Mel-O-Toons
Public domain animated series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mel-O-Toons (sometimes erroneously spelled Mello Toons) was a series of six-minute animated cartoons, using limited animation. The cartoons were produced starting in 1959 by New World Productions, and syndicated by United Artists.[1]
- Daws Butler
- Norman Rose
- Patrick McGeehan
- Ralph Camargo
- Paul DeWitt
- Ed Herlihy
| Mel-O-Toons | |
|---|---|
Opening sequence | |
| Voices of |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 104 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Around 5–7 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | 1959 – October 1960 |
Content
The stories featured various folk tales, Greco-Roman myths, Biblical stories, classic literary adaptations, and adaptations of classical music and ballet, as well as stories about animals written by Thornton Burgess.[2]
The soundtracks were often taken from existing children's records, licensed from the original labels, including RCA Records and Capitol Records. 104 cartoons were produced.[3]
Audience response
In October 1960, United Artists bought time on a station in Toledo, Ohio, to test the Mel-O-Toons for audience response; they showed two of the films, "Rumplestiltskin" and "Waltz of the Flowers". Variety reported that the viewer response was entirely positive, saying, "Many parents compared the Mel-O-Toons favorable to what they called the usual violence in kiddie programming."[4]
A week later, UA bought a full-page ad in Variety, announcing: "We passed the test in Toledo!" The ad described the test: "Here's what happened: Two of these new cartoons were shown in a fifteen-minute on-the-air audition over WSPD-TV. Viewers were asked to send in their opinions, with no prizes or incentives of any kind. In less than a week, over 400 replies arrived. All except five individuals were wildly enthusiastic."[5]
Partial list of adapted works or stories
- The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver
- Aladdin
- Ali Baba
- Buffalo Bill
- Casper The Curious Kitten
- Christopher Columbus
- Cinderella
- Daniel Boone
- David and Goliath
- Diana and the Golden Apples
- Dinky Pinky
- El Torito
- The Enchanted Horse
- Endymion and Selene
- Flying Carpet
- Fun on a Rainy Day
- Gosomer Wump
- Hansel and Gretel
- Haydn's Toy Symphony
- Hiawatha
- Hunters of the Sea
- I Wish I Had
- Knights of Old
- Little Hawk
- Little Johnny Everything
- Little Sambo
- Miguel the Mighty Matador
- Noah's Ark
- Omicron and the Sputnik
- Panchito
- Paul Bunyan
- Peer Gynt's Adventures in Arabia
- Peer Gynt in the Hall of the Mountain King
- Peer Gynt in the Stormy Sea
- Peppy Possum
- Peter and the Wolf
- Peter Cottontail
- Pinocchio
- Robin Hood
- Rumplestiltskin
- Sinbad
- Sir Lancelot
- Sleeping Beauty
- Snow White
- Sparky's Magic Echo
- The Eagle and the Thrush
- The Emperor's Nightingale
- The King's Trumpet
- The Magic Clock
- The Red Shoes
- The Seasons
- The Trojan Horse
- Tom Sawyer
- Treasure Island
- Waltz of the Flowers
- War and Peace
Public domain prints
In popular culture
Footage from the Christopher Columbus episode was used in Last Week Tonight's "How Is This Still a Thing" segment on Columbus Day, which aired on October 12, 2014.[6]
