Mel-O-Toons

Mel-O-Toons (sometimes erroneously spelled Mello Toons) was a series of six-minute animated cartoons, using limited animation, and were produced starting in 1959 by New World Productions and syndicated by United Artists.[1]

Mel-O-Toons
Opening sequence
Voices of
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes104
Production
Running timeAround 5–7 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkSyndication
Original release1959 (1959) –
October 1960 (1960-10)

The stories featured various folk tales, Greco-Roman myths, Biblical stories, classic literary adaptations, and adaptations of classical music and ballet, as well as stories about animals written by Thornton Burgess.[2] The soundtracks were often taken from existing children's records, licensed from the original labels, including RCA Records and Capitol Records. 104 cartoons were produced.[3]

In October 1960, United Artists bought time on a station in Toledo, Ohio, to test the Mel-O-Toons for audience response; they showed two of the films, "Rumplestiltskin" and "Waltz of the Flowers". Variety reported that the viewer response was entirely positive, saying, "Many parents compared the Mel-O-Toons favorable to what they called the usual violence in kiddie programming."[4] A week later, UA bought a full-page ad in Variety, announcing: "We passed the test in Toledo!" The ad described the test: "Here's what happened: Two of these new cartoons were shown in a fifteen-minute on-the-air audition over WSPD-TV. Viewers were asked to send in their opinions, with no prizes or incentives of any kind. In less than a week, over 400 replies arrived. All except five individuals were wildly enthusiastic."[5]

After many years out of circulation, public domain prints have turned up on videotape and DVD.

Partial episode list

Footage from the Christopher Columbus episode was used in Last Week Tonight's "How Is This Still a Thing" segment on Columbus Day, which aired on October 12, 2014.[6]

References
  1. Salda, Michael N. (2013-07-30). Arthurian Animation. ISBN 9781476606149. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 385. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  3. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 539. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  4. "UAA Mel-O-Toon Gets Toledo Test". Variety: 24. November 9, 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  5. "We passed the test in Toledo!". Variety: 53. November 16, 1960. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  6. "John Oliver Asks: How is Columbus Day Still a Thing?".


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