Chuck Jones

Animator
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his three-hour Archive interview, Chuck Jones (1912-2002) fondly recalls creating notable Looney Tunes characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, Wile E. Coyote and Road-Runner. He speaks about attending art school, outlines the early days of Hollywood's animation industry in the 1930s and recounts joining the Leon Schlesinger studio in 1933. He discusses Schelsinger's sale of the studio to Warner Brothers, comments on his brief tenure at Walt Disney's studio, and speaks of creating training films with Dr. Seuss during World War II. Jones describes the basics of the animation process, the importance of story, and the challenges of directing a cartoon, and speaks in depth about directing the successful 1967 television special, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Tom Sito conducted the interview in Orange County, CA on June 17, 1998.

"The difference between Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny is very simple. Bugs is a comic hero. Daffy is a comic loser. And if you'll think about the history of all comics, you find that most of them fall into the latter category."

Interviewee(s)
Chuck Jones
Highlights
Chuck Jones on Bugs Bunny's character
Chuck Jones on the difference between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on voiceover master Mel Blanc
Chuck Jones on on the creation of Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"- sung by the man who voiced "Tony the Tiger"
Chuck Jones on convincing Dr. Seuss to allow How the Grinch Stole Christmas to come to television; on getting Boris Karloff to narrate How the Grinch Stole Christmas; on putting memories of his childhood dog into "Max" the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Full Interview

Chapter 1
On his childhood and early influences; on growing up in Southern California; on growing up across from Chaplin studios; on attending art school at the Chouinard Art Institute; on being an avid reader when he was young and skipping three grades in school
On cartoons that influenced him; on his time at art school; on pep talks from his uncle when he second guessed his talent; on the importance of understanding bone structure and musculature for drawing; on the "thoughtful line"
On working for Tex Avery; on working for Ub Iwerks - the animator for Mickey Mouse; on washing cells for Iwerks; on "in-betweeners"

Chapter 2
On Walt Disney and Walt Lantz; on composer Carl Stalling and Walt Disney's early films; on becoming a painter, then inker for Iwerks; on drawing portraits; on assisting the Yale puppeteers; on drawing figures so they have weight; on Disney's early success in shorts - Brave Little Tailor and Three Little Pigs
On working for Leon Schlesinger; on animator Friz Freleng; on how talented people attract other talented people to the workplace; on animation director Bob Clampett; on William Randolph Hearst's love of cartoons; on the production schedule for early animated short films - films with no edits

Chapter 3
On producing six-minute shorts; on test reels; on cleaning up dialogue; on "Bugs Bunny's" catch phrase "What's up, doc?"; on voiceover master Mel Blanc; on the first short he directed, The Night Watchman; on Merrie Melodies
On music and sound effects for cartoons - by Carl Stalling and Treg Brown; on film distribution and block booking; on an idea for a short by Friz Freleng that was tied to the era; on the writers with whom he worked - Tedd Pierce, Michael Maltese, and Friz Freleng
On the creation of "Daffy Duck"; on "Bugs Bunny's" catch phrase "What's up, doc?" - on where the "doc" came from, and how "Bugs Bunny" got his name

Chapter 4
On his characters always being in the process of learning; on Bugs Bunny's character; on helping to organize the Cartoonist's Guild; on the creation of Daffy Duck; on the difference between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
On World War II and working with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) on cartoon war films starring "Private Snafu"; on Leon Schlesinger selling his studio to Warner Brothers; on poor management after the sale to Warner Brothers; on 1963 being a pivotal year; on meeting the Warner brothers; on the studio closing and his move to Disney; on Warner wanting to do pictures in 3D; on working on Sleeping Beauty at Disney

Chapter 5
On leaving Disney for Warner Brothers; on moving to MGM; on stitching together shorts for the Bugs Bunny Show on television; on knowing his job was to make people laugh; on Saturday morning cartoons; on the life of a cartoon film being 3 years before television extended their lives; on the first time he saw television; on working on Tom and Jerry cartoons at MGM
Chuck Jones on convincing Dr. Seuss to allow How the Grinch Stole Christmas to come to television; on getting Boris Karloff to narrate How the Grinch Stole Christmas; on putting memories of his childhood dog into "Max" the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas
On the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch"; on being a consultant for Sesame Street; on his own company and making The Jungle Book movies and how they differed from Disney's; on serving as VP of Children's Programming for ABC TV; on winning awards

Chapter 6
On 1971's Bugs Bunny show; on admiring Richard Williams and getting involved in the British version of A Christmas Carol; on the state on animation in 1998 (when the interview was conducted); on the importance of short films in training animators; on advice to an aspiring animator
On people with whom he's worked; on his wife, Marian Jones; on Pepe Le Pew; on Wile E. Coyote
Shows

Bugs Bunny Show, The

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Chuck Jones on "Bugs'" catch phrase "What's up, doc?"
Chuck Jones on stitching together shorts for the Bugs Bunny Show on television
Chuck Jones on 1971's Bugs Bunny show

Curiosity Shop

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Chuck Jones on serving as VP of Children's Programming for ABC TV

Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

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Chuck Jones on How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Sesame Street

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Chuck Jones on being a consultant for Sesame Street

Tom and Jerry

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Chuck Jones on Tom and Jerr y cartoons and '60s cartoon shows
Topics

Characters & Catchphrases

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Chuck Jones on the creation of "Daffy Duck"; on "Bugs Bunny's" catch phrase "What's up, doc?" - on where the "doc" came from, and how "Bugs Bunny" got his name
Chuck Jones on the difference between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on the creation of Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on Pepe Le Pew and confidence; on the difference between nude and naked
Chuck Jones on Wile E. Coyote and the parody of a chase

Memorable Moments on Television

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Chuck Jones on How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Pop Culture

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Chuck Jones on How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Professions

Animation Professionals

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Chuck Jones on directing for the first time, on The Night Watchman

Animator

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Chuck Jones on wanting to be an artist

Executives

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Chuck Jones on serving as VP of Children's Programming for ABC TV
Genres

Animation

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Chuck Jones on the creation of "Daffy Duck" and how "Bugs Bunny" got his name
Chuck Jones on the difference between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on the creation of Daffy Duck
Chuck Jones on How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Chuck Jones on 1971's Bugs Bunny show
People

Tex Avery

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Chuck Jones on working for animator Tex Avery
Chuck Jones on "Bugs'" catch phrase "What's up, doc?" - on where the "doc" came from, and how "Bugs Bunny" got his name
Chuck Jones on the creation of Daffy Duck - and using Leon Schlesinger's for the character

Mel Blanc

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Chuck Jones on voiceover master Mel Blanc; on Blanc doing "Daffy Duck's" "you're despicable"

Frank Capra

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Chuck Jones on the difference between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck

Charlie Chaplin

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Chuck Jones on growing up 2 blocks from Charlies Chaplin's studios

Bob Clampett

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Animator Chuck Jones on animation director Bob Clampett

Philip Deguard

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Chuck Jones on animator Phil Degard

Walt Disney

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Animator Chuck Jones on Walt Disney
Chuck Jones on leaving Disney because everything needed Walt Disney's approval

June Foray

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Chuck Jones on voiceover artist June Foray - "Cindy Lou Who"

Friz Freleng

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Animator Chuck Jones on animator Friz Freleng
Chuck Jones on an idea for a short by Friz Freleng that's tied to the era
Chuck Jones on working with Tedd Pierce, Michael Maltese, and Friz Freleng
Chuck Jones on Friz Freleng and why 1963 was a pivotal year; on meeting the Warner brothers
Chuck Jones on 1971's Bugs Bunny show

Theodor Seuss Geisel

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Chuck Jones on working with Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) on cartoon war films starring "Private Snafu"
Chuck Jones on How the Grinch Stole Christmas - - securing a sponsor for the program, getting Boris Karloff to narrate, and extending the story in the book

Boris Karloff

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Chuck Jones on getting Boris Karloff to narrate How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Walter Lantz

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Chuck Jones on animator Walter Lantz

Maurice Noble

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Chuck Jones on animator Maurice Noble

Leon Schlesinger

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Animator Chuck Jones on Leon Schlesinger and the animators he hired
Chuck Jones on Leon Schlesinger wanting to make six-minute films
Chuck Jones on helping to organize the Cartoonist's Guild
Chuck Jones on the creation of Daffy Duck - and using Leon Schlesinger's for the character
Chuck Jones on Leon Schlesinger selling his studio to Warner Brothers

Carl Stalling

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Chuck Jones on sound man Carl Stalling

Richard Williams

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Chuck Jones on admiring Richard Williams and getting involved in the British version of A Christmas Carol

All Interviews

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