The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ ‘Monday Nights with Oscar’ series is getting animated with a special program dubbed ‘Putting Looney in the Toons.’ A dozen classic cartoons, including Porky’s Duck Hunt (1937), Heckling Hare (1941) and What’s Opera, Doc? (1957), will screen on Monday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy Theater in New York City.
Oscar-winning animator John Canemaker (The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation) will host the centennial tribute to legendary Warner Bros. animator/director Tex Avery and writer Michael Maltese. Both born in 1908, Avery and Maltese first crossed professional paths at the Warner Bros. animation studio back when it was known as Leon Schlesinger Prods. Together, they brought to life such indelible characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.
In addition to select Avery/Maltese Looney Tunes shorts, the ‘Putting the Looney in the Toons’ program will feature selected highlights from their individual careers, as well as their work in animated theatrical films. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Though there may be tickets available at the door on the night of the screening, interested parties are advised to make reservations by calling 1-888-778-7575. Seating is unreserved. The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City.
