The Ant and the Aardvark
The Ant and the Aardvark is a series of 17 theatrical short cartoons produced at DePatie–Freleng Enterprises and released by United Artists from 1969 to 1971.[1]
| The Ant and the Aardvark | |
|---|---|
| DePatie–Freleng Enterprises characters | |
 The Ant (right) and the Aardvark (left) | |
| First appearance | The Ant and the Aardvark (1969) |
| Voiced by | John Byner (1969-1995) In Pink Panther and Pals: Ant: Kel Mitchell Aardvark: Eddie Garvar/ John Over |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Ant (Charlie Ant) Aardvark (Blue Aardvark) |
| Gender | Male |
Plot
The cartoon series follows attempts of a blue aardvark named Aardvark (sometimes he claims that he is an anteater) (voiced by John Byner,[2][3][4] impersonating comedian Jackie Mason), to catch and eat a red ant named Charlie (also voiced by John Byner,[2][3][4] but impersonating Dean Martin), usually doing so by inhaling with a loud vacuum cleaner sound. The aardvark character is essentially unnamed; in the episode Rough Brunch, he claims his name is simply "Aardvark." Charlie Ant gives his nemesis a variety of names as sly terms of endearment (Ol' Sam, Ol' Ben, Ol' Blue, Claude, Pal, Buddy, Daddy-O).[5] In several bumper sequences of The Pink Panther Show, he is called "Blue Aardvark."
Production
The Ant and the Aardvark series was originally released by United Artists. Seventeen theatrical shorts were produced in the original series, and were subsequently featured in various television syndication packages, usually shown with DFE's other characters such as the Pink Panther and The Inspector. Most of the 17 entries appear in their television syndication form (complete with an audible laugh track added by NBC-TV) on the video on demand service Amazon Video.
When The Ant and the Aardvark first appeared on The New Pink Panther Show in the fall of 1971, the series became wildly popular, so much in fact that the duo became a featured part of the NBC series.[5] Even though the 17 entries remained popular throughout the broadcast run of The Pink Panther Show, no new entries were produced.[5]
The series used several unique production techniques for the period. The aardvark's body was solid blue: his only clothes—a pair of blue shorts and matching T-shirt—were a matching blue. Similarly, Charlie Ant was solid red, and did not sport any clothing. As such, the character's solid colors allowed them to stand out clearly against the multi-colored backgrounds featured prominently in the series. Charlie also sported half-closed eyes, as a sign of a bon viveur.[5]
Musical director Doug Goodwin was responsible for the jazzy music score. Goodwin assembled an established group of jazz session musicians to perform the series' theme music and musical cues. For the first time in animated cartoons, all six musicians—Ray Brown, Billy Byers, Pete Candoli, Shelly Manne, Jimmy Rowles and Tommy Tedesco—received on-screen credit.[5]
Art Leonardi was responsible for the main title graphic for all DePatie-Freleng entries. For The Ant and the Aardvark series, Leonardi expanded on a technique first introduced for the first Pink Panther cartoon, The Pink Phink. This entailed tearing paper into the forms of objects and characters to form stylized images.[5]
Additional characters
There were additional minor characters in the series. Among them were the following:
- Cousin Term the Termite (Rough Brunch)
- Aunt Minerva, one of the Gi-ants (The Ant From Uncle)
- Tiny the Elephant, an ape, and a look-alike of Roland (from another DePatie-Freleng series, Roland and Rattfink) as Charlie Ant's lodge brothers (Mumbo Jumbo)
- An unnamed green aardvark, similar to the blue aardvark except barrel-chested instead of pot-bellied (I've Got Ants In My Plans, Odd Ant Out)
- Tiger, voiced by Marvin Miller (Scratch a Tiger)
- A Boris Karloff-sounding scientist (Science Friction)
- A nurse at an animal hospital, voiced by Athena Lorde (From Bed to Worse)
- An anteater-eating shark (Isle of Caprice)
- A nearsighted lifeguard who mistakes the Aardvark for a dog (Dune Bug)
- A toastmaster ant based on George Jessel (I've Got Ants in My Plans)
German version
In German-dubbed versions of the cartoon, the male aardvark is transformed into a female anteater named Elise (Eliza). Charlie (voiced by Fred Maire) remains male; Elise is voiced by Marianne Wischmann. The cartoons are known under the title Die blaue Elise (Blue Eliza).
Filmography
All voices provided by John Byner unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Directed: | Story by: | Release date: | Additional voices: | Synopsis: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ant and the Aardvark | Friz Freleng | John W. Dunn | March 5, 1969 | The ant spots a picnic and goes there to relax and collect some food. When the aardvark shows up, he tries to eat the ant. | |
| 2 | Hasty But Tasty | Gerry Chiniquy | John W. Dunn | March 6, 1969 | The aardvark uses something called "Instant Hole" to try to catch the ant. When it fails, his trick backfires on him. | |
| 3 | The Ant from Uncle | George Gordon | John W. Dunn | April 2, 1969 | The aardvark tries to invite the ant to a "Relaxation Club." The club is actually the aardvark's stomach. | |
| 4 | I've Got Ants in My Plans | Gerry Chiniquy | John W. Dunn | May 14, 1969 | The Blue Aardvark has a battle against another aardvark called the Green Aardvark to see who gets to eat the ant. | |
| 5 | Technology, Phooey | Gerry Chiniquy | Irv Spector | June 25, 1969 | The aardvark builds and programs a computer to help him try to catch the ant. He listens to the computer's advice, but it does not do the aardvark much good. | |
| 6 | Never Bug an Ant | Gerry Chiniquy | David Detiege | September 12, 1969 | The aardvark tries to use his vacuum inhale trick so he can have the ant for lunch. | |
| 7 | Dune Bug | Art Davis | John W. Dunn | October 27, 1969 | The aardvark finds the ant at a beach and tries to catch the ant like always; however, he must get past the lifeguard, who believes he is a dog and will not allow him on the beach. | |
| 8 | Isle of Caprice | Gerry Chiniquy | David Detiege | December 18, 1969 | The aardvark is marooned on a deserted island, with another one full of ants in the distance. He tries to get to the other island by any means possible, but a shark will not make it easy for him. | |
| 9 | Scratch a Tiger | Hawley Pratt | Irv Spector | January 28, 1970 | Marvin Miller | A tiger who owes the ant a favor is tasked with keeping him and his fellow ants safe from the aardvark. |
| 10 | Odd Ant Out | Gerry Chiniquy | Sid Marcus | April 28, 1970 | The Blue Aardvark and the Green Aardvark have another battle for who gets to eat a can of chocolate-covered ants. | |
| 11 | Ants in the Pantry | Hawley Pratt | John W. Dunn | June 10, 1970 | The aardvark takes over an exterminator's job for catching ants. The aardvark tries to get to get rid of the ant by, like always, trying to make him his meal. | |
| 12 | Science Friction | Gerry Chiniquy | Larz Bourne | June 28, 1970 | A scientist is trying to study the ant and will not let the aardvark ruin his studies. | |
| 13 | Mumbo Jumbo | Art Davis | John W. Dunn | September 27, 1970 | The ant, as a member of the Brothers of the Forest Lodge 202, has a gang of animal friends, especially an elephant, that will not let the aardvark eat the ant. | |
| 14 | The Froze Nose Knows | Gerry Chiniquy | Dale Hale | November 18, 1970 | A very heavy snowstorm hits the forest, forcing the aardvark to use winter-themed tactics to catch and eat the ant. | |
| 15 | Don't Hustle an Ant with Muscle | Art Davis | Dale Hale | December 27, 1970 | The ant discovers a jar of vitamin strength pills that make him have stronger and larger muscles, giving him the upper hand against the aardvark. | |
| 16 | Rough Brunch | Art Davis | Sid Marcus | January 3, 1971 | When the aardvark, yet again, tries to eat the ant, a termite helps the ant. | |
| 17 | From Bed to Worse | Art Davis | John W. Dunn | June 16, 1971 | Athena Lorde | The aardvark and the ant both get broken legs, so they are put in a hospital where the aardvark still tries to have the ant for lunch. |
Credits
- Producers: David H. DePatie, Friz Freleng
- Directors: Friz Freleng, Hawley Pratt, Gerry Chiniquy, Art Davis
- Story: John W. Dunn, Irv Spector, Dave Detiege, Sid Marcus, Larz Bourne, Dale Hale
- Animation: Warren Batchelder, Manny Gould, Manny Perez, Don Williams, Art Leonardi, Robert Taylor, Bob Goe, Tom Ray, Lloyd Vaughan, Bob Richardson, John Gibbs, Phil Roman, Robert Bentley, Ken Muse, Irv Spence
- Graphic Designers: Corny Cole, Dick Ung, Al Wilson, Lin Larsen
- Voices: John Byner, Marvin Miller, Athena Lorde
- Color Designer: Tom O'Laughlin, Richard H. Thomas
- Title Cards: Art Leonardi
- Production Supervisor: Jim Foss
- Coordinator: Harry Love
- Camera: John Burton Jr.
- Film Editor: Lee Gunther
- Musical Director: Doug Goodwin
- Musicians:
- Ray Brown - bass
- Billy Byers - trombone
- Pete Candoli - trumpet
- Jimmy Rowles - piano
- Tommy Tedesco - guitar/banjo
- Shelly Manne - drums[5]
Revivals
The first revival featured the characters as part on the 1993 incarnation of The Pink Panther. The characters remained unchanged, though unlike the original 1969-1971 cartoons, they do not appear in their own segments but rather are included in segments featuring the Pink Panther (now voiced by Matt Frewer). John Byner returned to voice both Charlie Ant and the Aardvark.[5]
The second revival occurred in 2010 as part of Pink Panther and Pals. Eddie Garvar (occasionally John Over) voices the Aardvark, who retains his previous characterization. Kel Mitchell, using his natural voice, voices the Ant.
Home video
The complete series was digitally remastered and issued on its own single-disc DVD collection by MGM Home Entertainment/20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in 2007 as The Pink Panther and Friends Volume 5: The Ant and the Aardvark.
The complete series reappeared in January 2009 as part of the DVD collection Pink Panther & Friends Classic Cartoon Collection by MGM Home Entertainment, a 9-disc DVD set containing all Pink Panther, Ant and the Aardvark, Inspector and (for the first time on DVD) Roland and Rattfink cartoons.
The Ant and the Aardvark was released onto Region 1/A Blu-ray and DVD on 27 April 2016.[6]
References
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 51. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- Simonson, Robert (22 June 2004). "Sondheim, Lane and Stroman's The Frogs Finds a Lily Pad at Lincoln Center Beginning June 22". Playbill. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- Scott, Vernon (26 July 1985). "JOHN BYNER IS THE MAN BEHIND CHARACTER'S VOICE". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- Jefferson, Graham (7 December 1993). "Pink Panther breaks silence // The cool cat acquires a voice from Matt Frewer". USA Today (subscription required). Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- Beck, Jerry (2006). Pink Panther: The Ultimate Guide to the Coolest Cat in Town. New York, New York: Dorling Kindersley, Ltd. pp. 38–39, 44–45, 102–103. ISBN 0-7566-1033-8.
External links
- Big Cartoon Database
- "The Ant & the Aardvark" at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015.