The Brown Crocodile (Johnsonverse)

Genre: Comedy Photography: Color Running Time: 9 minutes Release Date: December 4, 1936 Production Companies: Johnson Cartoon Studios Distributed by: Johnson Studios Directed by: Randy Perkins Written by: Randy Perkins Gerald Jankowski Produced by: Jeffrey P. Johnson Music by: Wilbur Johnson Starring: Mel Blanc June Foray Billy Bletcher Language: English Country: United States Photography: Color

The Brown Crocodile is a 1936 American animated cartoon short animated and directed by Randy Perkins, and written by Perkins and Gerald Jankowski, as part of Johnson Studios' Ludicrous Limericks series. It is the debut short for both Chocodile and his girlfriend Cherridile, who would become mascots for Johnson as a whole.

The cartoon follows Chocodile and Cherridile evading the Australian game hunter Solomon, who plans on selling their respective, one-of-a-kind brown and red skin, respectively, to a rich British mogul named Barnaby Price. It began production in November 1935, and was released on December 4, 1936 to critical acclaim. It is considered one of the greatest short cartoons of all time.

Plot

Chocodile and Cherridile, who are introduced via an animated title card while reading all of the names, walk along a lake. They are having a picnic when Solomon appears, brandishing a rifle and dressed as a 1920s safari hunter, planning to kill the duo after making a deal to sell their unique, one-of-a-kind skins to a rich British oil tycoon named Barnaby Price. Solomon sneaks up on the two when suddenly, Chocodile notices and kicks Solomon at a great distance.

Undeterred, Solomon poses as a green female crocodile in an attempt to trick Chocodile, but Cherridile slaps him with her purse while, again, Chocodile notices Solomon's crudely-made disguise. Chocodile and Cherridile continue their picnic, and when they eat their food a few hours later, they decide to go to a drive-in movie theater. They don't notice that Solomon is driving behind them in a Model T-style car, while Chocodile and Cherridile drive a car similar to an Aston Martin of the time. Solomon pulls up to them and pulls out his 19th century-style revolver, when he crashes into another car which, ironically, belongs to Price.

The short ends with Chocodile and Cherridile enjoying an action movie, while Solomon is in a hospital, in bandages. Price asks for Solomon's money to pay for his car, but when Solomon realizes he doesn't have good auto or health insurance, Price hits him with a gold, jewel-encrusted mallet and tells him that he has five days to pay off his debt.

Voice cast

• Mel Blanc as Chocodile and Barnaby Price
• June Foray as Cherridile
• Billy Bletcher as Solomon

Production

In 1935, once it became clear that