Mel-O-Toons (sometimes erroneously spelled Mello Toons) was a series of six-minute animated cartoons, using limited animation, and were produced starting in 1959 by New World Productions and syndicated by United Artists.[1]
| Mel-O-Toons | |
|---|---|
 Opening sequence | |
| Voices of |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 104 |
| Production | |
| Running time | Around 5–7 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | 1959 – October 1960 |
The stories featured various folk tales, Greco-Roman myths, Biblical stories, classic literary adaptations, and adaptations of classical music and ballet, as well as stories about animals written by Thornton Burgess.[2] The soundtracks were often taken from existing children's records, licensed from the original labels, including RCA Records and Capitol Records. 104 cartoons were produced.[3]
In October 1960, United Artists bought time on a station in Toledo, Ohio, to test the Mel-O-Toons for audience response; they showed two of the films, "Rumplestiltskin" and "Waltz of the Flowers". Variety reported that the viewer response was entirely positive, saying, "Many parents compared the Mel-O-Toons favorable to what they called the usual violence in kiddie programming."[4] A week later, UA bought a full-page ad in Variety, announcing: "We passed the test in Toledo!" The ad described the test: "Here's what happened: Two of these new cartoons were shown in a fifteen-minute on-the-air audition over WSPD-TV. Viewers were asked to send in their opinions, with no prizes or incentives of any kind. In less than a week, over 400 replies arrived. All except five individuals were wildly enthusiastic."[5]
After many years out of circulation, public domain prints have turned up on videotape and DVD.
Partial episode list edit
- The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver
- Aladdin
- Ali Baba
- Buffalo Bill
- Casper The Curious Kitten
- Christopher Columbus
- Cinderella
- Daniel Boone
- David and Goliath
- Diana and the Golden Apples
- Dinky Pinky
- El Torito
- The Enchanted Horse
- Endymion and Selene
- Flying Carpet
- Fun on a Rainy Day
- Gosomer Wump
- Hansel and Gretel
- Haydn's Toy Symphony
- Hiawatha
- Hunters of the Sea
- I Wish I Had
- Knights of Old
- Little Hawk
- Little Johnny Everything
- Little Sambo
- Miguel the Mighty Matador
- Noah and the Ark
- Omicron and the Sputnik
- Panchito
- Paul Bunyan
- Peer Gynt's Adventures in Arabia
- Peer Gynt in the Hall of the Mountain King
- Peer Gynt in the Stormy Sea
- Peppy Possum
- Peter and the Wolf
- Peter Cottontail
- Pinocchio
- Robin Hood
- Rumplestiltskin
- Sinbad
- Sir Lancelot
- Sleeping Beauty
- Snow White
- Sparky's Magic Echo
- The Eagle and the Thrush
- The Emperor's Nightingale
- The King's Trumpet
- The Magic Clock
- The Red Shoes
- The Seasons
- The Trojan Horse
- Tom Sawyer
- Treasure Island
- Waltz of the Flowers
- War and Peace
In popular culture edit
Footage from the Christopher Columbus episode was used in Last Week Tonight's "How Is This Still a Thing" segment on Columbus Day, which aired on October 12, 2014.[6]
References edit
- ^ Salda, Michael N. (2013-07-30). Arthurian Animation. ISBN 9781476606149. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 385. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 539. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ "UAA Mel-O-Toon Gets Toledo Test". Variety: 24. November 9, 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "We passed the test in Toledo!". Variety: 53. November 16, 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "John Oliver Asks: How is Columbus Day Still a Thing?".
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