Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 20, 2008, 12:28 PM
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Ed Sullivan's really big shoe
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"And now, right here on our stage," 60 years ago today, host Ed Sullivan premiered Toast of the Town (later The Ed Sullivan Show) on CBS.
The variety show lasted an amazing 23 years, certainly not due to Sullivan's voice (it was incredibly stilted) or his acting ability (nada!).
One of the few print journalists to make a successful transition to the screen as an entertainer, Ed knew where to find talent: Elvis, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5.
Ed's voice and mannerisms made him a target for parody, and he knew it. Here are some Sullivan spoofs in cartoons:
Ghost Of The Town (Casper, The Friendly Ghost; Famous Studios, 1952)
All the spooks are going on "scare patrol." Casper wants to make friends, so they kick him out. Lonely, he comes across a burning building with a child on the fourth floor. He flies up and rescues the tot. Casper becomes an overnight celebrity, and now, he's everyone's friend: he's on radio, in magazines, on TV, etc. He gets to appear on Ed Sullivan's show, Toast of the Town. The mean ghosts try to ruin Casper's good time, but he foils their plan by getting his fans to laugh at their spooky antics. Sullivan is depicted briefly, and the representation is fairly accurate.
Hum Sweet Hum (Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy; Hanna-Barbera Studios, 1960)
Augie trains a hummingbird to hum "Swanee River" and they plan to go on TV, but a hungry white cat (Jinks) tries to eat the little bird. Daws Butler voices Ed Sullivan.
Cool Cat Blues (The Cat; Famous Studios, 1961)
The Cat is a detective hired as a bodyguard for Smiling Ed Solvent (an ironic name, since Solvent has a stone face!) in order to ensure that the Ed Solvent Show makes its appearance on time (on the P.D.Q Network). The idea is to freeze Ed in a block of ice to prevent his kidnapping by another network and thaw him out just before the show. Gangsters steal Ed, block of ice and all. The Cat earns his money, though, and the show goes on.
Acrobatty Yogi (Yogi Bear; Hanna-Barbera Studios, 1961)
Yogi meets up with his longtime crush Cindy Bear as she is part of a circus that is passing by Jellystone, so Yogi gets into the act. Yogi imitates Ed by referring to "a really big shoe."
Itty Bitty Freddy (The Flintstones; Hanna-Barbera Studios, 1964)
Fred comes up with Fred-O-Cal, an experimental reducing formula, and he promptly reduces himself to miniature size by accident. He and Barney exploit the situation by putting together a ventriloquist and dummy act for the Ed Sullystone Show. Once again, Butler voices Sullivan -- oops, Sullystone.
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 20, 2008, 12:38 PM)
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jun 20, 2008, 1:02 PM
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Actor/comedian Will Jordan did a spot-on physical and vocal imitation of Ed Sullivan. Jordan himself appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show" ten times, amusing Sullivan himself with his uncanny imitation.
Jordan played Sullivan in six films: "The Buddy Holly Story", "Elvis", "The Doors", Mr. Saturday Night", "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "Down with Love" as well as in the 1980s Billy Joel music video for the song "Tell Her About It."
Jordan never played Sullivan in animated form, though.
Ed Sullivan wrote a column on entertainment in New York and apparently was knowledgable enough with show biz to host his own variety show and book various acts to entertain his audience every week. Sullivan died in 1974.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jun 20, 2008, 1:06 PM)
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 20, 2008, 1:32 PM
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Jordan did have an animation voice credit (as a sportscaster) in 1977's A Doonesbury Special, from Hubley Studios.
Comedian John Byner, who also parodied Ed frequently, has done numerous animation voice roles, most notably as both title characters in DePatie-Freleng's The Ant and the Aardvark. He himself appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show 13 times.
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jun 20, 2008, 2:12 PM
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Good ol' Topo Gigio the mouse puppet, a regular fixture on "Sullivan", had an animated film and two animated series as well.
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"Don't chew gum on camera. Don't whistle. You may kiss Bob Barker but please don't kill him." -announcer Johnny Olson briefing the audience of potential contestants for "The Price is Right"
(This post was edited by artytoons on Jun 20, 2008, 2:18 PM)
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Key Animator
Posted:
Jun 20, 2008, 10:43 PM
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I happen to have a few episodes of the now-rarely-seen TV cartoon series "Calvin and the Colonel."
One has an episode where the shady lawyer character Oliver Wendell Clutch (a weasel) is watching TV. On the TV is a dog who has a voice not unlike Ed's.....(I'll interrupt here and say that all characters in the series are animals).....The Ed-character says something like "Next on our 'shoe', we have (name) and her Performing People!" (as opposed to performing animals), to where Clutch looks at us & says "How does he get away with that stuff?"
Ok I did not say it was funny....  Bu it was just another chip-in on this thread... 
cd
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Supervising Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jun 21, 2008, 9:58 AM
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Hey, I thought it was funny. I haven't seen a "Calvin and the Colonel" since I was a little boy. It arrived on the scene just as the notion of cartoons in prime-time was playing itself out.
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"If it's hot, don't sit on it." —NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg
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Research Guru / Moderator
Posted:
Jun 22, 2008, 12:27 AM
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Here are some more for the young people in the audience:
Happy Go Loopy (Loopy de Loop; Hanna-Barbera Studios, 1961)
Loopy comes across a masquerade party and is mistaken for one of the gang, and ends up doing impersonations of Peter Lorre, Ed Sullivan and Jimmy Durante. After he wins first prize, they realize that he's a real wolf.
Alice Through The Looking Glass (Burbank Films/Jameson Brewer Productions, 1987)
Ed Sullivan is one of the characters (he's voiced by Hal Rayle).
Fields Of Honey (Tiny Toon Adventures; Warner Bros. Television Animation/Amblin Entertainment, 1990)
Babs, depressed over not having a classic WB female character for a mentor, is dragged down to the film vaults to settle a 'Bugs vs. Daffy' dispute between Buster and Plucky. Once again, Ed's one of the characters.
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
(This post was edited by eminovitz on Jun 22, 2008, 8:08 AM)
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Key Animator
Posted:
Jun 22, 2008, 7:54 AM
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I watched Loopy for the first time in the late 80s on USA Network....I think "Happy Go Loopy" was one of the very few I missed.
Re Calvin & the Colonel, in 2008 I personally don't see why this could not be put out on DVD or even on something like Boomerang....but for those who don't know why this is no longer available,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_the_Colonel
cd
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Supervising Animator
Posted:
Jun 28, 2008, 11:50 AM
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Sullivan was impersonated by Loopy de Loop in "Happy go Loopy" and in "Aladdin".
Sullivan was also in "Tiny Toons" and "Animaniacs".
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Thank God for kids who love obscure things-Lee Hazelwood (1929-2007)
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Key Animator
Posted:
Jun 28, 2008, 11:14 PM
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.....which proved one of two things:
(1) Adults watched as well as kids....or....
(2) The animators just did this for themselves.
How would the kids get the joke?
cd
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Directing Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Jul 29, 2008, 6:39 PM
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The Simpsons episode "Grift of the Magi" had Chief Wiggum imitating Sullivan. It went like...
Lisa: But there WAS an evil robot in this closet!
Wiggum: Yeah, and I'm Ed Sullivan! (in normal voice) "Really big shoe..." Wait, I can do it better... (clears his throat, now imitating Sullivan) "Reallybig shoe... reallybig." (normal voice) That's it.
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"Being a genius certainly has its advantages."
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Animator / Contributor
Posted:
Aug 4, 2008, 11:37 PM
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For the new 1970-71 Saturday morning season, the 3 main commercial networks were doing their usual blitzing in the final summer weeks leading up to it, including an ABC ad with a chimp in 3-piece suit, moving his lips to a dubbed Ed Sullivan imitation ("Ladies and gentlemen, right here on our shoe....yes, right here on our shoe.....").
This was the same season Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp debuted on NBC.
And, if I'm not mistaken, it was when the final episodes of The Ed Sullivan Show aired.
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"UGGA-UGGA-BOO,
UGGA-BOO-BOO,
UGGA!" --Mel Blanc & Hans Conried
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