Saturday, April 04, 2015

Easter Frolics and Radio Adventures

I began a much nicer, sunnier (though still windy) day with more WENN. "Radio Silence" begins the second season a few days after Victor and Jeff were cut off in London. Jeff was injured but survived the bombing. Victor wasn't as lucky. Hilary's happy that her Jeff is coming home, but she's conflicted as to how to handle Victor dying. Betty's upset that she was never able to tell Victor how she felt about him. She insists on having a minute of silence every hour, but it's driving their sponsors away. The action-free shows she's writing aren't helping. Scott, fed up with losing sponsors and the silence, finally explains that you can't honor anyone by wallowing in grief. The show - and life - must go on.

Squeaked in a few cartoon shorts before work. "Easter Yeggs" has Bugs Bunny doing a favor for an overworked Easter Bunny by delivering eggs for him. He regrets taking the job when he's attacked by the bratty son of a group of robbers and Elmer Fudd, who is determined to have rabbit stew for Easter dinner. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and his friends hear a "Springtime Serenade" when the flowers and leaves return for another year. The old groundhog is determined to spoil their fun with dire warnings of bad weather, but they'd rather clean up for the season.

Work was still very busy when I got in, but it started to slow down as early as 1 PM. I got my break on time. The afternoon was still steady but not nearly as bad as yesterday or earlier. My relief was right on time. I picked up a few things I forgot yesterday on my way out - Cool Whip (still on sale for 99 cents), milk, and coconut.

When I got home, I put the Cool Whip away to defrost, then started a Coconut-Confetti Cake. This time, I made it a Bundt cake, rather than a layer cake, after I overcooked the last one. It came out beautifully, moist and just sweet enough.

I ran springtime and Easter-related cartoons and specials for the next few hours, as I ate leftovers for dinner, starting with three spring-related Yogi Bear shorts. Yakky Doodle is an "Easter Duck" who is intended for a gift. A cat would prefer he was his Easter dinner, but when he's told in no uncertain terms he's not to touch Yakky, he has to keep the curious duckling away from other cats. Yogi Bear is "A Wooin' Bruin" when he competes with a former stunt bear for Cindy's affections. "Spring Has Hit a Snag" for everyone's favorite pink lion when he invites a pretty lioness to his home to evade hunters, and she proves to be a very obnoxious and demanding guest.

I went right on to "Yogi the Easter Bear." Yogi and Boo Boo rescue the Easter Bunny from two plastic-crazed villains who want kids to only receive plastic eggs in their baskets. They dodge the two while trying to get the Easter Bunny to Jellystone Park in time for the big Easter Jamboree.

"Here Comes Peter Cottontail" was Rankin-Bass' first springtime special. The title character makes his way through a year's worth of holidays to deliver eggs and defeat the evil Irontail, who wants to take over April Valley. "The First Easter Rabbit" was their second Easter tale, and the only one in 2D animation. In a spring variation on The Velveteen Rabbit, Stuffy the Bunny was once a beloved child's plaything, until he was thrown away when she gets scarlet fever. A fairy saves him and makes him the symbol of spring for all children.

Daffy Duck finally gets a Looney Tunes special to himself in Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-citement. A spring-themed variation on "Duck Amuck" book ends three original shorts. The first has Sylvester and Daffy fighting over a golden egg. Daffy spends the second defending a chocolate bunny factor against Speedy Gonzoles, who wants to get chocolate bunnies for the kids of his village. Daffy's on his own in the third story as he comes up with creative ways of making his way south without flying.

Switched to Max & Ruby as I frosted the cake with Coconut Cool Whip. "Ruby's Easter Bonnet" is decorated with as many flowers and ribbons as she can muster for the Bunny Scouts' contest. Max is more interested in getting his frog to learn to jump. The frog winds up giving Ruby's bonnet an edge in the competition. Max wants their Easter eggs to take part in "Max's Easter Parade." Ruby and Louise just want to color them. The Bunny Scouts are looking for Easter eggs in the park in "Max and the Easter Bunny." Max wants to help, so he keeps hiding the eggs the girls find.

I finished the night as I began, with episodes of Remember WENN. Betty and Victor find themselves between "A Rock and a Hard Place" in the early first season when two sponsors, rough and rugged Mr. Acton and refined and snobbish Mrs. Mellon, make demands on their new show. He wants a violent crime show; she wants to cut down on the violence. While the writer and the station manager try to figure out how to make everyone happy, Ceila Mellon seems to be strangely reluctant to greet the woman she claims is her mother.

Moving to later in the first season, "Valentino Speaks" has the cast dubbing a newly-discovered Rudolph Valentino film. The director who found the footage wants to film the finale...and use Jeff as Valentino's character. Jeff is thrilled, but his enthusiasm pals when he realizes just how difficult and different from radio acting film acting is.

Skipping to the beginning of the second season, It's "Some Good News, Some Bad News" when Scott declares an all-news day, but nothing newsworthy happens. The cast does everything then can to create something newsworthy. Meanwhile, Eugenia, exausted by her overnight show, gratefully turns over the Wurlitzer to new flashy daytime organist Maple LaMarsh.

Here's a few more Easter blasts from the past on YouTube, including Disney's only Easter short to date:

Funny Little Bunnies
The Bernstein Bears' Easter Surprise
A Family Circus Easter
A Chucklewood Easter

For those of you who won't be online tomorrow, I hope you have a really wonderful Easter! For everyone else, enjoy your springtime.

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