Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of films. Though he made only three theatrical appearances, Cecil is remarkable in that he is one of the very few characters who was actually able to consistently best Warners' studio star, Bugs Bunny. In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Tortoise Beats Hare is a 1941 Looney Tunes animated short directed by Tex Avery. ... An animator is one who is involved in the process of animation. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ... Robert Emerson Bob Clampett (May 8, 1913–May 4, 1984) was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... Isadore Friz Freleng (August 21, 1906[1]–May 26, 1995) was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Melvin Jerome Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was a prolific American voice actor, performing on radio, in television commercials, and most famously, in hundreds of cartoon shorts for Warner Bros. ... Joe Alaskey (born May 26, 1949 in Watervliet, New York) is credited as one of the successors (including Billy West) of the great Mel Blanc in impersonating the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other characters from Warner Bros. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... A cartoon is any of several forms of illustrations with varied meanings that evolved from its original meaning. ... Warner Bros. ... Looney Tunes opening title Looney Tunes is a Warner Brothers animated cartoon series which ran in many movie theatres from 1930 to 1969. ... Merrie Melodies end title Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. ... Bugs Bunny is an Academy Award-winning animated rabbit who appears in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated films produced by Warner Bros. ...

Tortoise Beats Hare

Animator Tex Avery introduced Cecil in the short Tortoise Beats Hare, released on March 15, 1941. Even from the cartoon's opening titles, Avery lets on that Bugs Bunny is about to meet his match. Bugs wanders onto the screen munching his obligatory carrot and absent-mindedly begins reading the title card, grossly mispronouncing all of the credits, such as [əˈvɛɹɪ] for "Avery" rather than the correct [ˈeɪvəɹɪ]. When he finally gets to the title itself, he becomes outraged, tears apart the title card, and rushes to Cecil Turtle's house. He then bets the little, sleepy-eyed turtle ten dollars that he can beat him in a race. Tortoise Beats Hare is a 1941 Looney Tunes animated short directed by Tex Avery. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ... Short subject is an American film industry term that historically has referred to any film in the format of two reels, or approximately 20 minutes running time, or less. ... Tortoise Beats Hare is a 1941 Looney Tunes animated short directed by Tex Avery. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... For other uses, see Turtle (disambiguation). ... A race is a competition of speed. ...

Cecil accepts Bugs' bet and quickly (for him, anyway) calls up Chester Turtle and eight other cousins, all of whom look and sound like Cecil (some have deeper voices, some have higher voices). After talking to Chester about the bet, he tells him to call the other cousins and tell them to be ready when he comes to their position, and to "give him the works". Fade to black (he possibly says goodbye and hangs up). The race begins several days later, and as Bugs runs relentlessly toward the finish line, Cecil and his relatives take turns showing up at just the right moment to baffle the bunny. In the end, Bugs is convinced he has won, only to see Cecil (or one of his kin) across the finish demanding the money. Bugs suggests that he has been tricked, and all ten turtles approach and reply, "It's a possibility!" Voice actor Mel Blanc supplies Cecil's drowsy drawl, which is like a slowed-down version of Blanc's later characterization of Barney Rubble. The trickster figure Reynard the Fox as depicted in an 1869 childrens book by Michel Rodange. ... A voice actor (also a voice artist) is a person who provides voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... Melvin Jerome Blanc (May 30, 1908 – July 10, 1989) was a prolific American voice actor, performing on radio, in television commercials, and most famously, in hundreds of cartoon shorts for Warner Bros. ... Barney Rubble. ...

"Tortoise Beats Hare" is, of course, a take off of the Aesop fable "The Tortoise and the Hare". But even more directly, it is Avery's parody of the 1934 Disney Silly Symphony, The Tortoise and the Hare. Interestingly, Max Hare from the earlier Disney film is often cited as one of the inspirations behind Bugs Bunny. Aesop, as depicted in the Nuremberg Chronicle by Hartmann Schedel in 1493. ... For a comparison of fable with other kinds of stories, see Myth, legend, fairy tale, and fable. ... The Tortoise and the Hare, illustrated by Milo Winter in a 1919 Aesop anthology The Tortoise and the Hare, illustrated in a 1921 story anthology The Tortoise and the Hare is a fable attributed to Aesop. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Silly Symphonies is a series of cartoons made by Walt Disney Productions. ...

Avery left Warner Bros. before he could produce any new cartoons featuring Cecil. However, he introduced a similar character in 1943 named Droopy Dog. Droopy would even take some of his tricks from his slow-and-steady predecessor, such as using his relatives to help him outsmart a wolf. Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A standard Droopy opening title card from the early 1950s. ... Wolf Wolf Man Mount Wolf Wolf Prizes Wolf Spider Wolf 424 Wolf 359 Wolf Point Wolf-herring Frank Wolf Friedrich Wolf Friedrich August Wolf Hugo Wolf Johannes Wolf Julius Wolf Max Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf Maximilian Wolf Rudolf Wolf Thomas Wolf As Name Wolf Breidenbach Wolf Hirshorn Other The call...

Tortoise Wins by a Hare

Bob Clampett took Avery's scenario and altered it for his film Tortoise Wins by a Hare released on February 20, 1943. The title is an appropriate pun on "hair". Bugs again challenges Cecil to a race after viewing footage from their previous encounter two years earlier (which seems to depict Cecil as having won fairly instead of by cheating Bugs with his cousins). Bugs then goes to Cecil's tree home disguised as an old man (a parody of Bill Thompson's "Old Timer" character from Fibber McGee and Molly) to ask the turtle his secret. Cecil, not in the least bit fooled by the disguise, remarks that his streamlined shell lets him win, and produces a set of blueprints for his "air-flow chassis". The turtle ends the conversation with the comment, "Oh, and another thing... Rabbits aren't very bright, either!" just before slamming the door in the enraged bunny's face. Not getting the hint that the turtle's story is a humbug, Bugs builds the device and prepares for the race. Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... Robert Emerson Bob Clampett (May 8, 1913–May 4, 1984) was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bill Thompson (July 8, 1913 – July 15, 1971) was an American radio actor and voice actor whose career stretched from the 1930s until his death. ... Jim and Marian Jordan were featured in 1947 NBC promotional art by Sam Berman. ... Various seashells Danielle A shell is the hard, rigid outer covering, or integument, allanimals. ... Look up Chassis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up humbug in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Meanwhile, the bunny mob learns of the upcoming match-up and places all its bets on Bugs. ("In fact, we don't even think that the toitle will finish... Do we, boys?" "Duh, no, Boss, no!") The race begins, and Bugs still outpaces his reptilian rival. However, in his new get-up, the dim-witted gangsters mistake him for the turtle. Cecil reinforces this misconception by dressing in a gray rabbit suit and munching on some delicious carrots. The mobsters thus make the shelled Bugs' run a nightmare, ultimately giving the race to Cecil (in an aside to the audience, as the rabbits cheer him, Cecil remarks, "I told you rabbits aren't very bright!"). When Bugs removes the chassis and sobbingly reveals that he's the rabbit, the rabbit gangsters remark, in mock-Bugsy style, "Ehhh, now he tells us!" and commit suicide by shooting themselves with a single bullet that goes through the sides of all of their apparently soft heads. (It should be noted that the final gag is often cut when shown on basic cable television but can be found uncut on both the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1 The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra), is an Italian criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ... Binomial name L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Cable television in the United States is a common form of television delivery, generally by subscription. ...

Rabbit Transit

Cecil in Rabbit Transit

Cecil and Bugs would have one final match up in Friz Freleng's cartoon, Rabbit Transit, released on May 10, 1947. The title is a play of Rapid Transit. Unlike Tortoise Wins by a Hare, this cartoon presumes that Bugs and Cecil have never met before now. While relaxing in a steam bath, Bugs reads about the original fable and, as he did reading the credits of Tortoise Beats Hare, becomes incensed at the idea of a turtle outrunning a rabbit. Cecil, also in the steam bath, claims that he could outrun Bugs, prompting Bugs to challenge him to a race (again, as in Tortoise Beats Hare, although at least here Bugs receives some provocation). This time, Bugs and Cecil agree to no cheating. Cecil, however, quickly reveals that his shell is now rocket propelled, allowing him to go a surprising combination between fast and slow. Bugs does his best to steal, dismantle, and destroy the device, but all to little effect. In the end, however, Bugs does manage to top the turtle and crosses the finish line first. Nevertheless, it is Cecil who has the last laugh when he rooks the rabbit into confessing to "doing 100 easy" -- in a 30-miles-per-hour zone. Bugs is taken away by the police to enjoy his victory -- behind bars. Cecil closes out the cartoon by saying Bugs' famous line, "Ain't I a...um...stinker?". Iris-out. Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Cecil060. ... Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... Isadore Friz Freleng (August 21, 1906[1]–May 26, 1995) was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros. ... Cecil Turtle is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A rapid transit, underground, subway, tube, elevated, or metro(politan) system is a railway—usually in an urban area—with a high capacity and frequency of service, and grade separation from other traffic. ... “Cheater” redirects here. ... A remote camera captures a close-up view of a Space Shuttle Main Engine during a test firing at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi Spacecraft propulsion is used to change the velocity of spacecraft and artificial satellites, or in short, to provide delta-v. ... A speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law by vehicles on a road. ... In film editing, a wipe is a gradual spatial transition from one image to another. ...

Other appearances

The Warners directors retired Cecil after his third showdown with Bugs. Nevertheless, Cecil has made occasional cameos in later projects. He is seen briefly in the 1996 film Space Jam and the 2003 DVD Looney Tunes: Reality Check, his voice now provided by Joe Alaskey. He also features in some issues of the Looney Tunes comic book. Since its first use in 1851, a cameo role or cameo appearance has been a brief appearance in a play (or later, a movie) that stands out against the general context for its éclat or dramatic punch. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joe Alaskey (born May 26, 1949 in Watervliet, New York) is credited as one of the successors (including Billy West) of the great Mel Blanc in impersonating the voices of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other characters from Warner Bros. ...

Trivia

-Comedian and ventriloquist, Ron Lucas patterned one of his characters, George the Turtle (especially the voice), after Cecil Ventriloquism is an act of deception in which a person (ventriloquist) manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere. ...

External links

• Cecil image gallery
• WAV file of Cecil's voice