Two Crows From Tacos

This post is dedicated to two forgotten characters in Looney Tunes history: Jose and Manuel, the two Mexicali Crows. They were made as part of WB's funny Mexican cannon and made around the same time as another Mexican who overshadows them, Speedy Gonzales. While Speedy is quick and smart, these two are the polar opposite, happily being lazy and very, very stupid.

Jose is the short, fat one and is always quick to say that he's the "bre-ains" of the two. Manuel is the skinny one and possibly, the dumber of the two. They first appeared in Two Crows From Tacos, an underrated 1956 gem by Friz Freling and perhaps one of the most controversial cartoons he ever made.

The biggest controversy over this one are the sterotypes portrayed here. Even though the stereotypes are horrific, the art, slapstick, and dialogue are what make it work. Art Davis, I believe, animated a huge bulk of this short and Virgil Ross (seemingly) animates the scene where Jose and Manuel beat up the cactus for having their "grlass-hopp-er". There's also a very unique ending to this cartoon. Instead of an iris out, we get to see a beautiful Mexican sunset as they sing their favorite song, offbeat but happily, with the immortal words, "That's all, folks!" written over the background.

The two crows reappeared in a 1959 Speedy Gonzales cartoon called Mexicali Shmoes (this time as cats), where they try to catch Speedy the same way they tried to catch their grasshopper as crows. With the same result, of course! It's probably my favorite cartoon the two crows were in. It was also nominated for the 1959 Academy Awards for Best Animated Subject and introduced Speedy's cousin, Slowpoke.

Their final appearance together was in the 1962 short, Crow's Feat, again directed by Freling. They're back as crows and manage to be outwitted by, of all people, Elmer Fudd! (they mistake him as a"scares-crow")

Hey, Jose! A ticking corn!

♫Overture, Curtain Lights...♫

The characters get ready for another day of the show.

The Three Caballeros

A scene from The Three Caballeros animated mostly by Ward Kimball. I can't get enough of his stuff. It's just so appealing to me!

For those who don't know, Ward was a animator for Disney (and one of the infamous Nine Old Men ) that centered his work on more cartoony subjects, like the mice in Cinderella, the crows in Dumbo, and Jiminy Cricket on Pinocchio. He later went to directing his own cartoons, like the award winning Toot, Whistle, Plunk, and Boom and It's Tough to Be a Bird!. Ward remains one of my favorite animators because of his cartoony style and it stands out a little better than some of the other animators at Disney. I'm thinking about doing an animator reel on either him or Milt Kahl on the next post, so keep your eyes peeled!