on the right of your screen if you type-in "Who Killed Who" and that it can be viewed on Roku device(s) without issues! ;-) :-)
On whichever platform you decide to watch this video, be sure to look-out for the scene which comes right after the murder... in which "The Cop" / "Detective" bursts through the door demanding to know exactly "Whodunit?" and issues the general warning: "Everybody stay where you are!", before adding "Don't nobody move!", as we see a shadow - presumably that of someone in "the audience" - appear in the bottom portion of the screen, and start to move, as if going to the foyer for popcorn or (maybe) paying a visit to the loo. Either way, he is soon spotted by 'The Cop' who immediately takes a swipe at the guy (with a baseball bat / truncheon) and bashes the poor bloke square on his head. As he does so, 'The Cop' says: "That goes for you too, bud!" and, needless to say, nobody else dare move! :-O ;-)
No Sooner Has The Murder Been Committed...
A Police Detective Comes Bursting Through The Door...
Yelling "Whodunit?" As Soon As He Enters The Room...
Adding "Everybody, Stay Where Y'Are!"...
Before He Says "Don't Nobody Move!", The "Shadow" Of An "Audience Member" Appears !!
However, The "Audience Member" Is Quickly Spotted By The Cop...
To Whom He Quips "That Goes For You, Too, Bud!"
Before Bashing The "Audience Member" On The Head With His Truncheon !!
I really love what the animators did with the character of "The Cop", including one or two scenes I would not otherwise have expected, so I was really pleased to also come across some model sheets for 'The Cop' character from "Who Killed Who?" (1943) on the 'Van Eaton Galleries' website. Also, during the course of my research on this post, I found some images of original production drawings for 'The Cop'... which were previously up for auction and that I thought were worthy of inclusion:-
ABOVE: Original Model Sheets For 'The Cop' Character In "Who Killed Who?" (1943)
BELOW: Original Production Drawings For 'The Cop' Character In "Who Killed Who?" (1943)
Previously, I've only included these original production drawing images when I have been unable to find an original movie poster for whichever animated short has been the subject of my post that day. However, this time, I found the "motherload" of memorabilia images... to go with the other various screen captures / still frame images that I've shared with you. Moreover, if you recall my mentioning (earlier in this post) about a cameo by the director, Tex Avery, as a disgruntled 'Santa Claus', you will get a brief glimpse of the character (for whom he provides the voice characterisation) in this poster:-
One other scene I'd like to draw your attention to (of which there are many, but I don't have time to cover them all in this post!) is related to a sequence during which we see a number of skeletons come out of the darkness and into the room. You might recall, if you've now had an opportunity to watch it, that one of these skeletons was 'red' (in colour) and this was a parody of / reference to the fact that a real-life comedian, by the name of 'Red Skelton' was very popular at this time. The "joke" was taken one step further when, in the last line of dialogue from this short, the now unmasked murderer makes a confession to the effect that: "I dood it!" - which was the title of a 'Red Skelton' movie from 1943!
The curious among you will find several Roku channels that offer content featuring 'Red Skelton' in the "Channel Store" - found under "Streaming Channels" from the 'Home' screen of your device - so, if you'd like to see 'Red Skelton' (as opposed to a red skeleton) you can use the built-in Roku 'Search' function to locate the channels and/or specific content in which the vintage comedian starred! ;-) :-D
I'd also like to remind readers of this blog that there are now just ten days to go until Halloween !!
The curious among you will find several Roku channels that offer content featuring 'Red Skelton' in the "Channel Store" - found under "Streaming Channels" from the 'Home' screen of your device - so, if you'd like to see 'Red Skelton' (as opposed to a red skeleton) you can use the built-in Roku 'Search' function to locate the channels and/or specific content in which the vintage comedian starred! ;-) :-D
The 'Red Skeleton' Gag In "Who Killed Who?" (1943) That Parodies 'Red Skelton'
I'd also like to remind readers of this blog that there are now just ten days to go until Halloween !!
*********************************************
Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of animated film history, when I will suggest another spooky short for 'Day 22' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" that you can stream right here on this blog - as well as through the equivalent channel on your Roku player(s). Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" website and show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it, if you visit their blogs and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
*********************************************
ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by checking-out my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts each weekend where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a weekly basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
No comments:
Post a Comment