History Of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time

Published in 1994, the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons took the opinions of 1000 animation professionals in compiling the best cartoons ever made.  But would animation fans ever be able to see all of these cartoons???

The Cartoon Network in 1998 on 3/14/98 aired an 8 hour plus special counting down their list of the top 50 cartoons.  Overall, this special was a blessing to animation fans everywhere.  Some rarely seen cartoons were shown ("Bambi Meets Godzilla," "Quasi at the Quackadero," "Gertie The Dinosaur," and three Film Board of Canada shorts).  In between the cartoons were some highly informative interviews with Leonard Maltin, Chuck Jones, Joe Barbera, and Maurice Noble.  There were a few problems with this special, however.  Because animation from certain studios were unattainable (Disney, UPA), this list does not reflect the all time greatest cartoons as in the original book.  Some Warner Bros. shorts were not shown due to contractual problems with ABC and Nickolodeon. And then there was the interview with Leonard Maltin, talking about the great black & white cartoon "A Dream Walking", which was followed by the COLORIZED version of the cartoon.

In 1999, the Cartoon Network once again aired a top 50 cartoons program.  But this list was significantly different than the one used in 1998.  There appeared to be no attempt to keep the spirit of the original list from the book.  Apparently trying to cater to a younger audience, some historically important cartoons shown the year before were left out in favor of "less mature" material (there was no "Gertie The Dinosaur," "The Dover Boys," or "Peace On Earth"). In between the cartoons there was new animation that was more silly than informative.  The inclusion of a couple of Cartoon Network originals next to classic MGM and Warner Bros. shorts was almost sacreligious.  And why was one part of a Rocky & Bullwinkle serial included? There were some surprises, however, such as the UPA short "Gerald McBoing Boing", "Porky In Wackyland" and a black & white "A Dream Walking".

The Cartoon Network did not air a "best of" or "greatest" special in 2000, but on April 14, 2001, the network ran a "Best We Got" marathon of Warner Bros. 64 cartoons over a ten hour period. Many cartoons were edited, the black & white selections were colorized, and of course, there was no "Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs." "Ali Baba Bunny" and "You Ought To Be In Pictures" were the other WB cartoons from the original list not included in the marathon. Overall, it was perhaps the best general collection of Warner Bros. cartoons aired together, although everyone has their favorites that were not shown.

Click the links below to see each list:

The 50 Greatest Cartoons
The Cartoons Network's 50 Greatest Cartoons 3/14/1998
The Cartoons Network's 50 Greatest Cartoons 3/20/1999
Cartoons in the book not shown on either Cartoon Network show
Cartoons not in the book shown on Cartoon Network
Cartoons on all three lists
The Cartoon Network's "Best We Got" Marathon of 64 Warner Bros. cartoons 4/14/2001

The 50 Greatest Cartoons
from The 50 Greatest Cartoons  by Jerry Beck (ed.) (Atlanta, Turner Publishing, 1994) ISBN# 1-878685-49-X

1. What's Opera Doc (Warner Bros./1957)
2. Duck Amuck (Warner Bros./1953)
3. The Band Concert (Disney/1935)
4. Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (Warner Bros./1953)
5. One Froggy Evening (Warner Bros./1956)
6. Gertie The Dinosaur (McCay)
7. Red Hot Riding Hood (MGM/1943)
8. Porky In Wackyland (Warner Bros./1938)
9. Gerald McBoing Boing (UPA/1951)
10. King-Size Canary (MGM/1947)
11. Three Little Pigs (Disney/1933)
12. Rabbit of Seville (Warner Bros./1950)
13. Steamboat Willie (Disney/1928)
14. The Old Mill (Disney/1937)
15. Bad Luck Blackie (MGM/1949)
16. The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (Warner Bros./1946)
17. Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (Fleischer/1936)
18. The Skeleton Dance (Disney/1929)
19. Snow White (Fleischer/1933)
20. Minnie the Moocher (Fleischer/1932)
21. Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (Warner Bros/1943)
22. Der Fuehrer's Face (Disney/1943)
23. Little Rural Riding Hood (MGM/1949)
24. The Tell-Tale Heart (UPA/1953)
25. The Big Snit (Natl Film Board of Canada/1985)
26. Brave Little Tailor (Disney/1938)
27. Clock Cleaners (Disney/1937)
28. Northwest Hounded Police (MGM/1946)
29. Toot, Whistle, Plunk, & Boom (Disney/1953)
30. Rabbit Seasoning (Warner Bros/1952)
31. The Scarlet Pumpernickel (Warner Bros/1950)
32. The Cat Came Back (Natl Film Board of Canada/1988)
33. Superman (Fleischer/1941)
34. You Ought To Be In Pictures (Warner Bros/1940)
35. Ali Baba Bunny (Warner Bros/1957)
36. Feed The Kitty (Warner Bros/1952)
37. Bimbo's Initiation (Fleischer/1931)
38. Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969)
39. Little Red Riding Rabbit (Warner Bros/1941)
40. Peace On Earth (MGM/1939)
41. Rooty Toot Toot (UPA/1952)
42. The Cat Concerto (MGM/1947)
43. The Barber Of Seville (Lantz/1944)
44. The Man Who Planted Trees (Canada/1987)
45. Book Revue (Warner Bros/1946)
46. Quasi at the Quackadero (Cruikshank/1975)
47. Corny Concerto (Warner Bros/1943)
48. Unicorn In The Garden (UPA/1953)
49. The Dover Boys (Warner Bros/1942)
50. Felix In Hollywood (Winkler/1923)

Cartoon Network's 50 Greatest Cartoons 3/14/98
The original schedule in order.  Cartoons were not "counted down"
Three cartoons were not shown in their scheduled order: "Betty in Blunderland" (Fleischer/1934) "I Love to Singa" (Warner Bros./1936) "Bambi Meets Godzilla" (International Rocketship/1969)

* Rabbit of Seville (Warner Bros/1950)
* Little Rural Riding Hood (MGM/1949)
* A Dream Walking (Fleischer/1934) colorized
Leonard Maltin comments on b&w Popeyes
* Peco's Pest (MGM/1955)
* Pink Phink (United Artists/1964)
* Quasi at the Quackadero (Cruikshank/1975)
Leonard Maltin comments on Droopy
* Senor Droopy (MGM/1949)
Chuck Jones comments on Maurice Noble
* Hair-Raising Hare (Warner Bros/1946)
Chuck Jones comments on Disney shorts
* Peace on Earth (MGM/1939)
Leonard Maltin on "Book Revue"
* Book Revue (Warner Bros/1947)
Leonard Maltin on "Superman"
* Superman (Fleischer/1941)
* Corny Concerto (Warner Bros/1943)
Leonard Maltin on "Gertie the Dinosaur"
* Gertie the Dinosaur (Windsor McCay/1914)
Leonard Maltin on "Gertie the Dinosaur" again
Chuck Jones on what makes Looney Tunes timeless
* Feed the Kitty (Warner Bros/1952)
* The Cat That Hated People (MGM/1948)
Joe Barbera on the transformation from film to television
* Planet Pirates (Ruff and Reddy) (Hanna Barbera/1957)
* The Flagstones (Hanna-Barbera/1959)
Joe Barbera on the Flintstones
* Dough for the Do-Do (Warner Bros/1949)
Chuck Jones drawing
* Betty in Blunderland (Fleischer/1934)
* Ali Baba Bunny (Warner Bros/1957)
Maurice Noble on backgrounds
* Spud Dud (Hanna-Barbera/1960)
Joe Barbera on Huckleberry Hound
Leonard Maltin on …
* Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (Fleischer/1936)
Chuck Jones on Mel Blanc
* The Scarlet Pumpernickel (Warner Bros/1950)
Chuck Jones on Friz Freleng
* Tweetie Pie (Warner Bros/1947)
Chuck Jones on comedy teams
* Rabbit Seasoning (Warner Bros/1952)
Leonard Maltin on "Rabbit Seasoning"
Leonard Maltin on "Cat Concerto"
* I Love to Singa (Warner Bros/1936)
* Cat Concerto (MGM/1947)
Joe Barbera on what makes cartoons great
* The Dover Boys (Warner Bros/1942)
* Who Killed Who? (MGM/1943)
* Daffy Duck Slept Here (Warner Bros/1948)
* Little Red Riding Rabbit (Warner Bros/1941)
Leonard Maltin on "King-Size Canary"
* King-Size Canary (MGM/1947)
* The Big Snit (National Film Board of Canada/1985)
Chuck Jones on "Duck Amuck"
* Duck Amuck (Warner Bros/1953)
Chuck Jones on "Duck Amuck" again
* One Froggy Evening (Warner Bros/1955)
Chuck Jones on "One Froggy Evening"
* Northwest Hounded Police (MGM/1946)
* Beep Prepared (Warner Bros/1961)
Maurice Noble
* Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (Warner Bros/1953)
Chuck Jones
* The Cat Came Back (National Film Board of Canada/1988)
Leonard Maltin
* You Ought to Be in Pictures (Warner Bros/1940)
Chuck Jones
Leonard Maltin
* What's Opera, Doc? (Warner Bros/1957)
Maurice Noble
* Bad Luck Blackie (MGM/1949)
Chuck Jones on the laws of Bugs
* The Wild Hare (Warner Bros/1940)
* The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (Warner Bros/1946)
* Red Hot Riding Hood (MGM/1943)
* Felix in Hollywood (M.J. Winkler/1923)
Leonard Maltin on the Warner Bros. assembly line
* The Big Snooze (Warner Bros/1946) (sleeping pills edited out)
* Bambi Meets Godzilla (International Rocketship/1969)
* Screwball Squirrel (MGM/1944)
* Bob's Birthday (National Film Board of Canada/1994)

Cartoon Network's 50 Greatest Cartoons 3/20/99
Cartoons were counted down from #50 to #1

1. Duck Amuck (Warner Bros./1953)
2. One Froggy Evening (Warner Bros./1956)
3. What's Opera Doc (Warner Bros./1957)
4. Feed The Kitty (Warner Bros./1952)
5. The Cat Came Back (National Film Board Of Canada/1988)
6. Gerald McBoing Boing (UPA/1951)
7. Rabbit Seasoning (Warner Bros./1952)
8. I Love To Singa (Warner Bros./1936)
9. A Pest In The House (Warner Bros./1947)
10. The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (Warner Bros./1946)
11. Hair Raising Hare (Warner Bros./1946)
12. Draftee Daffy (Warner Bros./1945)
13. King Size Canary (MGM/1947)
14. Red Hot Riding Hood (MGM/1943)
15. Bad Luck Blackie (MGM/1949)
16. Porky In Wackyland (Warner Bros./1938)
17. The Big Snooze (Warner Bros./1946)-sleeping pills edited out
18. A Dream Walking (Fleischer/1934)
19. Ventriloquist Cat (MGM/1950)
20. Rabbit Of Seville (Warner Bros./1950)
21. Little Red Riding Rabbit (Warner Bros./1941)
22. Little Rural Riding Hood (MGM/1949)
23. The Cat Concerto (MGM/1947)
24. The Wild Hare (Warner Bros./1940)
25. Quackor (Tartakovsky/1995)
26. Wossamatta U (Ward)
27. Northwest Hounded Police (MGM/1946)
28. Gee Whiz-z-z (Warner Bros./1956)
29. The Cat That Hated People (MGM/1948)
30. Duck Dodgers and the 24 1/2th Century (Warner Bros./1953)
31. Popeye Meets Sinbad The Sailor (Fleischer/1936)
32. A Corny Concerto (Warner Bros./1943)
33. The Dot And The Line (MGM/1965)
34. Deputy Droopy (MGM/1955)
35. Puss Gets The Boot (MGM/1940)
36. Swooner Crooner (Warner Bros./1944)
37. Screwball Squirrel (MGM/1944)
38. Little Johnny Jet (MGM/1953)
39. Betty In Blunderland (Fleischer/1934)
40. Superman (Fleischer/1941)
41. Spud Dud (Hanna Barbera)
42. Walky Tawky Hawky (Warner Bros./1946)
43. Tweety Pie (Warner Bros./1947)
44. The Two Mouseketeers (MGM/1952)
45. The Pink Phink (United Artists/1964)
46. The Ghost With The Most (Hanna Barbera)
47. Goonland (Fleischer/1938)-colorized
48. Dragalong Droopy (MGM/1954)
49. The Chicken From Outer Space (Hanna Barbera/1995)
50. Billy Boy (MGM/1954) 

Cartoons in the book NOT shown on either Cartoon Network special

The Band Concert (Disney/1935)
The Barber Of Seville (Lantz/1944)
Bimbo's Initiation (Fleischer/1931)
Brave Little Tailor (Disney/1938)
Clock Cleaners (Disney/1937)
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (Warner Bros./1943)
Der Fuehrer's Face (Disney/1943)
The Man Who Planted Trees (Canada/1987)
Minnie the Moocher (Fleischer/1932)
The Old Mill (Disney/1937)
Rooty Toot Toot (UPA/1952)
The Skeleton Dance (Disney/1929)
Snow White (Fleischer/1933)
Steamboat Willie (Disney/1928)
The Tell-Tale Heart (UPA/1953)
Three Little Pigs (Disney/1933)
Toot, Whistle, Plunk, & Boom (Disney/1953)
Unicorn In The Garden (UPA/1953)

Cartoons not in the book but were shown on the Cartoon Network (either special)

Beep Prepared (Warner Bros., 1961)
Betty In Blunderland (Fleischer/1934)
The Big Snooze (Warner Bros./1946)
Billy Bob (MGM/1954)
Bob's Birthday (National Film Board of Canada, 1994)
The Cat That Hated People (MGM/1948)
The Chicken From Outer Space (Hanna Barbera/1995)
Daffy Duck Slept Here (Warner Bros./1948)
Deputy Droopy (MGM/1955)
The Dot And The Line (MGM/1965)
Dough for the Do-Do (Warner Bros./1949)
Draftee Daffy (Warner Bros./1945)
Dragalong Droopy (MGM/1954)
A Dream Walking (Fleischer/1934)
The Flagstones (Hanna-Barbera/1959)
Gee Whiz-z-z (Warner Bros./1956)
The Ghost With The Most (Hanna Barbera)
Goonland (Fleischer/1938)
Hair Raising Hare (Warner Bros./1946)
Little Johnny Jet (MGM/1953)
I Love To Singa (Warner Bros./1936)
Peco's Pest (MGM, 1955)
A Pest In The House (Warner Bros./1947)
The Pink Phink (United Artists/1964)
Puss Gets The Boot (MGM/1940)
Quackor (Tartakovsky/1995)
Screwball Squirrel (MGM/1944)
Senor Droopy (MGM/1949)
Spud Dud (Hanna Barbera)
Swooner Crooner (Warner Bros./1944)
Tweety Pie (Warner Bros./1944)
The Two Mouseketeers (MGM/1952)
Ventriloquist Cat (MGM/1950)
Walky Tawky Hawky (Warner Bros./1946)
Who Killed Who? (MGM, 1943)
The Wild Hare (Warner Bros./1940)
Wossamatta U (Ward)

Cartoons on all 3 lists

Bad Luck Blackie (MGM/1949)
The Cat Came Back (Natl Film Board of Canada/1988)
The Cat Concerto (MGM/1947)
Corny Concerto (Warner Bros/1943)
Duck Amuck (Warner Bros./1953)
Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century (Warner Bros./1953)
Feed The Kitty (Warner Bros/1952)
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (Warner Bros./1946)
King-Size Canary (MGM/1947)
Little Red Riding Rabbit (Warner Bros/1941)
Little Rural Riding Hood (MGM/1949)
Northwest Hounded Police (MGM/1946)
One Froggy Evening (Warner Bros./1956)
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (Fleischer/1936)
Rabbit Seasoning (Warner Bros/1952)
Rabbit of Seville (Warner Bros./1950)
Red Hot Riding Hood (MGM/1943)
Superman (Fleischer/1941)
What's Opera Doc (Warner Bros./1957)

The Cartoon Network's "Best We Got" Marathon of 64 Warner Bros. cartoons 4/14/2001
Cartoons were not counted down, but considering the popularity of the last 10 or so cartoons shown, it can be concluded that there was some order to the marathon. Cartoons on the original 50 Greatest Cartoons are marked with an "*"
64. "The Wacky Wabbit"-(Clampett/1942)
63. "Kitty Kornered"-(Clampett/1946)
62. "Cat-Tails For Two"-(McKimson/1953)
61. "Robin Hood Daffy"-(Jones/1958)
60. "Operation: Rabbit"-(Jones/1952)
59. "The Goofy Gophers"-(Davis/1947)
58. "A Tale of Two Kitties"-(Clampett/1942)
*57. "Book Review"-edited-(Clampett/1946)
56. "Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid"-(Clampett/1942)
*55. "The Scarlet Pumpernickel"-edited-(Jones/1950)
54. "The Trial of Mr. Wolf"-(Freleng/1941)
53. "Much Ado About Nutting"-(Jones/1953)
52. "Rabbit Punch"-(Jones/1948)
*51. "Rabbit Seasoning"-(Jones/1952)
50. "Porky and Daffy"-computer colorized-(Clampett/1938)
49. "Tweetie Pie"-(Freleng/1947)
*48. "The Dover Boys...." (Jones/1942)
47. "Scaredy Cat"-edited-(Jones/1948)
46. "A Wild Hare"-(Avery/1940)
*45. "The Rabbit of Seville"-(Jones/1950)
44. "Daffy Duck in Hollywood"-(Avery/1938)
43. "Gee Whiz-z-z-z"-(Jones/1956)
42. "The Mouse That Jack Built"-(McKimson/1959)
41. "Swooner Crooner"-edited-(Tashlin/1944)
40. "Bedevilled Rabbit"-(McKimson/1957)
39. "Gone Batty"-(McKimson/1954)
38. "Long-Haired Hare"-(Jones/1949)
37. "Daffy Doodles"-(McKimson/1946
*36. "Corny Concerto"-(Clampett/1943)
35. "Walky Talky Hawky"-(McKimson/1946)
34. "Louvre Come Back to Me"-(Jones/1962)
33. "Rocket-Bye Baby"-(Jones/1956)
*32. "Little Red Riding Rabbit"-(Freleng/1944)
*31. "The Great Piggy Bank Robbery"-(Clampett/1946)
30. "Life With Feathers"-edited-(Freleng/1945)
29. "I Love to Singa"-(Avery/1936)
28. "Hare Ribbin"-edited-(Clampett/1944)
27. "Nasty Quacks"-(Tashlin/1945)
26. "Bugs Bunny Rides Again"-(Freleng/1948)
25. "Drip-Along Daffy"-edited-(Jones/1951)
24. "Bad Ol' Putty Tat"-(Freleng/1949)
23. "Bully For Bugs"-(Jones/1953)
22. "Draftee Daffy"-(Clampett/1945)
21. "The Three Little Bops"-(Freleng/1957)
20. "The Honey-Mousers"-(McKimson/1956)
19. "Water, Water Every Hare"-(Jones/1952)
18. "Daffy Duck Slept Here"-(McKimson/1948)
17. "Haredevil Hare"-(Jones/1948)
16. "Fast and Furry-ous"-(Jones/1949)
15. "Bugs and Thugs"-(Freleng/1954)
14. "A Pest in the House"-(Jones/1947)
13. "Falling Hare"-(Clampett/1943)
12. "Tick Tock Tuckered"-(Clampett/1944)
11. "Porky Pig's Feat" - computer colorized, no opening/closing titles-(Tashlin/1943)
10. "Slick Hare"-(Freleng/1947)
9. "The Big Snooze"-(Clampett/1946)
*8. "Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2th Century"-(Jones/1953)
*7. "Duck Amuck"-(Jones/1953)
*6. "Porky in Wackyland"-computer colorized-(Clampett/1938)
5. "From A to Z-z-z-z"-edited-(Jones/1954)
4. "Back Alley Uproar"-(Freleng/1948)
*3. "One Froggy Evening"-(Jones/1955)
*2. "Feed the Kitty"-(Jones/1952)
*1. "What's Opera, Doc?"-(Jones/1957)
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:This page (The History of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time) is not affiliated with nor endorsed by Warner Bros. Inc. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies characters and all related slogans and indica are trademarks of Warner Bros. Inc. All products and brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. No compensation has been received in the creation, development, or maintenance of this page. The remaining contents of Looney Laughs, Lists, and Lyrics, including The History of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time, are copyright 1997-2005 by GP Markham. No part may reproduced, retransmitted, published, etc. in any form without the express written consent of the author.
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