The First Bad Man

The First Bad Man

Title card
Directed by Tex Avery
Produced by Fred Quimby
Story by Heck Allen
Narrated by Tex Ritter
Music by Scott Bradley
Animation by Walt Clinton
Michael Lah
Ray Patterson
Grant Simmons
Layouts by Ed Benedict (uncredited)
Backgrounds by John Didrik Johnsen
Distributed by MGM
Release date(s) September 30, 1955
Color process Technicolor
Running time 6 min (one reel)
Language English

The First Bad Man is an American animated cartoon directed by Tex Avery, and features narration by singing cowboy Tex Ritter. It was released by MGM on September 30, 1955.

Synopsis

An unnamed narrator tells a story about the history of Texas set one million years ago, when Dinosaur Dan, the eponymous villain, terrorized the state. He rustles all the cattle (brontosaurs with the heads of Texas longhorns), and runs off with all the pretty women. The primitive Texans finally corner Dan in his mountain hideout, and cleverly chisel away the outer rock, leaving behind a small rock jail with Dan inside. The final scene shows the jail still standing in modern day Dallas, and reveals that the narrator is really Dinosaur Dan, still in jail and sadly asking "When are y'all gonna let me out of here?"

Notes

Ed Benedict provided uncredited layout designs for this cartoon. Benedict would later work for Hanna-Barbera Studios (which was started by MGM alumni William Hanna and Joseph Barbera), where he would use some of the caveman designs from this cartoon as the basis for characters in The Flintstones.[1]

The Wacky World of Tex Avery used this short as the primary inspiration for Einstone, one of the show's characters.

Censorship

When shown on Cartoon Network and Boomerang two scenes involving gunplay were cut. The first shows Dinosaur Dan riddling the sheriff with bullets; when the sheriff takes off his leopard skin, he reveals he is covered in holes. The second shows Dinosaur Dan shooting a shaggy haired caveman in the head at point blank range after pulling open his hair like a curtain.

Footnotes

External links


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