Monday, August 25, 2008

Lunedi Lunacy

My editor was a Bugs Bunny fan and wanted a review of Looney Tunes: Back in Action; so I suffered through a sad, insipid attempt to revive the fortunes of Warner Brothers and Brandon Fraser. As I was leaving the cinema I overheard one of the greatest compliments an actor could receive:

Boy (7-8 years old): Yeah, well it was okay.
Boy's Friend: Yeah but the guy playing Bugs Bunny wasn't very good!

I stop in my tracks - he was right. Of course the guy playing Bugs Bunny wasn't very good - he was generated by a computer and the voice was a sorry imitation of what we all know Bugs really sounds like. Mel Blanc was gone and anything else would just be a pale imitation.

As well as being the voice of most of Looney Tunes Blanc was also a regular on the Jack Benny Show. Here's one of their favorite routines - sorry it probably isn't politically correct in this day and age but I still think it's funny.



In this clip from a Johnny Carson Show Benny's affection and admiration for Blanc, the man and the talent, is obvious.



The routine never changed - it didn't have to.

25 agosto - San Ludovico

2 comments:

Doralong said...

The man was a genius- Plain and simple.

sageweb said...

Oh what timing he had. WOnderful laughs.