Cartoons have been part of our entertainment for a long time. But cartoon lovers tend to believe that Tom and Jerry was the only cartoon that made the 1950s and 1960s. The fact is that other classic cartoon series and characters were entertaining and better than some of today’s cartoons. We tend to believe that Cartoons are made specifically for children, but that is not the case. The stories and plots of some recent series such as Family Guy and Rango can attract viewers of all ages.
Here are the best Cartoons that make audiences of all ages fall with laughter in the 1950s. The list contains the best cartons that I have specifically watched. But remember in the 50s, most characters were men, and the only female cartoon character I know is Little Lulu. This is not to mean that female characters were not up to the task in the 1950s; I just mean that most of them became popular in the 1960s.
Tom and Jerry
Let’s start with the characters that made our childhood. Tom and Jerry are two characters, but they are known as a funny duo. The cartoon series was started in the 1940s as animated shorts. However, Tom and Jerry didn’t hit the TV screens until the 1960s but was still popular among Cartoon lovers. The cartoon was known for its unique plot. The characters barely communicated but lived in the same house. Tom, who played the Cat, was always in a mission to catch Jerry the mouse. Jerry played a smart character that always outsmarted Tom in most instances. This cartoon is still available in our screens, which is mainly attributed to its funny plots that attracted audiences of all ages.
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Mighty Mouse
Here is another favorite animation from the 50s created by I. Klein. The cartoon first appeared in 1942. It was featured in the theatrical animated short known as The Mouse of Tomorrow. The character was initially known as Super Mouse. The name was changed after Terrytoons studio realized that there were a similar name and characters being published in Comic books. To counter that, the studio changed the character name to Mighty Mouse. This cartoon was voiced by Roy Halee for some part of it and eventually replaced by Tom Morrison.
The Mighty Mouse was known for the phrase ‘’I came to save the day’’. The mouse swooped in singing this phrase every time a fellow mouse was caught in trouble. You must be wondering why this series made in the list of top cartoons of the 1950s when it was premiered in 1965. The reason is the production company ended up selling the series to CBS Television in 1965 when it made the first appearances in the National TV screens. As a matter of fact, the series remained on our screens for almost 12 years.
Bugs Bunny
I’ve recently watched this series and thought of it as a lifetime masterpiece. The storyline and the plot are perfect for people of all ages. The Bugs Bunny first appeared in the Tex Avery Cartoon A Wild Hare on July 27th, 1940, and by 1954, the series was considered popular than another known Cartoon- Mickey Mouse. Leon Schlesinger Productions, which is now known as Warner Bros. Cartoons, created this series.
Mel Blanc voiced the character in the series. His funny Voice and the storyline made this series appear in a couple of short fields in Video games, Compilations, comic books, amusement park rides, Films, and TVs. The story was based around a rabbit who loved playing tricks on just anyone they met, whether he insisted it or not. The rabbit character is said to have appeared in more films more than any other cartoon of this age. The rabbit character also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s also the 9th most-portrayed film personality in the world. In the 1950s, the character was known for his famous phrase ”Eh….What’s up, doc?”.
The Woody woodpecker show
The animated cartoon series lovers named The Woody Woodpecker show as one of the most iconic cartoon series of the 1950s. Walter Lantz created an animated movie. The show remained in the dark until the 1950s. Due to its funny characters, story, animated colors, and plot, the series quickly rose to fame. Ben Hardaway voiced the main character, Woody Woodpecker among many other actors. The series was first seen in the 1940 short Knock Knock. After its first appearances, audiences wanted to see more of the same series. The character was funny and more specifically a favorite to many cartoon fanatics. This is the reason why the producers opted to make Woody his own series.
The Woody Woodpecker remained a popular Cartoon from the 1950s to today. There are actually unconfirmed details that a live action, CGI Movie of the Woody Woodpecker is in cooking. Let’s wait and see what will sprout.
Felix the Cat
Another character that played the role of Tom in the Felix the Cat cartoon series. Joe Oriolo created the series and the whole series had a total of 260 episodes produced by the then Famous Studio, Paramount Cartoon Studios. The whole carton is about Felix the cat who played the secret tricks that helps him most of the time dealing with distress and antagonists. The series is not well known today but I would recommend watching it. The way the cartoon is created, animated, and tricked to play some funny roles makes the series perfect for audiences of all ages.
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is one of my favorite Cartoon series from the 1950s. I recently watched this animated cartoon series. Although at first, the series seems as a special series for children, the featured scenes slowly change to make it audible for all age groups. Yogi Bear was a popular show in the late 50s. It appeared on The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958. The show however was not a hit until 1961 when the character got its own show. It was marked as the most amazing and funny character created and produced by Hanna Barbera. Yogi Bear was originally voiced by Daws Butler. How Voice was based on Ed Norton of the Honeymooners.
The series features a scene where Yogi and his sidekick Boo Boo lived in a cave in Jellystone Park. The main character was constantly on the lookout for picnic baskets. The challenge came in because the park ranger always thwarted him. Every single scene in this series never failed to make me giggle.
George Jetson
This animated cartoon originated from a popular TV program in the 1950s known as The Jetsons. Besides the fact that the show originated from this 1950s TV program, it came on our screens in 1962 on ABC. The series is funny and has a very appealing storyline. However, it surprisingly premiered for a single year. The studio only produced 24 episodes of this TV series.
Until the 1980s, this cartoon remained in the dark. The second series was produced in 1980 and George O’Hanlan voiced George. The storyline was easy to get and funny. It was about a space-aged Flintstones. The main character lived in a high-rise apartment with his wife and two children. The couple had a robot maid, Rosie and Dog Astro. The whole plot was about George, his family and the kind of lives they lived in the 21st Century.
Mr. Magoo
This animated series was created in 1949 but hit the entertainment market well in 1950s. It was shown as an animated short in the Movie Theatre. The TV series however came to the TV screens in 1960. The main character in this series was a near-sighted man. The man has never admitted that he cannot see well and the stories were created from this point. Mr. Magoo also had a dog named McBarker. Jim Backus voiced the main character. I have never seen this show on TV screens but I have personally watched and enjoyed the character. The character was once a very nice man and his adventures made everyone laugh.
BullWinkle
The series’ first appeared on the Rocky and Friends Cartoons series that was premiered in 1959. It was later changed to The Bullwinkle Show because of the character’s popularity. Bill Scott voiced this character. He was also the head writer of the story. In the series, Bullwinkle and Rocky who played the flying squirrel lived together in Frostbite Falls. The Bullwinkle graduated from Wossamotta U. The character was seen as a simple and a dumb character but he mainly ended ahead of the game.
The Heckle and Jeckle show
Lastly, The Heckle and Jeckle show made its debut as the Talking Magpies in 1946. These two inseparable black birds were identical in appearance and couldn’t be more different. The two birds spoke with different accent. One used New York Accent and the other used British Accent. The duo spent most of their time trying to outsmart every other character in the series. These two characters were very popular in 1950s and 1960s.
