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The Power Of A Flying Pig: Carl Stalling, Looney Tunes, And America's Need For Escape., Jordan Virginia Clark

Wayne State University Theses

This thesis examines the creation of Looney Tunes cartoons and how the powerful pairing of music and animation created a convincing reality and escape for audiences. Looney Tunes was created in 1933 by Warner Brothers animation under the stipulation that one song from a Warner Brothers feature film was used in each short. In 1936 the company hired composer Carl Stalling, who worked closely with the animation directors, progressively learning how to better pair music and animation. Stalling often used familiar popular, classical, and folk melodies within his compositions. An analysis of the Looney Tunes short “Speaking of the Weather” …