(Theatrical cartoons since 1929;
Various packages sold to TV since the 1950s)
[Originally conceived as theatrical cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger
beginning in 1929, the cartoons aired on various Children's TV series for
many decades since TV first began;
There were several musical compositions used as Looney Tunes signature tunes
during its first dozen years, before Warners settled on the most well-known
of them all, "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", in 1937. The others were used
as signatures for about two years each; they are sometimes heard when these
earliest cartoons are broadcast on TV;
And of course it was also common for WB cartoons to quote songs published by
Warner Bros. music (often from their films) in the background scores of their
cartoons. Frequently one might hear a snippet of a characteristic tune when
the action called for it, perhaps meant as an "inside joke" -- to tickle the
funnybone of adults in the audience. Here are some of the standouts:]
- "Singin' In The Bathtub" (1929) by Michael Cleary, Herb Magidson and Ned Washington;
- "One Step Ahead Of My Shadow" (1933) by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal
- "Jeepers, Creepers" (1938) by Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer
- "I Love A Parade" (1918) by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
- "Get Happy" (1930) by Harold Arlen
[professional name of Hyman Arluck] and Ted Koehler- "Ain't We Got Fun" (1921) by Richard Whiting, Gus Kahn, and Raymond Egan
- "You Oughta Be In Pictures" (1934) by Edward Heyman and Dana Suesse
- "I Haven't Got A Hat" (1935) by Buddy Bernier and Robert D. Emmerich
- "Freddy The Freshman The Freshest Kid In Town" (1932) by Cliff Friend and Dave Oppenheim
- "My Little Buckaroo" (1937) by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl
- "Old King Cole" (1937) by Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer
- "The Toy Trumpet" (1944) by Raymond Scott
[aka: (There'll Be) A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight;
aka: Hot Time March;
This jolly tune based upon a minstrel theme was used for vaudeville
play-ons and play-offs often at a tempo much faster than normal,
so it was a natural for animated cartoons when they came along...]
Composers: music by Theodore A. Metz (ASCAP) and
lyric by Joseph ("Joe") Hayden (ASCAP)
Original Publisher: Willis Woodward & Co. (ASCAP)
of New York, NY
2005 Publisher: [In the public domain]
Composition Date: 1896.
Copyright Date:
Recordings:
[recorded as a pop song by the band of Carmen Lombardo's brother,
"Guy Lombardo and The Royal Canadians"]
Composers: music by Carmen Lombardo (ASCAP), and
lyric by Joseph Widow ("Joe") Young (ASCAP)
1978 Publishers: Remick Music Corp. (ASCAP), and
Warock Music Corp. (ASCAP)
2005 Publishers: Remick Music Corp. (ASCAP)
c/o Warner Bros. Inc.
(Warner Bros. Music Div.)
of Los Angeles, CA; and
Warock Corporation (ASCAP)
of East Hampton, NY
Original Copyright: 1932 (on sheet music)
Copyright Date:
Recordings:
[No, this is not the main title theme of the animated 1991
Disney musical, but was written for a 1934 film of the same name
by the songwriting team that wrote Groucho Marx's signature song
"Hooray For Captain Spaulding" for their film "Animal Crackers";
This version of "Beauty and the Beast" was a Warner Bros. animated
short film (8 minutes in length); it was directed by Fritz Freleng
using the name "Isadore Freleng" and was produced by Leon Schelesinger;
So it was a natural for cross-promotion via the Looney Tunes series.]
Composers: music by Harry Ruby (ASCAP), and
lyric by Bert Kalmar (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: Remick Music Corp. (ASCAP)
2005 Publishers: Remick Music Corp. (ASCAP)
c/o Warner Bros. Inc.
(Warner Bros. Music Div.)
of Los Angeles, CA; and
Harry Ruby Music Co. (ASCAP)
c/o The Songwriters Guild
of Weehawken, NJ
Copyright Date: 1934.
Recordings:
[aka: Porky Sig[nature];
aka: Porky Pig]
Composer: M. K. Jerome (ASCAP)
[professional name of Maurice K. Jerome]
1978 Publisher: M. Witmark & Sons (ASCAP)
2005 Publisher: M. Witmark & Sons (ASCAP)
c/o Warner Bros. Inc.
(Warner Bros. Music Div.)
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Recordings:
[aka: "Looney Tunes Open";
aka: "Looney Tunes Close"
Warner Brothers arrangers made the novelty song into a memorable
signature tune using clever orchestration techniques -- notably
by veteran studio arrangers Carl Stalling and William Lava]
Composers: Dave Franklin (ASCAP), and
Cliff Friend (ASCAP)
[professional name of John Clifford Friend],
1978 Publisher: [T. B.] Harms, Inc. (ASCAP)
2000 Publisher: [T. B.] Harms, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Warner Bros. Inc.
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date: May 14, 1937; E pub 62 263.
Recordings:
[aka: "That's All, Folks";
aka: "Looney Tunes Theme";
aka: "Looney Tunes Medley";
A combination of melodic fragments of "Merrily We Roll Along"
(the best known Merrie Melodies cartoon signature tune) and
"The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (used for Looney Tunes) are
heard in this closing signature credited to the composers
of both songs for royalty purposes...]
Composers: Charles Tobias (ASCAP),
Murray Mencher (ASCAP),
Eddie Cantor (ASCAP),
Dave Franklin (ASCAP), and
Cliff Friend (ASCAP)
[professional name of John Clifford Friend],
1978 Publisher: Warner Bros., Inc. (ASCAP)
2000 Publisher: Warner Bros., Inc. (ASCAP)
(Warner Bros. Music Div.)
c/o Warner-Chappell Music, Inc.
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Recordings: