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Mel Blanc once shared his favorite cartoon of all time
Not only was it his favorite Looney Tune, but it featured his favorite character!
Every animation fan has the cartoon they like best, but did you know that voice actors also like to play favorites?
Mel Blanc was commonly known as "The Man of One Thousand Voices," which is only a slight understatement. He's responsible for cartoon favorites like Bugs Bunny and Barney Rubble of The Flintstones.
Blanc was able to provide a firsthand perspective of his legacy before his death, detailing his life and career in his memoir, That's Not All Folks! In the book, he was able to reveal his favorite cartoon of his entire, rather lengthy, filmography.
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"'Birds Anonymous' stands as my all-time favorite cartoon," Blanc said.
You might remember the short "Birds Anonymous," which focuses on Sylvester attempting to curb his addiction to chasing sweet, small, Tweety Bird. Both Tweety and Sylvester the cat were voiced by Blanc, though he confessed that Sylvester was undoubtedly the easiest voice to perform.
"Sylvester has always been a favorite of mine," Blanc said. "He's a great deal like Daffy: a perpetual fall guy with a near-identical voice. Daffy's is pitched up slightly, while Sylvester's is recorded at regular speed and sounds the closest to my natural way of speaking. He's always been the easiest character for me to play."
"Birds Anonymous" is actually one of the projects that earned Warner Brothers an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Originally, the award went home with Warner Brothers producer Eddie Selzer. Blanc had told Selzer that, were he to own an Oscar, he'd want the one awarded for his favorite short. Years later, Selzer hadn't forgotten Blanc's wish.
"When he did pass away a year or two later," said Blanc, "I received a phone call from his wife. She hadn't forgotten and insisted that I take the Birds Anonymous award. 'Eddie wanted you to have it, Mel.' I will never forget Eddie's generosity."
