Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character who appears in short films by a Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Studios. Though non a foremost of the "screwball" characters that became popular in the 1940s, Woody is perhaps a virtually all declarative of the nature and severity. Though less popular around todays world, Woody Woodpecker cartoons come however seen ofttimes in television syndication. He has the motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

Early years

Based on data from Walter Lantz's press agent, a idea for Woody come in the period of the producer's honeymoon with his wife, Gracie, in Sherwood Lake, California. The loud woodpecker outside their cabin kept a few awaken whilst asleep, & when a heavily rain began, it learned that the bird got bored holes in their cabin's roof. Gracie suggested that her hub& produce a cartoon all about the bird, and so Woody was natural. A story is probably good that, nonetheless, since a Lantzes weren't married until 1941, a fully month when Woody mass produced his screen debut.

Woody Woodpecker foremost appeared in the film Knock Knock on November 25, 1940. A cartoon on the face of it stars Andy Panda and his father, Papa Panda, but these are Woody world health organization steals a indicate. A woodpecker constantly pesters the two pandas, apparently just for the fun of it. Andy, meanwhile, attempts to sprinkle salt on Woody's tail in a belief that this might somehow capture the bird. To Woody's surprise, Andy's tries prevail, & Woody is taken away to the funny farm -- where his capturer prove to become crazier than he is.

A Woody of Knock Knock occurs as truly deranged-shopping beast. His buggy eyes look inside different directions, & his head is completely angles & sharply points. All a same, the familiar colour scheme of red head & blue system is already in situ, when is the notorious laugh: "Heh-heh-heh-HEH-heh!" Woody is maybe a better case of the recently nature and severity of cartoon character that was becoming popular in the early 1940s -- a cheeky, violent aggressor world health organization pesters inexperienced person non away from self defense, however only for the fun of it. Ironically, Woody's original voice actor, Mel Blanc, would stop performing a character to act entirely at Warner Bros., where he got already established a voices of ii more famed "screwball" characters world health organization preceded Woody, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny. Woody's voice was taken all over by story man Ben Hardaway after his first 4 cartoons.

Audiences reacted swell to Knock Knock, & Lantz realized he experienced eventually hit upon a star to replenish the waning Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Woody would last inside to star in the total of films. Using his unconditioned hutzpah & cheeky deportment, the character was a natural hit in the period of World War II. His image appeared in The states aircraft & mess, & audiences on the homefront watched Woody meet familiar problems like food shortages.

Layout creative person Art Heinemann streamlined Woody's appearance in the 1944 film, The Barber of Seville, directed by Shamus Culhane. the bird became circular, cuter, less crazy, by owning a brilliantly grin, lot other such as his counterparts at Warner Bros. and MGM. Even so, Culhane continued to utilise Woody when an aggressive lunatic, non the domestic second banana or even defensive stay-at-home as numbers of more studios' characters got turn into. A watch-as much as A Barber of Seville, A Beach Nut, introduced Woody's nemesis Wally Walrus.

The post-war woodpecker
Woody's uncivilized times were numbered, all the same. Inside 1946, Lantz hired Disney veteran Dick Lundy to take over a counsel job for Woody's cartoons. Lundy rejected Culhane's require on the series & manufactured Woody further defensive attitude; there is no yearn did the bird last mad while forgoing a legitimate cause. Lundy as well paid thomas more attention to the animation, making Woody's freshly films additional Disneylike in their colors & timing. A single tool worth noticing is that his survive film for Disney was a Donald Duck short Flying Jalopy. That features the badguy known as Ben Buzzard, a character non unlike Woody's archenemy Buzz Buzzard. This short is played lot prefer the Woody Woodpecker short, correct down to the laugh in the prevent.

"The Woody Woodpecker Song"
Within 1947, Woody got his have theme song while musicians George Tibbles and Ramey Idriess wrote "The Woody Woodpecker Song", making ample utilise of the character's noted laugh. Kay Kyser's recording of the song became a hit around 1948, and more creative person did covers, including Woody's original voice, Mel Blanc. "The Woody Woodpecker Song" 1st appeared in the 1948 short Wet Blanket policy. Lantz shortly adopted a song when Woody's theme music, & due to the song's popularity, Woody Woodpecker fan clubs originate, theaters held "Woody" matinées, & boys had a "Woody Woodpecker" haircut.

A song manufactured extensive have of Woody's notable laugh, upsetting a human world health organization recorded it, Mel Blanc. Although Blanc got exclusively recorded 4 shorts when a voice of Woody, his laugh got been recorded as a equity healthy consequence, & utilized inside each subsequent Woody Woodpecker short higher until this point. Blanc sued Lantz & misplaced, however Lantz settled away from court while Blanc filed an appeal.

Later films
A post-war time period provided additional changes for Woody. Around 1950, Lantz began directing Woody Woodpecker shorts again fallowing the brief studio closing. Beginning by having a 1950 feature film Destination Moon, which featured a brief section of Woody explaining rocket propulsion, Woody's voice was taken over for this & resulting films by Lantz's married woman, Grace Stafford. She experienced slipped the recording of herself into the fold of audition tapes, & her hubby chose her forgoing caring her identity. Lantz likewise began with his married woman supply Woody's laugh, even due to the court example by having Mel Blanc. All the same, Stafford was non credited for her work on her have asking until 1952 in the film Termites from Mars (she felt fans might reject the woman doing Woody's voice). Gracie did her better to tone down the character across her voicework.

Around 1953, Paul J. Smith took over as primary director of Woody's shorts. A bird was redesigned again, this instance by animator LaVerne Harding. This version of the character is however utilized in todays world when Woody's official look. This era would as well introduce many of Woody's recurring costars, virtually all notably Gabby Gator around 1960's Southern Hospitality. More films paired Woody using the girlfriend, Winnie Woodpecker, & the niece & nephew, Sliver & Knothead, sonant by June Foray. A domestication of Woody Woodpecker was complete.

Woody on television
When Lantz was struggling financially, Woody's longevity was secured whenever he manufactured a go for it to television in The Woody Woodpecker Indicate in ABC. the half-30 minutes program consisted of leash theatrical Woody shorts followed by a brief view cartoon creation hosted by Lantz. It ran from either 1957 to 1958 then entered syndication until 1966, only to become revived by NBC in 1970. NBC forced Lantz to edit great deal of the violence of the cartoons, which Lantz did reluctantly. Woody continued to pop up within fresh theatrical shorts until 1972, when Lantz closed his studio's doors due to rising production costs. His cartoons returned to syndication in the late 1970s.

Lantz sold his library of Woody shorts to MCA/Universal in 1985. Universal repackaged a cartoons for a second syndicated Woody Woodpecker indicate within 1988. Woody Woodpecker reappared in the Fox series, The New Woody Woodpecker Show which ran from 1999 to 2002. A series featured a number one recently Woody cartoons to become produced within terminated Xx years. Woody's voice is nowadays provided by voice actor Billy West. A original Woody Woodpecker Indicate too continues to dog inside syndication.

Video Games
Many computer game of Woody Woodpecker come in Sega Mega Drive, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, PC, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance. Férias Frustradas do Pica-Pau (1996) for Sega Mega Drive (made by Tec Toy, sold only within Brazil) Woody Woodpecker Racing (2000) for Dreamcast, Playstation, PC, and GBC Woody Woodpecker: Escape from Buzz Buzzard Park (2001) for GBC & PS2 ''Woody Woodpecker in Crazy Castle 5 (2003) for GBA