Chilly Willy
Chilly Willy | |
---|---|
Woody Woodpecker character | |
First appearance | Chilly Willy (1953) |
Created by | Paul J. Smith (original) Tex Avery (redesign) |
Adapted by | Walter Lantz Productions |
Designed by | Tex Avery |
Voiced by | Sara Berner (1953) Grace Stafford (1954, 1957, 1963)[1] Nancy Wible (1955) (singing voice in Hot and Cold Penguin opening) Bonnie Baker (1956, 1961) (singing voice in the openings) Gloria Wood (1957)[1] Daws Butler (1964–1972) Brad Norman (2018) Dee Bradley Baker (2020–2022) |
Spinoffs | Appearances |
Years active | 1953–present |
In-universe information | |
Species | Penguin |
Gender | Male |
Significant other | Chilly Lilly |
Chilly Willy is a cartoon character, a diminutive penguin. He was created by director Paul Smith for the Walter Lantz studio in 1953, and developed further by Tex Avery in the two subsequent films following Smith's debut entry. The character soon became the second most popular Lantz/Universal character, behind Woody Woodpecker.[2] Fifty Chilly Willy cartoons were produced between 1953 and 1972.[3]
Inspiration and conception
Chilly Willy was inspired by mystery writer Stuart Palmer, according to Scott MacGillivray's book Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide. Palmer used the Lantz studio as a background for his novel Cold Poison, in which the cartoon star was a penguin character, and Lantz adopted the penguin idea for the screen.[4] The character Pablo the Penguin from the 1945 Disney film The Three Caballeros was the inspiration for Chilly Willy.[5] Paul J. Smith initially based Chilly's design on a separate penguin character from Lantz' 1945 cartoon Sliphorn King of Polaroo, but would later be redesigned by Tex Avery in his second appearance, I'm Cold in 1954.[6]
Attributes and common themes
Chilly Willy appeared in
Two of Chilly's friends in the later cartoons were Maxie the Polar Bear (voiced by Daws Butler) and Gooney the "Gooney Bird" Albatross (voiced by Daws Butler impersonating Joe E. Brown). Maxie has appeared with Chilly more than Gooney has. There have been only two cartoons in which all three characters have appeared together: Gooney's Goofy Landings (where Chilly and Maxie try to perfect Gooney's landings) and Airlift a la Carte (where Chilly, Maxie, and Gooney go to the store owned by Smedley).
In some episodes, Chilly Willy also deals with a hunter named Colonel Pot Shot (voiced by Daws Butler) whom Smedley has been shown to work for in some episodes. Pot Shot would give orders in a calm controlled voice, and then would explode in rage when he told Smedley what would happen should he fail in his objective. Also, two episodes had Chilly Willy outsmarting Wally Walrus when Chilly Willy comes across his fishing projects.
Paul Smith directed the first Chilly Willy cartoon, simply titled Chilly Willy, in 1953. The initial version of Chilly Willy resembled Woody Woodpecker, except with flippers and black feathers, but he was redesigned in to his more familiar form in subsequent cartoons.[7]
Chilly was mute in most of his 1950s cartoons and early 1960s cartoons, although he was voiced by
When the Lantz cartoons were packaged for television in 1957 as The Woody Woodpecker Show, Chilly Willy was a featured attraction on the show, and has remained such in all later versions of the Woody Woodpecker Show package.
Other appearances
In the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Chilly Willy is mentioned by Eddie's acquaintance Angelo.
Chilly Willy is featured in The New Woody Woodpecker Show where he has no dialogue. Like the shorts, Chilly has gone up against Smedley. Later episodes introduce Sgt. Hogwash (voiced by Blake Clark) and Major Bull (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) who operate in an Antarctic military base that Chilly tends to trespass in. The Legend of Rockabye Point was also featured early on, dubbed "A Classic Chilly Cartoon".
Chilly Willy is a supporting character in the 2018 Woody Woodpecker animated series, voiced by Brad Norman and Dee Bradley Baker.[8]
Chilly Willy makes a cameo appearance in the 2024 film Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp as a wood sculpture Woody makes.
Shorts
See also
References
- ^ a b "Woody Woodpecker on Records |". cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Walter Lantz to Mark Chilly Willy's Birthday". Los Angeles Times. 1993-11-26. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide-Google Books (pg.108)
- ^ Animation: A World History: Volume II: The Birth of a Style - The Three Markets-Google Books
- ^ "Chilly Willy-"I'm Cold"". Cartoons, Comics & Model Sheets. 2006-09-28. Retrieved 2021-11-09.
- ^ "BCDB Chilly Willy Cartoon Entry". bcdb. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
- ^ Universal is Producing New Woody Woodpecker Shorts For Youtube|Cartoon Brew
External links
- Chilly Willy's channel on YouTube
- ChillyWillyFan.com - fansite
- Chilly in Dell Comics
- Chilly in Harvey Comics