A Corny Concerto

A Corny Concerto is a 1943 American animated collection of two musical segments produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. It was directed by Bob Clampett, written by Frank Tashlin, animated by Robert McKimson and released as part of the Merrie Melodies series on September 18, 1943. A parody of Disney's 1940 feature Fantasia, the film uses two of Johann Strauss' best known waltzes, Tales from the Vienna Woods and The Blue Danube, adapted by the cartoon unit's music director, Carl Stalling and orchestrated by its arranger and later, Stalling's successor, Milt Franklyn. Long considered a classic for its sly humor and impeccable timing with the music, it was voted # 47 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field in 1994. The title, in tune with the name of the unit's other cartoon series, Looney Tunes, suggests another Disney titling parody, that of the pioneering series Silly Symphonies. This was the first WB cartoon ever to feature more than two of their major characters in starring roles (though not all appeared on screen at the same time). Elmer Fudd appears as the musicologist/composer (as Deems Taylor was in Fantasia) introducing each segment. The first segment, Tales from the Vienna Woods, stars Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig, the former as the prey and the latter (in his third color cartoon) as the hunter. This is one of only two cartoons in which both Bugs and Porky appear (the other, Dumb Patrol (1964) features Porky only briefly). In addition, a number of people consider the main character in the second segment, The Blue Danube, to be a "baby" version of Daffy Duck. This is also the second time the Warner Bros. studio had lampooned Fantasia; Pigs in a Polka from 1942 had given a similar treatment to the works of Johannes Brahms, with the Three Little Pigs as the stars.