Crusader Rabbit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crusader Rabbit |
|
|---|---|
Title card
|
|
| Created by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Opening theme | "Rabbit Fanfare" (adapted from "The Trail to Mexico") and "Main Title Rabbit" (adapted from "Ten Little Indians") |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes |
|
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Running time | 4 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
|
| Distributor | Metromedia Producers Corporation 20th Television NBCUniversal Television Distribution (on behalf of Classic Media) (current) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
|
| Picture format | |
| First shown in | 1947-1948 |
| Original release | August 1, 1950 – December 1, 1959 |
Crusader Rabbit is the first animated series produced specifically for television. Its main characters were Crusader Rabbit and his sidekick Ragland T. Tiger, or "Rags". The stories were four-minute-long satirical cliffhangers.
The concept was test marketed in 1948, while the initial serial – Crusader vs. the State of Texas – aired on KNBH (now KNBC) in Los Angeles beginning on August 1, 1950 (not August 1, 1949 as some sources erroneously state). The program was syndicated from 1950 to 1951 for 195 episodes, then was revived in 1959 for 260 color episodes. Jay Ward, who went on to create The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, was involved as business manager and producer.
Contents
Legacy
The success of Crusader Rabbit inspired many more television cartoon character packages. Jay Ward would later produce The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
Home video
In 1985, Rhino Entertainment released the first two volumes of Crusader Rabbit in a planned home video release of all the original episodes. However, 20th Century Fox claimed the distribution rights by their acquisition of previous owner Metromedia Producers Corporation.
In 2009, AudioTape, Inc. released a three-DVD set of 11 Crusader Rabbit serials; two from the black-and-white era (including "Crusader Rabbit Vs. the State of Texas") and nine from the color era.
In popular culture
- There were two Dell Publishing comic books featuring Crusader Rabbit and Rags.
- In 2009, Lulu.com published Where Is Crusader Rabbit Now That We Really Need Him?, a biographical novel about soldiers in the Vietnam War by William K. Millar Jr.
First series
The first series aired in syndication, with production of 195 episodes ending in 1951.
Episodes
- Crusader vs. the State of Texas (15 chapters)
- Crusader vs. the Pirates (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Rajah of Rinsewater (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Schmohawk Indians (15 chapters)
- Crusader and the Great Horse Mystery (20 chapters)
- Crusader and the Circus (10 chapters)
- Crusader in the Tenth Century (30 chapters)
- Crusader and the Mad Hollywood Scientist (15 chapters)
- Crusader and the Leprechauns (25 chapters)
- Crusader and the Showboat (25 chapters)
Voices
- Lucille Bliss — Crusader Rabbit
- Vern Louden — Ragland T. ("Rags") Tiger
- Russ Coughlin — Dudley Nightshade
- Roy Whaley — Narrator
Second series
The second series premiered in 1956 syndication with 260 episodes produced, 20 "chapters" per episode. They were later edited into 13 one-hour programs.
Episodes
- "The Great Uranium Hunt" (also known as "Mine Your Own Business")
- "The Yukon Adventure" (also known as "Thar's Gold in Them Fills")
- "Tales of Schmerwood Forest" (also known as "Crook's Tour")
- "West We Forget"
- "Sahara You"
- "Gullible's Travels"
- "Should Auld Acquaintance Be for Cotton" (also known as "Belly Acres Mystery")
- "Nothing Atoll"
- "Scars and Stripes"
- "Apes of Rath"
- "Caesar's Salad" (also known as "There's No Place Like Rome")
- "The Great Baseball Mystery" (also known as "Gone With the Wind-Up")
- "The Search for the Missing Link"
Voices
- Ge Ge Pearson – Crusader Rabbit
- Vern Louden – Ragland T. ("Rags") Tiger
- Roy Whaley – Narrator
- Russ Coughlan – Dudley Nightshade
See also
In Spanish: Crusader Rabbit para niños
