Art Davis Animation

Arthur Davis (1905-2000) was an American animator who is best known for working at Warner bros. not only as an animator, but as a director. He got his first start as an assistant to chief animator Dick Huemer at the Fleischers studio around 1922 , and then later moved to the Charles Mintz’s studio around the mid to late 20's.

Davis' animation is very energetic in terms of the character's movements and expressions.

Special thanks to Jerry Beck for some of the identifications of Art Davis.

List of cartoons presented (Mostly Warner Bros):

Baseball Bugs (1946)(Opening)
Cracked Quack (1952)
One Meat Brawl (1947)
Farm Relief (1929)(Columbia)
Sandy Claws (1955)
Puss N Booty (1943)
The Unruly Hare (1945)
Bye Bye Bluebeard (1949)
Walky Talky Hawky (1946)
Tree for Two (1952)
Tale of two mice (1945)
Hare Trimmed (1953)
Halloween (1931)(Columbia)
Scrap Happy Daffy (1943)
Private Snafu: The Home Front (1943)
Canned Feud (1951)
Hi Diddle Diddle (1943)(United Artists)
Brother Brat (1944)
Acrobatty Bunny (1946)
The Lion's Busy (1950)
Plane Daffy (1944)
Bugs and Thugs (1954)
Gift Wrapped (1952)
Russian Rhapsody (1945)
Holiday land (1934)
Daffy Doodles (1946)

Music: "Eight Letters In The Mailbox", "Blue Skies", "Humoresque" and "Strike Up The Band"

If I made any mistakes in this reel, feel free to point them out

Note: For the record, NO, I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE CARTOONS IN THIS VIDEO REEL. this video was made for "educational" and "instructional" purposes, so this would fall into the category of "fair use". these cartoons belong to their respective companies or creators. NO INFRINGEMENT INTENDED (this goes for music as well).

[emcvideoproductions]

I think he's the most underrated director from the original WB cartoons studio next to Frank Tashlin. His shorts were a great middle ground between Clampett's broad zaniness and McKimson's aggressive tones.

[gluttonousmaximus]

Oh, so he animated Bug's title card poses from the 40s? That's quite cool!

[raybartle]

Ray Young was the assistant animator to Art Davis (also Ray's wife worked at Warner's in the Ink & Paint Dept., ) Ray & his wife travelled to Australia in 1963 & worked as an actual animator at Atransa Park Film Studios on a series of "Beetle Bailey' 6-minute cartoon shorts which was where I got to rub shoulders with him for around 1-year. Interesting man, who knew all the tricks of the trade for producing really great Warner's style animation. Was to learn heaps from this guy which improve my own animation no end. As a hobby back in the States he flew his own single engine aeroplane. Very friendly guy, always interesting & fun to be around. Had many fasinating inside behind the scenes stories to tell about Warner's & it's animator's including of course, Art Davis.

[justincaban]

(0:00) “Hare Trigger” was the first one to use that Bugs Bunny opening.

I never knew Art did animation in his own cartoons. He’s probably the only other director who did it beside McKinson

[DanzigFan-vqzf]

A Little fun Fact: Art was the Little Brother to Terrytoons Animator. Emanuel (Mannie) Davis

[Anytimeisdeathtime]

I’m pretty sure he said in a interview or something that he didn’t like being a director and much preferred being a animator when he directed at warners which I found interesting

[RothmanHarv]

Really nice job editing to the music with this one. I like Art's take on the Clampett bugs.
May I ask where you found the Columbia shorts? Farm Relief looks like fun.

[azuraring]

Wait, Arthur Davis actually did animate Bye Bye Bluebeard? How'd you knew he did animate for that particular short he directed, I always thought Robert McKimson was the only director for Warner Bros. to actually do some of the animation of his own directed shorts for Warner Bros.

I'm just wondering that's all!

[Vimacone]

I wonder what scenes Davis animated in Swooner Crooner. The Durante and Calloway roosters move like the characters in his later one shots

[joshh]

He are some Bob McKimson clips you should use in your Bob McKimson Reel;

Hot Toe Mollie (1930); The drunk horse and the fat dog.
Bosko in Person (1932); Bosko as Jimmy Durante.
I Haven't Got a Hat (1935): Porky telling the story of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.
A Cartoonist's Nightmare (1935); The Cartoonist.
The CooCoo Nut Grove (1936); The Laurel Monkey and Hardy Pig and the caricature of Helen Morgan singing her song and crying.
Pigs is Pig (1937); Piggy getting force fed.
She was an Acrobat's Daughter (1937); Lester Coward.
Now That Summer is Gone (1938); The Father Squirrel shining his glasses and calling for Junior and Junior gambling with the Father Squirrel wearing a disguise.
Have You Got Any Castles? (1938); The Town Crier and Ol King Cole.
The Night Watchman (1938); The Sick father cat in bed, The kitten talking to the tough rat, and the Kitten's better self talking to him.
Robin Hood Makes Good (1939); The Squirrels making the little squirrel play the villain.
Old Glory (1939); Paul Revere shouting "The British are Coming!"
Elmer's Candid Camera (1939); Elmer Fudd reading the book; "How to photograph wildlife".
Tom Thumb in Trouble (1940); Tom Thumb's Father shooing the Bird out and Tom Thumb's Father calling for Tom.
A Wild Hare (1940); Bugs covering Elmer's eyes and Elmer guessing who.
All This and Rabbit Stew (1941); Bugs' parts coming off while doing a wildtake once he see's the ticked-off African-American hunter.
Horton Hatches the Egg (1942); Horton saying; "Why of all silly things. I haven't feathers, and I haven't wings. Me on your egg? Why it doesn't make sense. Your egg is so small ma'am, and I'm so immense."
Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid (1942); Beaky's mom trying to encourage Beaky to bring her something for dinner but Beaky keeps refusing at the beginning, Bugs tickling Beaky with Beaky's tail feather, and Bugs thinking that he's dead once he hits the ground and starts sobbing until he sees his toes and starts laughing.
Eatin' on the Cuff (1942); The narrator singing; "Now the Moth told the bee; Come on Honey, marry me! And tomorrow's the day that wedding bells should ring. Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! Ding-Dong! Ding! and today's the day that wedding bells should ring!"
A Tale of Two Kitties (1942); Babbitt encouraging Catstello to get the bird near the beginning.
Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarves (1943); So White and Prince Chawmin' dancing in the moonlight.
Tortoise Wins By a Hare (1943); Bugs Bunny disguised as an old man talking to Cecil.
The Wise Quacking Duck (1943); Daffy singing; "I dream of Jeannie", before dodging the ax from Mr. Meek.
A Corny Concerto (1943); Daffy as a duckling swimming away from the mother swan before getting spanked by her.
Falling Hare (1943); The ending.
Fighting Tools (1943); Snafu poking the Nazi in the rear with a riffle before saying; "Ach! What a rifle!"
What's Cookin' Doc (1944); Bugs imitating celebrities in the beginning.
Tick Tock Tuckered (1944); Porky and Daffy's boss warning the two that they will be fired if they're late again.
Booby Traps (1944); Snafu remarking; "Aah! Somethin' New has Been Added!" and Snafu reacting to the bomb boobies.
Russian Rhapsody (1944); The Gremlins scaring Hitler with a mask of Stalin.
Buckaroo Bugs (1944); Bugs watching Red Hot Ryder and mistaking him for a fugitive from the funnies.
Jasper Goes Hunting (1944); Bugs Bunny's cameo.
The Old Grey Hare (1944); Elmer sobbing in the beginning.
Draftee Daffy (1945); The ending.
A Gruesome Twosome (1945); The Jimmy Durante Cat introducing himself to the girl cat.
Tokyo Woes (1945); The bond accidently giving Hook boobs but poofs them away.
Book Revue (1945); Daffy digging out clothes from a trunk and dressing himself and Daffy singing "Cucaracha".
The Hole Idea (1955); The professor making instant holes while his wife keeps scolding him.

Will that help you? Also, be sure to give thanks to me once the reel's done.

[dumontpictures]

Just one little hiccup in the description, Halloween (1931) was actually RKO not Columbia.
Even though it was made in the same Charles Mintz studio.

[No-hdcg]

Note: “Halloween” (1931) was distributed by RKO Radio Pictures not Columbia

[austinj.jenkins]

So great to see ya again.
By the way, where do you find Barn Relief?

[joshh]

Could you make a sequel reel to Bob McKimson? I already made sequel reels to Rod Scribner and Manny Gould.

[edwinarielvillalobos]

0:20 is Rodrick H. Scribner... I think.

Where did you get the good copy of Cracked Quack?