Crusader Rabbit
Encyclopedia
Crusader Rabbit is the first animated series produced specifically for television
. The concept was test marketed in 1948, while the initial episode - Crusader vs. the State of Texas - aired on KNBH in Los Angeles, California
on August 1, 1950.
Studios. Terrytoons preferred to remain in film animation, so Anderson approached Jay Ward to create a partnership, Anderson being in charge of production and Ward to be in charge of arranging financing. Ward became business manager and producer, joining with Anderson to form "Television Arts Productions" in 1947. They tried to sell the series (initially presented as part of a proposed series, The Comic Strips of Television, which also featured an early incarnation of Dudley Do-Right
) to the NBC
television network, which assigned Jerry Fairbanks to be "supervising producer". NBC did not telecast Crusader Rabbit on their network, but allowed Fairbanks to sell the series in national syndication, with many of the NBC affiliates (including New York and Los Angeles) picking it up for local showings. WNBC-TV in New York continued to show the original Crusader Rabbit episodes from 1949 through 1967, and some affiliates used the program as a time filler as late as the 1970s.
The original series had limited animation
, appearing almost as narrated storyboard
s with frequent cuts and minor movement by the characters, much in the style of another early NBC "animation" program Tele-Comics. This was due to the limited budget that producers Jay Ward
and Alex Anderson had to film the series.
Each program began with a title sequence of a mounted knight
galloping across the screen. The episodes then featured a short, usually satirical
, adventure
in the form of a movie serial
, ending with a cliffhanger
.
Crusader Rabbit was originally syndicated from 1950 to 1951, totaling 195 episodes (divided into ten "crusades"), and was re-aired for many years. It featured Crusader Rabbit, his companion Ragland T. Tiger (Rags), and their occasional nemesis - Dudley Nightshade (called Ill-regard Beauregard in a few episodes), and his sidekick Bilious Green. Some episodes also featured Crusader & Rags's friends Garfield the Groundhog and/or Arson & Sterno (two-headed dragons). Ragland Tiger's name came from the jazz
tune "Tiger Rag
" his middle initial "T" stands for The (as in Rags The Tiger), while Dudley Nightshade's was a play on the poison
ous plant, "deadly nightshade
".
The series was revived and 13 new "crusades" (totaling 260 color episodes) were produced in 1957 by Shull Bonsall's Capital Enterprises. Bonsall had bought out Television Arts Productions and gained the rights to Crusader Rabbit, after a long legal battle among Jay Ward and Alex Anderson, Jerry Fairbanks
and NBC over who owned the series. Animation was provided by Bonsall's Creston Studios, also known as "TV Spots, Inc.", supervised by Bob Ganon and Gerald Ray. Bonsall was one of the animators on the original Anderson and Ward episodes. The new series was not seen until early 1959.
Lucille Bliss
provided the voice of Crusader Rabbit in the original series; she was replaced by Ge Ge Pearson in the revived series. Vern Louden played Rags in both. Dudley Nightshade was voiced by Russ Coughlan, and narration was by Roy Whaley.
. In 1985, Rhino Entertainment
released the first two volumes of Crusader Rabbit in a planned home-video release of all the original episodes. However, 20th Century Fox
claimed right by their acquisition of previous owner Metromedia Producers Corporation. No further Rhino releases of Crusader Rabbit were allowed.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. The concept was test marketed in 1948, while the initial episode - Crusader vs. the State of Texas - aired on KNBH in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on August 1, 1950.
History
The concept of an animated series made for television came from animator Alex Anderson, who worked for TerrytoonsTerrytoons
Terrytoons was an animation studio founded by Paul Terry. The studio, located in suburban New Rochelle, New York, operated from 1929 to 1968. Its most popular characters included Mighty Mouse, Gandy Goose, Sourpuss, Dinky Duck, Deputy Dawg, Luno and Heckle and Jeckle; these cartoons and all of its...
Studios. Terrytoons preferred to remain in film animation, so Anderson approached Jay Ward to create a partnership, Anderson being in charge of production and Ward to be in charge of arranging financing. Ward became business manager and producer, joining with Anderson to form "Television Arts Productions" in 1947. They tried to sell the series (initially presented as part of a proposed series, The Comic Strips of Television, which also featured an early incarnation of Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right, created by Alex Anderson, is the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film in the form of the Northern genre....
) to the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television network, which assigned Jerry Fairbanks to be "supervising producer". NBC did not telecast Crusader Rabbit on their network, but allowed Fairbanks to sell the series in national syndication, with many of the NBC affiliates (including New York and Los Angeles) picking it up for local showings. WNBC-TV in New York continued to show the original Crusader Rabbit episodes from 1949 through 1967, and some affiliates used the program as a time filler as late as the 1970s.
The original series had limited animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, appearing almost as narrated storyboard
Storyboard
Storyboards are graphic organizers in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence....
s with frequent cuts and minor movement by the characters, much in the style of another early NBC "animation" program Tele-Comics. This was due to the limited budget that producers Jay Ward
Jay Ward
J Troplong "Jay" Ward was an American creator and producer of animated television cartoons. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, Hoppity Hooper, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, and Super Chicken...
and Alex Anderson had to film the series.
Each program began with a title sequence of a mounted knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
galloping across the screen. The episodes then featured a short, usually satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
in the form of a movie serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
, ending with a cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
.
Crusader Rabbit was originally syndicated from 1950 to 1951, totaling 195 episodes (divided into ten "crusades"), and was re-aired for many years. It featured Crusader Rabbit, his companion Ragland T. Tiger (Rags), and their occasional nemesis - Dudley Nightshade (called Ill-regard Beauregard in a few episodes), and his sidekick Bilious Green. Some episodes also featured Crusader & Rags's friends Garfield the Groundhog and/or Arson & Sterno (two-headed dragons). Ragland Tiger's name came from the jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
tune "Tiger Rag
Tiger Rag
"Tiger Rag" is a jazz standard, originally recorded and copyrighted by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917. It is one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time.-Origins:...
" his middle initial "T" stands for The (as in Rags The Tiger), while Dudley Nightshade's was a play on the poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous plant, "deadly nightshade
Deadly nightshade
Atropa belladonna or Atropa bella-donna, commonly known as Belladonna, Devil's Berries, Death Cherries or Deadly Nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane...
".
The series was revived and 13 new "crusades" (totaling 260 color episodes) were produced in 1957 by Shull Bonsall's Capital Enterprises. Bonsall had bought out Television Arts Productions and gained the rights to Crusader Rabbit, after a long legal battle among Jay Ward and Alex Anderson, Jerry Fairbanks
Jerry Fairbanks
Gerald Bertram "Jerry" Fairbanks was a producer and director in the Hollywood motion picture and television industry....
and NBC over who owned the series. Animation was provided by Bonsall's Creston Studios, also known as "TV Spots, Inc.", supervised by Bob Ganon and Gerald Ray. Bonsall was one of the animators on the original Anderson and Ward episodes. The new series was not seen until early 1959.
Lucille Bliss
Lucille Bliss
Lucille Bliss is an American actress and voice artist. A New York City native, she has appeared in films and on television shows, including The Smurfs as Smurfette, Nickelodeon's Invader ZIM and Walt Disney's Cinderella...
provided the voice of Crusader Rabbit in the original series; she was replaced by Ge Ge Pearson in the revived series. Vern Louden played Rags in both. Dudley Nightshade was voiced by Russ Coughlan, and narration was by Roy Whaley.
Legacy
The success of Crusader Rabbit inspired many more television cartoons series. Jay Ward would later produce The Rocky and Bullwinkle ShowThe Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959 to June 28, 1964 on the ABC and NBC television networks...
. In 1985, Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
released the first two volumes of Crusader Rabbit in a planned home-video release of all the original episodes. However, 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
claimed right by their acquisition of previous owner Metromedia Producers Corporation. No further Rhino releases of Crusader Rabbit were allowed.
First series
The first series aired from 1950 to 1952 through syndication, with 195 episodes produced.Episodes
- Crusader vs. the State of Texas (15 chapters)
- Crusader vs. the Pirates (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Rajah of Rinsewater (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Schmohawk Indians (15 chapters)
- Crusader and the Great Horse Mystery (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Circus (10 chapters)
- Crusader in the Tenth Century (30 chapters)
- Crusader and the Mad Hollywood Scientist (15 chapters)
- Crusader and the Leprechauns (25 chapters)
- Crusader and the Showboat (25 chapters)
Production staff
- Executive Producer: Jerry Fairbanks
- Producers: Jay Ward, Alex Anderson
- Director: Alex Anderson
- Story: Alex Anderson, Joe Curtin, Hal Goodman, Arthur North, Lloyd Turner
- Artists: Alex Anderson, Bob Bastian, Bob Bemiller, Chuck Fusion, Randy Grochoski, Ed King, Ted Martine, Bob Mills, Lee Mishkin, Grim Natwick, Russ Scholl, Jim Scott, John Sparey, Dean Spille, Spaulding White, Volney White
- Camera: Bob Oleson, Jack Williams
- Editor: Tom Stanford
Voices
- Lucille BlissLucille BlissLucille Bliss is an American actress and voice artist. A New York City native, she has appeared in films and on television shows, including The Smurfs as Smurfette, Nickelodeon's Invader ZIM and Walt Disney's Cinderella...
- Crusader Rabbit - Vern Louden - Ragland T. Tiger
- Roy Whaley - Narrator
Second series
The second series premiered in 1957 through syndication, with 260 episodes were produced, 20 "chapters" per episode. They were later edited into 13 one-hour programs.Episodes
- The Great Uranium Hunt (aka Mine Your Own Business)
- The Yukon Adventure (aka Thar's Gold in Them Fills)
- Tales of Schmerwood Forest (aka Crook's Tour)
- West We Forget
- Sahara You
- Gullible's Travels
- Should Auld Acquaintance Be for Cotton (aka Belly Acres Mystery)
- Nothing Atoll
- Scars and Stripes
- Apes of Rath
- Caesar's Salad (aka No Place Like Rome)
- The Great Baseball Mystery (aka Gone With the Wind-Up)
- The Search for the Missing Link
Production Staff
- Executive Producer: Shull Bonsall
- Director: Sam Nicholson
- Animation Director: Bob Bemiller
- Story: Chris Bob HaywardChris HaywardChris Hayward was an American television writer and producer. He was the co-creator, with Allan Burns, of the 1960s television show The Munsters and the creator of Dudley Do-Right....
, Barbara Chain - Story Sketch: Jack Miller
- Music Scoring: Art Becker
- Sound Effects: Ray Erlenborn, Gene Twambley
- Layout: Ed Levitt
- Animators: Alex Ignatiev, Bob MatzBob MatzRobert "Bob" Matz was an American animator. He worked on various animated shorts, films, and television projects, such as Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, The Pink Panther, and The Transformers: The Movie.-1960-1961:...
, Reuben Timmens, Joseph Price, John Sparey, Marv Woodward - Backgrounds: David Weidman, Eleanor Bogardus, Rosemary O'Connor
- Ink and Paint: Martha Buckley, Maggi Alcumbrac
- Production Planning: Dave Hoffman
- Camera: Julian E. Raymond, Ted Bemiller
- Editors: Charles McCann, Norman Vizents
- Production Supervision: Bob Ganon
Voices
- GeGe Pearson - Crusader Rabbit
- Vern Louden - Ragland T. Tiger
- Roy Whaley - Narrator
- Russ Coughlan - Dudley Nightshade
In other media
- There were two Dell PublishingDell PublishingDell Publishing, an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte, Jr.During the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, Dell was one of the largest publishers of magazines, including pulp magazines. Their line of humor magazines included 1000 Jokes, launched in...
comic books featuring Crusader Rabbit and Rags. - In the graphic novel, Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom, after C.B. Maroon (actually Judge Doom) fires Roger, he tells his secretary, "Get me that other rabbit. You know, the one that has a tiger for a buddy." in reference to Crusader Rabbit.