Tokio Jokio
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| WARNING! This article contains content that may not be seen as age appropriate or upsetting for some readers. It may contain racist depictions of Japanese people and other World War II-related stereotypes. Reader discretion is advised. |
| Tokio Jokio | |
|---|---|
| Production company | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date | May 15, 1943 |
| Run time | 7:08 |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Producer(s) | Leon Schlesinger |
| Music composed by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Story by | Don Christensen |
| Animation | I. Ellis |
| Director(s) | Cpl. Norman McCabe |
| Series navigation | |
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| Title card | |
| File:Tokio Jokio title card.png | |
Tokio Jokio is the one hundred and eighty-first Looney Tunes theatrical short. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on May 15, 1943. It was produced by Leon Schlesinger and directed by Norman McCabe.
Detailed summary
Memorable quotes
Characters
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Locations
Objects
Vehicles
Production
Development
The short is notable in that it was the final Warner Bros. cartoon to be directed by Norman McCabe, as he was drafted into the U.S. Army and assigned to the Army Air Corps Training Unit; Franklin Tashlin took over his animation unit following his departure. He was billed as Cpl. Norman McCabe in this short.[1]
Music
The score was composed by Carl W. Stalling.
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: May 15, 1943
Behind the scenes
- This cartoon is infamous for its racist depictions of Japanese people during World War II.
- The title is a pun on "Tokyo", with "Tokio" being an old English romanization of its name, and "joke".
- It is also possibly a pun on Hideki Tojo's name, with the first two syllables of each word spelling his name (Tokio Jokio).
- Lord Hee-Haw is a play on "Lord Haw-Haw," a nickname given to American fascist/Nazi propaganda broadcaster William Joyce.
- It fell into the public domain in 1971, due to Warner Bros. failing to renew the copyright at the time.
Errors
Legacy
- Despite its offensive ethnic stereotypes, a portion of this short was used in the Toonheads episode "The Wartime Cartoons" in 2001, to demonstrate how cartoons at the time were used to portray its subjects in an unfair matter.
Home availability
- Not available due to the aforementioned stereotypes.
References
- ↑ Sigall, Martha (2005). "The Boys of Termite Terrace". Living Life Inside the Lines: Tales from the Golden Age of Animation. University Press of Mississippi. p. 70. ISBN 9781578067497.
