Music in Cartoons

In the days when cartoons were still cartoons ie: Tom and Jerry, Popeye and Bugs Bunny, music and more specifically classical music, was a big part of the whole production. It relates back to my previous blog about how music is sometimes all that is necessary when interpretation is needed. 

Tom and Jerry have long since sufficed the ages and all this nonsense where cartoons become like Soapies and simply re-enact everything. Quite frankly this is doing the medium an injustice. We want wonder, we want fantasy, we want the impossible re-enacted for our amusement. We, as kids, long enjoyed the silent but loud pictures of 'old school' cartoons and we laughed as well, in fact louder because we were made to find out the punchline ourselves. 

Even the intro for Looney Tunes is exciting and sets your eyes a little wider for what is to come. The intro is always the same for Looney Tunes albeit there are many different characters and story-lines.  What a  good marketing strategy that was for getting kids to hear the TV blaring in the living room, hear the catchy Looney Tunes jingle and make a run for the best seat nearest the Television Set (remember). 

The use of Classical Music in cartoons I believe provides the script -  with the script. There is so much variation and affects that can be played to heighten a scene or an act where Tom the cat is underway in his never ending quest to capture Jerry the mouse (did anyone ever see the end of that?). Why would you insert a whole dialogue and ruin 'le jeu dans instant' or denoument. Just looking at all the videos on Youtube takes me back to the excitement I felt whenever I watched one of the gems, and in fact I still feel excited, I'm excited!