Tweety Bird History
TWEETY BIRD HISTORY Tweety Bird was created by Warner Brothers animation artist, Bob Clampett in 1942. Clampett was inspired by an embarrassing baby photo of himself and by his longstanding fascination with baby birds. Early model sheets indicated Tweety Bird’s original name was “Orson”. In Tweety Bird’s first cartoon, “A Tale of Two Kitties”, Tweety tantalized two cats, Babbitt and Catstello. The cartoon was a spoof on the popular comedy team, “Abbot and Costello”. Furthermore, Tweety Bird, the cute little canary with the big head, was originally pink. After censors complained that the bird looked naked because he had no feathers, Tweety Bird’s color was changed to yellow. Tweety Bird began his career independent of Sylvester the Cat, who was chasing birds and mice in his own cartoons under the direction of Friz Freleng. Clampett left Warner Brothers in 1947 with a fourth Tweety Bird cartoon in the early stages of production. Freleng wanted to have Sylvester the Cat pursue Tweety Bird, instead of a woodpecker used in an earlier Sylvester cartoon. General Producer, Eddie Seltzer, reportedly didn’t like the idea and ordered Freleng not to pair Sylvester with Tweety, but to instead use the woodpecker again. A heated argument took place and ended with Freleng putting his drafting pencil in Selter’s hand and saying, “If you think you know so much, you should be doing it.” Freleng walked out of the studio with every intention of resigning from Warner Brothers the next day. Seltzer telephoned Freleng at home that evening and said, “Okay, do it your way.” And so it came to be that Freleng directed the first cartoon film that Tweety Bird appeared with Sylvester, as the pet of an elderly woman named Granny. The cartoon was titled “Tweetie Pie”, and became such a big hit that it won Freleng his first Oscar. The Oscar was accepted by Seltzer, who then kept the Oscar as his own. This Oscar also happened to be the first Warner Brothers cartoon to win an Oscar! The Tweety and Sylvester team enjoyed a 15 year run in animated features, one of the most successful cartoon series in history. Tweety Bird’s original personality developed by Clampett was that of a wild, aggressive bird who showed no mercy for his aggressors. Director Freleng and story writer, Warren Foster, decided to tame the Tweety Bird’s personality. By 1950, Tweety Bird had the charm and innocence that he is known for today. Tweety Bird’s voice was originally done by Mel Blanc, who also recorded Tweety Bird’s hit song, “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy-Tat” in 1950. The song’s words and music were done by Alan Livingston, Billy May and Warren Foster. Joe Alaskey now does the voice the voice of Tweety Bird. Tweety and Sylvester continue entertain and capture the hearts of old and young alike. The original Tweety & Sylvester series is even more popular now than when it was originally released. The pair also continues to be seen on “The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries”, a show that premiered in 1995. In 1998, the U.S. Postal Service issued a “Sylvester and Tweety” 32-cent commemorative stamp. The stamp was the top selling stamp for 1998. Tweety Bird merchandise is available in almost every category, including Tweety Bird clothing for both adults and children, Tweety Bird videos, Tweety Bird household items (dinnerware sets, bathroom towels & accessories, bedding, clocks), Tweety Bird collectibles, Tweety Bird toys and games, Tweety Bird school supplies (backpacks, lunchboxes), Tweety Bird party supplies, Tweety Bird watches, and much more! Click here for Tweety Bird products. This information is brought to you by Character Products Inc. DISCLAIMER: Tweety Bird and all related characters and elements are the rightful property of Warner Brothers. This web site is not operated or endorsed by Warner Brothers. This page was created for informational purposes only. Although our intent was to provide accurate information, we are unable to guarantee accuracy and are willing to make corrections. Please see Character Product's Terms and Conditions for further details. Upon entering this site, you released Character Products Inc., and it's owners and operators from any liability for any material herein. We apologize for the inconvience of this diversion.