THE STORY OF ASSOCIATED ARTISTS PRODUCATIONS
I remember seeing in 1986, the aap package weeknights on WDBB Channel 17 in Tuscaloosa. "Cousin Cliff" Holman hosted this package of Tom and Jerry as well as pre -1948 WB cartoons. Interestingly enough, "Cousin Cliff" hosted a daily afternoon package of Popeye cartoons in the 1960's on WAPI.
At the time, I thought AAP was the cartoonists union. Little did I know they were a television distributor. Now, I know. And so will you.
Non-Paramount logo graphics, except for the AAP feature logo, as well as some of the information on this page courtesy of Jon Cooke's Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Page. AAP B&W logo courtesy of Patrick McCart.
a.a.p., who were they and what did they get?
associated artists productions was founded in 1949 as PRM? by Eliot Hyman and others. A year later, Hyman bought out his partners, and was the sole owner of aap. During mid-to-late 1951, a.a.p. merged with David L. Wolper's and Sy Weintraub's Flamingo Films, a company which had acquired: a)TV rights to the Eagle-Lion and certain British film libraries, and b)the distribution rights to the "Adventures of Superman" TV series. In late 1953, the two companies became separate entities once again, due to internal squabbling.
Now once again separate from Flamingo Films (Motion Pictures For Television), AAP was revived in 1953, thanks to financing by Manufacturers Hanover Bank, and three years later, in 1956, aap, whose logo is seen above, bought all of the color pre-1948 Warner Bros. color cartoons and the WB live-action film library, including Casablanca, by the way.
Click to hear mp3 file of audio to this AAP opening.
a.a.p. also got the Paramount Popeye cartoons, through a deal with King Features Syndicate.
a.a.p. added their logo to the WB cartoons, and left the WB shield opening on. This meant that the Merrie Melodies theme played twice! Also, WB animator Bob Clampett, was hired to help a.a.p. catalog the cartoons. This led to a.a.p. asking Clampett to produce Beany and Cecil cartoons for a.a.p.
But the Paramount cartoons were different. At the insistance of Paramount, a.a.p. removed all of the references to Paramount, except in the copyrights at the bottom of the cartoon's titles. Paramount retained theatrical distribution rights at the time.
a.a.p. removed the title in which it said "Paramount Presents", as well as the title with the Famous Studios logo in front of the mountain and stars. a.a.p. added their own title cards to show that Popeye was "A FAMOUS STUDIOS PRODUCTION".
At the end, they had a card that said "This film has been presented by a.a.p."
The Popeye cartoons were syndicated to television stations across the United States. In a unique deal, American Character Doll, and Remco Toys bought advertising time directly from a.a.p., without waiting for clearance from television stations. Like other television distributors, a.a.p. also released the cartoons for home movie use.
With both the Bugs Bunny and Popeye cartoons as the hottest combination in the cartoon field, local stations made sure the a.a.p. package got the best timeslots available. Independent stations, like WPIX, WGN, and KTLA, put the a.a.p. cartoons in early evening hours.
a.a.p. was acquired by United Artists on October 20, 1958. a.a.p. became United Artists Associated. Hyman would later found 7-Arts, which would later buy Warner Bros. But United Artists continued to syndicate the cartoons through United Artists Television. In 1967, UA was purchased by Transamerica.
In 1975, United Artists released "Bugs Bunny Superstar", a documentary/compliation of the pre 1948 color Warner Bros. cartoons. This documentary was hosted by Orson Welles and featured Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Friz Freleng. No references to AAP were included in this feature. Even the AAP logo was removed from the cartoons opening.
In 1981, United Artists was acquired by Kirk Kerkorian, the then owner of MGM. As a result MGM and UA, were merged into MGM/UA. MGM/UA started releasing the Warner Bros. cartoons on home videos.
But MGM/UA's debts were growing, and in 1986, Kerkorian sold MGM/UA to Turner Entertainment for $1.5 billon. But Turner couldn't afford to run MGM/UA, so he sold United Artists for $480 million and the MGM logo along with other properties for another $300 million back to Kerkorian. Eventually, MGM's television operation was sold back to Kerkorian.
Turner now owned the a.a.p. cartoon library as well as the MGM and RKO film library. The black and white Popeye cartoons were redrawn in color in 1988, and syndicated once again to television stations along with the color cartoons. It should be noted that the cartoons were syndicated through a syndicator, Access Syndication. In 1992, Turner Entertainment, after buying Hanna-Barbera, started Cartoon Network. About this time, Turner began "dubbing" the cartoons, and removing the a.a.p. logo.
Turner Entertainment was acquired by Time Warner in 1996. For the first time since 1955, Warner Bros now owned "Casablanca", as well as "A Corny Concerto".
This is a list of all Warner Bros. cartoons on TBS/TNT or syndicated by Ted Turner that contained the a.a.p. logo. As I find out about more cartoons, the list will grow. Since, these cartoons are now reunited with Warner Brothers. WB is continuing to remove the aap logo.
A Pest In The House
Hollywood Steps Out
The 2 "Emily" cartoons
I Love To Singa (Had logo, not now)
Daffy Duck & Egghead (Had logo)
ONE MEAT BRAWL
OF FOX AND HOUNDS
NASTY QUACKS
MALIBY BEACH PARTY
RUSSIAN RHAPSODY (logo not present during 2001 WWII Toonheads special)
THE HARE BRAINED HYPNOTIST
THE BEAR'S TALE
The a.a.p. logo was present on all Popeye cartoons except for the following:
All cartoons made in Cinecolor or Polacolor
All Popeye cartoons produced after ____________
Protek the Weakest
Spinach For Britain (not part of the Turner 1988 package)
She Sick Sailors
Alpine for You, contains end gag involving the Paramount logo.
Special thanks to my fellow posters at the Termite Terrace Trading Post for helping me gather a list of the cartoons with and without the aap logos.
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DUBBED VERSIONS, REDRAWN VERSIONS, AND POPEYE'S PIPE VERSIONS
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