Leon Schlesinger Productions

A Day at the Zoo is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Tex Avery for Leon Schlesinger Productions, distributed by Warner Bros. The short features a series of rapid-fire gags set at a zoo, with Egghead as a hapless visitor who provokes the animals. Avery's trademark pacing and absurdist humor are on full display, building to a typically explosive punchline. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

A Lecture on Camouflage is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, written by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel). Using Snafu as an example, Technical Fairy First Class teaches the methods of effective camouflage in a typically irreverent Snafu short, building to a famously shocking ending. As a U.S. government work produced for the Army Signal Corps, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Educational

A Tale of Two Kitties is a 1942 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions. It features two hungry cats, Babbit and Catstello — parodies of the comedy team Abbott and Costello — who scheme to catch a baby bird in a nest atop a high telephone pole. The bird is Tweety, making his first-ever appearance (then called "Orson"), who would go on to become one of Warner Bros.' most enduring characters. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu blunders through a booby-trapped North African landscape, ignoring every warning about hidden explosives until the traps teach him their lessons the hard way. A Bob Clampett-directed Army training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu resents having his mail censored by the Army and wishes for a free hand to tell all, only to learn that his loose letters leak secrets straight to the enemy. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Coming!! Snafu is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This is the very first Snafu short, serving as an introduction to the bumbling soldier character. The cartoon sets the template for the series: Snafu demonstrates exactly what NOT to do in military situations, with humorous consequences. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

A narrator introduces a moth who falls ravenously in love with a glamorous female performer, with comic results blending live action and animation. A Bob Clampett-directed Warner Bros. short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu learns the hard way that a soldier is only as good as his equipment, as he neglects his weapons and pays the price on the front lines. A Bob Clampett-directed Private Snafu training short featuring a Daffy Duck cameo. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A parade of fairy-tale characters gets the Looney Tunes treatment, from a lazy Grasshopper who refuses to fiddle to a Cinderella whose glass slipper shatters. A Friz Freleng-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Family

A fox reads that fox fur is the latest fashion rage and, mistaking popularity for affection, eagerly turns himself in to a furrier, with predictably comic results. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu tosses away his gas mask, confident that poison gas will never reach him, until a surreal gas attack proves him catastrophically wrong. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short with a Bugs Bunny cameo. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu goes on leave and can't stop blabbing military secrets to everyone back home, with disastrous consequences for his unit. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short written by Dr. Seuss. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A naive prospector heads west to seek his fortune in the Gold Rush, finding more calamity than gold in a landscape of gags. A Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Western

A Merrie Melodies short directed by Rudolf Ising, and the first appearance of Goopy Geer, a tall, lanky piano-playing dog who entertains patrons at a nightclub. The cartoon is built around the Herman Hupfeld title song, with gags involving a gorilla waiter, a drunk horse seeing hallucinations in a mirror, and a chicken swimming in soup before it is served. Goopy Geer appeared in only three shorts before fading into obscurity, but the character remains a charming artifact of the early Merrie Melodies era when each cartoon was built around a song. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Music

Private Snafu grumbles about army life until a magical fairy grants his wish to be in charge, with predictably disastrous results. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A talent show at the local theater goes hilariously off the rails as a parade of amateur performers, including an early Elmer Fudd, bumble through their acts. A Tex Avery-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

When a bookstore closes for the night, the characters from its literary classics spring to life in a musical extravaganza featuring caricatures of Hollywood personalities. A Frank Tashlin-directed Merrie Melodies short with Mel Blanc. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Music

A pair of Scottish rabbits bedevil a gullible American tourist duck named Claude Hopper in this wartime Looney Tunes short. A Norman McCabe-directed Leon Schlesinger production. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu finds himself in a literal hot spot when he is transported to a devilish atlas come to life, with Bugs Bunny making a brief cameo. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A young parrot insists he wants to be a sailor despite his parents' protests, setting sail in a washtub with predictably stormy results. A Tex Avery-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

Private Snafu is stationed on the cold, remote Aleutian Islands, where boredom and isolation prove as dangerous as the enemy. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

It's Murder She Says is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In this installment, Snafu becomes the victim of a murder mystery aboard a military base, with the cartoon using the whodunit format to deliver its instructional message about military security and vigilance. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Jungle Jitters is a 1938 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A traveling salesman arrives at an African village and tries to sell his wares to the locals, only to encounter their queen who has romantic designs on him. The short is one of the "Censored Eleven" — Warner Bros. cartoons withheld from distribution due to racial stereotyping. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

Lady, Play Your Mandolin! is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising — the first entry in the Merrie Melodies series and Ising's solo directorial debut. Set in a Mexican cantina, the short features a drunken horseman who arrives at a saloon where a beautiful senorita plays the mandolin. The cartoon was intended to promote Warner Bros.' newly acquired music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Private Snafu vs. Malaria Mike is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu is stationed in a jungle where a malaria-carrying mosquito named Malaria Mike targets him as his next victim. The cartoon was part of a series of instructional films designed to teach soldiers about malaria prevention in tropical theaters. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Meet John Doughboy is a 1941 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Bob Clampett for Leon Schlesinger Productions, featuring Porky Pig. Porky tours a military training camp and observes the preparations of the "Doughboys" — American soldiers — as they train for service. The short was part of a wave of patriotic cartoons produced before the United States entered World War II. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy

No Buddy Atoll is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu finds himself stranded on a tropical island, where he believes he has found a companion — only to discover that his new "buddy" is actually a Japanese sniper. The cartoon is one of the later Snafu shorts, produced near the end of World War II. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

One More Time is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger Productions. The short features a police dog character named Foxy (similar to Mickey Mouse) who sings and dances through a musical adventure. The cartoon was part of the early Merrie Melodies series, which Warner Bros. used to promote its music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Operation Snafu is a 1945 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. In this dialogue-free short, Snafu does something right for once — he personally steals Japanese war plans and captures Tojo himself. The cartoon is one of the final Snafu shorts, released near the end of World War II. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Payday is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu receives his first paycheck and must decide what to do with his newfound wealth, learning lessons about financial responsibility and the dangers of gambling. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Pigs in a Polka is a 1943 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A parody of Disney's Three Little Pigs, the short retells the familiar story set to the music of Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances. The Big Bad Wolf uses various disguises to trick the pigs, with the classical music underscore driving the comedy. The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoon). The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Musical

Prest-O Change-O is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Two curious dogs wander into a magician's house and encounter a series of magical transformations, including a two-headed dog and other surreal creatures. The short is an early example of Jones's developing style, blending Disney-esque charm with the anarchic humor that would later define his work. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Fantasy

Puss n' Booty is a 1943 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A woman is distraught because her pet cats keep mysteriously disappearing, and she hires a mouse investigator to solve the case. The short is a film noir parody with a surprising twist ending. Tashlin's live-action-influenced directorial style is evident throughout. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Mystery

Robin Hood Makes Good is a 1939 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Three young animals play at being Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but when a real fox villain appears, they discover that pretend heroics are very different from the real thing. The short is an early Chuck Jones work, showing his developing storytelling sensibility. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Adventure

Rumors is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu overhears a rumor about an impending enemy attack and spreads it through the camp, demonstrating how rumors can spiral out of control and damage morale and military effectiveness. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

Saps in Chaps is a 1942 Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions. A Western-themed gag cartoon featuring sagebrush sight gags and wild west wackiness, with horses, cowboys, and desert humor. The short was the last black-and-white Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Freleng. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Comedy · Western

The very first Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. Bosko, a cheerful, rubber-limbed character, sings the title song in his bathtub before a series of gags involving his car, his girlfriend Honey, and a goat. The short established the formula for the early Looney Tunes: a song-based cartoon built around Bosko, animated in the round, fluid style that Harman and Ising had developed at Disney. The title tune, "Sinkin' in the Bathtub," was the first of many popular songs the series would showcase. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy · Music

Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! is a 1931 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger Productions. The short features Foxy, an early Mickey Mouse-like character, who rides a streetcar and encounters various musical passengers. The cartoon is notable as one of the earliest Merrie Melodies entries, part of the series that Warner Bros. used to promote songs from their music catalog. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Musical · Comedy

Snafuperman is a 1944 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Friz Freleng for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. A Superman parody, the short features Snafu gaining superpowers after reading a comic book, only to bumble his way through a mission with his usual incompetence. The cartoon includes a brief cameo appearance by Superman himself (as "Super-Snafu"). As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy · Parody

So Much for So Little is a 1949 educational animated short directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions. Produced for the Federal Security Agency Public Health Service, the cartoon advocates for public health spending, arguing that a few cents per person per year can prevent disease and save lives. The short was theatrically screened and won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · Educational

Spies is a 1943 Private Snafu cartoon directed by Chuck Jones for Leon Schlesinger Productions, produced for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Snafu inadvertently leaks military secrets to enemy spies through careless behavior, demonstrating the dangers of loose lips. The cartoon features a memorable sequence where Snafu is pursued through a nightmarish landscape of espionage. As a U.S. government work, the film is in the public domain.

Animation · War · Comedy

A Private Snafu training short directed by Frank Tashlin for Leon Schlesinger Productions, commissioned by the US Army Signal Corps during World War II. An armada of malaria-laden mosquitoes trains like a military squadron and attacks American troops, finding Private Snafu woefully unprepared with his mosquito netting and repellent. The cartoon was part of a series written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel and voiced by Mel Blanc, designed to teach soldiers about hygiene and discipline through humor that was too risqué for civilian audiences. The film is in the public domain as a US government work.

Animation · Short · Comedy · War

Private Snafu learns the importance of not wasting food, as his gluttony in the mess hall leads to a surreal lesson in military discipline. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Three pranking brothers at Pimento University must rescue their sweetheart Dora Standpipe from the villainous Dan Backslide. A Chuck Jones-directed Merrie Melodies short, considered a landmark in animation for its limited-animation style and breakneck pacing. The film entered the public domain in 1970 through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy

A duck farm becomes a parody of Axis powers as a Hitler-duck, Mussolini-goose, and Hirohito-duck rise to power, until a peaceful dove finally has enough. A Norman McCabe-directed Looney Tunes wartime propaganda short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

A sinister mouse agitator infiltrates a peaceful mouse community and turns them against each other, a parable for fascist fifth-column subversion during World War II. A Friz Freleng-directed Merrie Melodies short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu learns the hard way that goldbricking—shirking duty and faking illness—has consequences when his laziness gives the enemy an opening. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Mr. Hook cartoon made for the U.S. Navy, in which the sailor Hook dreams of the girl he left stateside and the egg that represents his future happiness. A Chuck Jones-directed Warner Bros. wartime short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A starving cat wanders into a haunted house hoping to catch a mouse, only to find the mouse is a ghost who torments him with supernatural gags. A Tex Avery-directed Looney Tunes short. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · Horror

Private Snafu imagines what his family is doing back home, picturing a carefree civilian life that contrasts sharply with his own hardships, until reality sets in. A Frank Tashlin-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu endures the grueling marches, drills, and discomforts of infantry life, learning that the blues of the foot soldier are the foundation of military victory. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu is stationed on a remote island outpost, where isolation and boredom lead him into typical Snafu-style trouble. A Chuck Jones-directed Private Snafu training short. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Sailor Mr. Hook regales his skeptical shipmates with his post-war plans, funded by his diligent war bond purchases, convincing them to invest too. A Robert McKimson-directed Mr. Hook short, his first directorial credit. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

Private Snafu's three brothers—Tarfu, Fubar, and the Technical Fairy—each demonstrate a different branch of military service, with Bugs Bunny making a cameo appearance. A Friz Freleng-directed Private Snafu training short written by Dr. Seuss. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A satirical tour of wartime Japan, lampooning Japanese military culture, propaganda, and industry through a series of blackout gags. A Norman McCabe-directed Looney Tunes propaganda short, his final Warner Bros. cartoon before being drafted. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Animation · Comedy · War

Mr. Hook battles the propaganda of Tokyo Rose, who tries to convince sailors not to buy war bonds, by firing a shell carrying a sentient war bond to Japan. A Bob Clampett-directed Mr. Hook short made for the U.S. Navy. The film entered the public domain as a U.S. government work.

Animation · Comedy · War

A Looney Tunes wartime cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, set on a farm where the animals are preparing for World War II in a series of blackout skits. A narrator tours the barnyard, finding chickens rationing feed, a horse collecting scrap metal, and a duck dodging air raid drills. The gags are disconnected and rapid-fire, mixing patriotic messaging with Clampett's characteristic absurdity. Released July 11, 1942, the short was produced by Leon Schlesinger for Warner Bros. and is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy

A Merrie Melodies short directed by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. A crowd of animals and humans gathers at a carnival, where gags pile up around a merry-go-round, a sideshow, and a fireworks finale. The title song, like all early Merrie Melodies, is the real point of the cartoon, with the animation built around showcasing the tune. The short is a time capsule of early sound animation, made when Warner Bros. was still finding its footing in the cartoon business. The film is in the public domain.

Animation · Short · Comedy