Walky Talky Hawky

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Walky Talky Hawky
Walky Talky Hawky lobby card V1.png
Lobby card.
Production company Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributor Warner Bros. Pictures
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date August 31, 1946
Run time 8:18
Starring Mel Blanc
Producer(s) Edward Selzer
Music composed by Carl W. Stalling
Story by Warren Foster
Animation Richard Bickenbach
Arthur Davis
Don Williams
Cal Dalton
Director(s) Robert McKimson
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Title card
Walky Talky Hawky title card.png

Walky Hawky Talky is the two hundred and sixty-fifth Merrie Melodies theatrical short. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on August 31, 1946. It was written by Michael Maltese, produced by Edward Selzer and directed by Robert McKimson.

An impressionable chickenhawk named Henry is sent by his father to find a chicken. During his hunt, he comes across a blabbering rooster, who tricks him into thinking that a dog is a chicken.

Detailed summary

Memorable quotes

Foghorn: You lose somethin', I say, you lose somethin', kid?
Henery: I'm a chickenhawk. I'm after my first chicken!
Foghorn: A chicken, eh? Well, I'm a horse, I say, I'm a horse myself! But I've seen a chick-, I SAY, I've seen a chicken around here-, pay attention sonny, somewhere.


Foghorn: Well, there's the foxy chicken. We'll just have, I SAY, we just have to outsmart him!


Barnyard Dawg: Hubba, hubba, hubba! I'm no chicken! That's a chicken!
Foghorn: Don't you call m-, I say, don't you call me a chicken! You chicken!
Henery: Hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba!


Henery: One of those things, someone, I say, one of those things has got to be a chicken.

Characters

Legend
Character debut Speaking debut Ep. debut No lines Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character Actor
Poppa Hawk Mel Blanc
Momma Hawk
Henery Hawk Mel Blanc
Barnyard Dawg Mel Blanc
Foghorn Leghorn Mel Blanc


Locations

Objects

  • Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Comics
  • Esquire magazine
  • Watermelon
  • Wooden plank

Vehicles

  • None

Production

Development

Second lobby card.

After McKimson was promoted as a director in late 1944, Foster developed a story about a large rooster, a barnyard dog and the inclusion of Henery Hawk; the latter of which was originated by Chuck Jones for The Squawkin' Hawk.[1] The story was approved around the same time after Foster wrote it.[2]

Foghorn Leghorn's voice was initially inspired by a character known simply as "The Sheriff", played by Jack Clifford in the 1930s radio program Blue Monday Jamboree. However, for his next appearance in Crowing Pains, the rooster's vocal mannerisms and personality were directly inspired by Kenny Delmar's portrayal of Senator Claghorn, from The Fred Allen Show program. In a later interview, McKimson had likely misremembered the connection and referred to Claghorn as the personality basis for Foghorn.[1]

Filming

The dialogue was recorded on January 13, 1945.[1]

It was copyrighted in 1946 (MCMXLVI).

Music

The music was composed by Carl W. Stalling.

Crew credits

Release

Dates are in order of release:

  • United States: June 22, 1946 in theatres

Behind the scenes

  • The title is a play on the words "walkie-talkie" and hawk".
  • Foghorn's voice sounds more harsher in this short, which resembled more on Mel Blanc's portrayal of Yosemite Sam.
  • Foghorn is depicted with three front toes in his feet, instead of the usual two front toes in later shorts.
  • Henery's line, "so round, so firm, so easy, so fully packed," is a reference to a tagline for Lucky Strike cigarettes in the 1940s.
  • According to its animation draft sheet, the short was produced under the Looney Tunes series, but released under the Merrie Melodies label.[2] The lobby cards for the short also reflect this name discrepancy.

Errors

Critical reception

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result
Academy Award March 13, 1947 Best Short Subject – Cartoons Edward Selzer Nominated

Legacy

  • Although this short served as the second cartoon entry for Henery Hawk, Foghorn and the Barnyard Dawg became the central focus of later theatrical shorts they appeared in. Henery served more or less as a secondary character in these cartoons until the 1961 short Strangled Eggs.
  • While initially unnamed, Foghorn was given an alias for his third appearance in The Foghorn Leghorn.

Home availability

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Scott, Keith (July 24, 2023). "The Origin of Foghorn Leghorn". Cartoon Research.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Devon, Baxter (February 3, 2024). "Robert McKimson’s “Walky Talky Hawky” (1946)". Cartoon Research. Retrieved June 19, 2024.