Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...and welcome to 'Day Thirty' 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 media players - so let's dim those lights, for some more fun & frights! :-O ;-)
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published thirty days ago, you will know that I planned 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-Nine' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that the cartoon I shared featured none other than horror icon Vincent Price, as narrator. Throughout this series of posts, I've been choosing my creepy cartoon classic each day by finding a common link with the spooky short shared in the previous post (however tenuous that connection might have been) and, believe you me, I needed to go to some extraordinary lengths in order to link "Vincent" (1982) to the title I'm sharing in today's post. Anyway, here goes... Vincent Price was cast as 'Count Sforza' for an episode of the "F Troop" television series, called "V is for Vampire", in which he plays an emigrant from Transylvania. He dresses and talks like Bela Lugosi's Dracula, travels by hearse, has pale skin, and a crow he calls "Brother" that he carries on his arm. When he moves into a supposedly haunted mansion, on the edge of town, everyone is afraid of him... and with his tendency to say "Good evening", regardless of the time of day, the men of 'F Troop' suspect he's a vampire. In light of all this, I think it's fair to say we've established a strong connection between 'Vincent Price' and the character of a vampire. So, it should come as no surprise for you to learn that today's creepy cartoon classic also features a vampire character... only this time, he's named 'Count Bloodcount' and lives in a castle - as opposed to a haunted mansion - near the town of Pittsburghe, Transylvania! :-O
Released on 30th November 1963, and directed by Chuck Jones - with Maurice Noble as co-director - this 'Bugs Bunny' animated short was part of the "Merrie Melodies" film series. The story, written by John W. Dunn (though listed simply as 'John Dunn' in the credits), featured the voice characterisation of Mel Blanc as (the voice of) 'Bugs Bunny', plus Ben Frommer as (the voice of) 'Count Bloodcount', along with Julie Bennett as (the voices of) both 'Agatha' (right head) and 'Emily' (left head) who were wickedly fun as the 'Two-Headed Vulture' character(s) with some delightful lines of dialogue! :-D
Animation duties for this spooky short were handled by Bob Bransford and Thomas "Tom" Ray, with Ken Harris, plus Richard "Dick" Thompson... while the background artist was Philip "Phil" de Guard, and the layouts were done by Robert "Bob" Givens. Sound-wise, all the music for this creepy cartoon classic was composed by William "Bill" Lava... although, 'Bugs' does provide his own version of the song "It's Magic" (with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn) that is sung by the big-eared bunny (with substituted lyrics, per the scripted dialogue) during the course of this spooky short! :-D
The setting for this spooky tale, as can be seen from the sign-post in the above screen capture, is close to the town of Pittsburghe, Transylvania... and as it begins, we see 'Bugs' burrowing beneath the earth (as he is known to do) until he bumps his head on the very same tree which supports the sign, causing him to exclaim: "These Pennsylvania hardwoods ain't too soft!". Soon after, we see the silhouette of a two-headed vulture come to rest on the branch of a nearby tree and, when we get our first glimpse of the unusual bird, we hear one head say to the other: "Who is that delicious young creature, Emily?", before 'Bugs' cuts-in and asks if they know the shortest route to Pittsburghe. However, choosing not to answer his question and (instead) continue with their own conversation, 'Emily' (the other head) responds to the first head, by commenting: "Doesn't he look sweet and crunchy, Agatha?". At this point, 'Bugs' makes a swift departure, saying: "Oh-uh, well-uh, never mind... I'll just check at that motel over there", as he continues on, towards a creepy-looking castle!
When he arrives at the rather grand-looking front entrance of the "motel", 'Bugs' says to himself: "Boy, They Don't Make Places Like This Anymore!", before adding: "Be a wonderful place for a vacation!", and then pulling on a rope to ring the doorbell. As he does so, we see a name engraved on a stone above the door which reads: "Count Bloodcount", then a peephole in the door opens through which we see a sinister-looking pair of eyes looking out. 'Bugs' apologises for disturbing them, and acknowledges that the hour is late, but that he seems to be off his course. A voice from inside replies: "Oh, no... it's never too late!", then invites 'Bugs' to "Come in", and opens the door for him to enter.
However, rather than risk spoiling this spooky short by revealing what happens to 'Bugs' during his stay at the castle of 'Count Bloodcount', it's probably best to let you watch how this story plays-out on your own. So if you wish to find out whether 'Bugs' makes it through the night, by avoiding all of the attempts from 'Count Bloodcount' to sink his fangs into him, just press "Play" on the video below:-
Unlike previous videos that I've shared (thus far) in this series of posts, "Transylvania 6-5000" (1963) 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: "user566068", also known as "Bob" - or the unique identifier (which is "1739813" for the video shown above) - so your best hope of finding "Transylvania 6-5000" within the 'Vimeo' channel on your Roku device is to use the exact title provided by the uploader... so, in this case, you'd need to type in all (or part) of the following text: "Transylvania 6-5000" 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 that you will see it listed among the 'Search' results on the right of your screen if you type-in "Transylvania 6 5000" (replacing the hyphen with a space - due to the limitations of the keyboard) and that it should be possible to stream the whole thing on Roku device(s) without any issues! ;-) :-)
On whichever platform you decide to watch this video... be sure to look-out for the scene during which, while reading in bed, 'Bugs' sees what he thinks is a large mosquito then uses a fly swatter to squish it on the stone floor of his room. In actual fact... it was a bat he squashed that (itself) was magically transformed from the human-like form of a vampire as 'Bugs' read aloud from the book of "Magic Words And Phrases" which he found on a nearby shelf. The "bat" is stunned... but gathers it's wits sufficiently to fly out of the castle window, before being changed-back into his previous form when 'Bugs' utters another phrase from the book out loud. Since the transformation occurs in mid-air, the vampire then plummets like a rock into the castle moat below, watched by 'Agatha' & 'Emily'! :-)
Meanwhile, in terms of memorabilia for this creepy cartoon classic, the only things I managed to get were images of an original animation layout drawing, a reproduction lobby card, and an autographed, hand-painted limited edition cel that was produced in the year 2000 and signed by Chuck Jones:-
I'd also like to remind readers of this blog that there is now just one more day to go until Halloween !!
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published thirty days ago, you will know that I planned 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-Nine' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that the cartoon I shared featured none other than horror icon Vincent Price, as narrator. Throughout this series of posts, I've been choosing my creepy cartoon classic each day by finding a common link with the spooky short shared in the previous post (however tenuous that connection might have been) and, believe you me, I needed to go to some extraordinary lengths in order to link "Vincent" (1982) to the title I'm sharing in today's post. Anyway, here goes... Vincent Price was cast as 'Count Sforza' for an episode of the "F Troop" television series, called "V is for Vampire", in which he plays an emigrant from Transylvania. He dresses and talks like Bela Lugosi's Dracula, travels by hearse, has pale skin, and a crow he calls "Brother" that he carries on his arm. When he moves into a supposedly haunted mansion, on the edge of town, everyone is afraid of him... and with his tendency to say "Good evening", regardless of the time of day, the men of 'F Troop' suspect he's a vampire. In light of all this, I think it's fair to say we've established a strong connection between 'Vincent Price' and the character of a vampire. So, it should come as no surprise for you to learn that today's creepy cartoon classic also features a vampire character... only this time, he's named 'Count Bloodcount' and lives in a castle - as opposed to a haunted mansion - near the town of Pittsburghe, Transylvania! :-O
Released on 30th November 1963, and directed by Chuck Jones - with Maurice Noble as co-director - this 'Bugs Bunny' animated short was part of the "Merrie Melodies" film series. The story, written by John W. Dunn (though listed simply as 'John Dunn' in the credits), featured the voice characterisation of Mel Blanc as (the voice of) 'Bugs Bunny', plus Ben Frommer as (the voice of) 'Count Bloodcount', along with Julie Bennett as (the voices of) both 'Agatha' (right head) and 'Emily' (left head) who were wickedly fun as the 'Two-Headed Vulture' character(s) with some delightful lines of dialogue! :-D
Animation duties for this spooky short were handled by Bob Bransford and Thomas "Tom" Ray, with Ken Harris, plus Richard "Dick" Thompson... while the background artist was Philip "Phil" de Guard, and the layouts were done by Robert "Bob" Givens. Sound-wise, all the music for this creepy cartoon classic was composed by William "Bill" Lava... although, 'Bugs' does provide his own version of the song "It's Magic" (with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn) that is sung by the big-eared bunny (with substituted lyrics, per the scripted dialogue) during the course of this spooky short! :-D
The setting for this spooky tale, as can be seen from the sign-post in the above screen capture, is close to the town of Pittsburghe, Transylvania... and as it begins, we see 'Bugs' burrowing beneath the earth (as he is known to do) until he bumps his head on the very same tree which supports the sign, causing him to exclaim: "These Pennsylvania hardwoods ain't too soft!". Soon after, we see the silhouette of a two-headed vulture come to rest on the branch of a nearby tree and, when we get our first glimpse of the unusual bird, we hear one head say to the other: "Who is that delicious young creature, Emily?", before 'Bugs' cuts-in and asks if they know the shortest route to Pittsburghe. However, choosing not to answer his question and (instead) continue with their own conversation, 'Emily' (the other head) responds to the first head, by commenting: "Doesn't he look sweet and crunchy, Agatha?". At this point, 'Bugs' makes a swift departure, saying: "Oh-uh, well-uh, never mind... I'll just check at that motel over there", as he continues on, towards a creepy-looking castle!
Just As 'Bugs' Observes: "These Pennsylvania hardwoods ain't too soft!"
We See The Silhouette Of A Two-Headed Vulture, As It Lands In A Nearby Tree...
The Right Head Says To The Other: "Who is that delicious young creature, Emily?"
To Which 'Emily' Responds: "Doesn't he look sweet and crunchy, Agatha?"
So 'Bugs' Leaves, Saying: "Oh-uh, well-uh, never mind... I'll just check at that motel over there!"
When he arrives at the rather grand-looking front entrance of the "motel", 'Bugs' says to himself: "Boy, They Don't Make Places Like This Anymore!", before adding: "Be a wonderful place for a vacation!", and then pulling on a rope to ring the doorbell. As he does so, we see a name engraved on a stone above the door which reads: "Count Bloodcount", then a peephole in the door opens through which we see a sinister-looking pair of eyes looking out. 'Bugs' apologises for disturbing them, and acknowledges that the hour is late, but that he seems to be off his course. A voice from inside replies: "Oh, no... it's never too late!", then invites 'Bugs' to "Come in", and opens the door for him to enter.
"Boy, They Don't Make Places Like This Anymore!"
'Bugs' Pulls On A Rope, To Ring The Doorbell And Gain Entry To The "Motel"...
The Name "Count Bloodcount" Is Engraved In Stone On The Wall...
A Sinister Pair Of Eyes Look Through The Peephole In The Door...
Then The Door Opens, And A Voice From Inside Beckons 'Bugs' To "Come In" !!
However, rather than risk spoiling this spooky short by revealing what happens to 'Bugs' during his stay at the castle of 'Count Bloodcount', it's probably best to let you watch how this story plays-out on your own. So if you wish to find out whether 'Bugs' makes it through the night, by avoiding all of the attempts from 'Count Bloodcount' to sink his fangs into him, just press "Play" on the video below:-
Unlike previous videos that I've shared (thus far) in this series of posts, "Transylvania 6-5000" (1963) 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: "user566068", also known as "Bob" - or the unique identifier (which is "1739813" for the video shown above) - so your best hope of finding "Transylvania 6-5000" within the 'Vimeo' channel on your Roku device is to use the exact title provided by the uploader... so, in this case, you'd need to type in all (or part) of the following text: "Transylvania 6-5000" 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 that you will see it listed among the 'Search' results on the right of your screen if you type-in "Transylvania 6 5000" (replacing the hyphen with a space - due to the limitations of the keyboard) and that it should be possible to stream the whole thing on Roku device(s) without any issues! ;-) :-)
On whichever platform you decide to watch this video... be sure to look-out for the scene during which, while reading in bed, 'Bugs' sees what he thinks is a large mosquito then uses a fly swatter to squish it on the stone floor of his room. In actual fact... it was a bat he squashed that (itself) was magically transformed from the human-like form of a vampire as 'Bugs' read aloud from the book of "Magic Words And Phrases" which he found on a nearby shelf. The "bat" is stunned... but gathers it's wits sufficiently to fly out of the castle window, before being changed-back into his previous form when 'Bugs' utters another phrase from the book out loud. Since the transformation occurs in mid-air, the vampire then plummets like a rock into the castle moat below, watched by 'Agatha' & 'Emily'! :-)
While Reading In Bed, 'Bugs' Sees What He Thinks Is A Giant Mosquito...
Then Grabs A Fly Swatter, To Rid Himself Of This Airborne Pest...
By Squishing It On The Cold Stone Floor Of His Room...
Which Leaves The Bat Somewhat Dazed And Confused...
Then, Having Managed To Escape Through A Nearby Window...
The Bat Transforms Into A Vampire, In Mid-Air, When 'Bugs' Utters Another Magic Phrase...
Causing Him To Plummet, Like A Rock, Into The Castle Moat Below...
Watched By A Rather Bemused 'Emily' And 'Agatha', The Two-Headed Vulture !!
Meanwhile, in terms of memorabilia for this creepy cartoon classic, the only things I managed to get were images of an original animation layout drawing, a reproduction lobby card, and an autographed, hand-painted limited edition cel that was produced in the year 2000 and signed by Chuck Jones:-
'Bugs' With 'Count Bloodcount' - Limited Edition Hand-Painted Cel - Signed By Chuck Jones
Bugs Bunny - "Transylvania 6-5000" (1963) [Reproduction Lobby Card]
Bugs Bunny - "Transylvania 6-5000" (1963) - Original Production Animation Layout Drawing
Pencil, On Untrimmed Animation Sheet [Actual Image Size: 4.5" x 3.5" inches]
And Here's The Scene From "Transylvania 6-5000" (1963) That The Above Drawing Is From !!
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Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my last creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of film history, when I share a slightly longer MIDWEEK MEGATOON for 'Day 31' 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 & 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.
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ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness that's been going-on around these parts for the last 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 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 !!
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