{"product_id":"speaking-of-animals-volume-1","title":"Speaking of Animals, Volume 1","description":"In 1941, Tex Avery left Warner Brothers after a falling out with studio exec Leon Schlesinger. He then approached his old friend Jerry Fairbanks, producer of Paramount's \u003ci\u003eUnusual Occupations\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003ePopular Mechanics\u003c\/i\u003e shorts, with a proposal Schlesinger had long ago rejected called \u003ci\u003eSpeaking of Animals\u003c\/i\u003e. Its conceit was superimposing animated mouths onto live-action animals, creating the illusion that they could talk, sing, and crack jokes. Avery's intent was to point out that the problems of humans were none too different from that of your average cocker spaniel. The first entry in the series, \u003ci\u003eDown on the Farm\u003c\/i\u003e, was a hit, and was even nominated for Best Short Subject at the 1942 Academy Awards. Avery soon moved on to MGM, only working on the first three shorts. But Fairbanks took the animator's idea and ran with it, eventually producing 50 of these mini-movies before the series ended in 1950. The trademark special effect was accomplished by filming actors like Mel Blanc and Sterling Holloway in black face, their lips painted white to make them more visible. The resulting images would be traced frame by frame, reshot as animation and then matted onto live-action footage of the actual animals. Scripts were provided by Bill Scott, later to become co-producer with Jay Ward of \u003ci\u003eThe Rocky and Bullwinkle Show\u003c\/i\u003e as well as the voice of Bullwinkle himself (Fairbanks also coincidentally produced Ward's first series, \u003ci\u003eCrusader Rabbit\u003c\/i\u003e.) Once eagerly anticipated by the Saturday matinee crowd, these shorts were later very popular on children's television shows in the 1950s and 60s, meaning that generations of kids grew up with \u003ci\u003eSpeaking of Animals\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e Down On The Farm \u003c\/i\u003e (1941) \u003ci\u003e The Lonesome Stranger \u003c\/i\u003e (1946)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eThey're Not So Dumb \u003c\/i\u003e (1947)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eIn Love\u003c\/i\u003e (1947)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eAs Our Friends\u003c\/i\u003e (1947)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eDog Crazy\u003c\/i\u003e (1947)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003e Fun on the Farm\u003c\/i\u003e (1949)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Alpha Video","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":45802333929622,"sku":"089218789396","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0703\/9621\/5446\/files\/089218789396.jpg?v=1762193912","url":"https:\/\/moviezyng.com\/products\/speaking-of-animals-volume-1","provider":"Movie Zyng","version":"1.0","type":"link"}