Important New Deduction by David Gerstein
Yowp pondered this in the last post: “Say Lantz really was inspired by a woodpecker on his roof. Was Grace really there? If so, it’s while Lantz was still married to someone else.”
In response to this, highly respected historian and author David Gerstein penned this hypothetical scenario of what happened that night the idea of Woody Woodpecker came to Walter Lantz in his cabin.
WALTER: Mmm… mmh… ooh… damn, we better stop this, Grace… the little woman might drop by anytime, and she thinks I’m alone out here…
:KNOCK KNOCK:WALTER: Ohshit, it’s *her!* Quick, hide under the bed. I’ll straighten up— now get the door…
:nobody:
WALTER: Hmm, false alarm. Back to “work,” babe…
:KNOCK KNOCK:
GRACIE: *Daddy*, it’s that woodpecker again!
Informative!
Very funny punchlines around here. It’s a funny theory for a joke – but I don’t know if this would’ve happened – as this is a “scenario”.
Steven Hartley
15 Aug 11 at 6:39 pm
Er… This was “only” a private joke—not serious speculation.
But I sent it to Thad, the real-life Woody, so of course the whole world was going to see it. (Thhanks.)
I should never have spent time in Sweden—now I’m apparently the real-life Wally.
David Gerstein
15 Aug 11 at 8:20 pm
Best. theory. ever.
Devon
15 Aug 11 at 10:39 pm
Well, Stephen, we do know some things for sure:
1. Lantz claimed he came up with the idea for Woody when he and Grace were on their honeymoon in his cabin in the High Sierras (see the Joe Adamson biography of Lantz that Thad referred to in the other post).
2. The first Woody cartoon was released a year before he was married to Grace. I’ll point you to a news story about Lantz’ wedding to her if you’d like.
It doesn’t take a math genius to know Lantz’ story doesn’t add up.
To be generous, when Lantz told the story in the ’40s of Woody’s creation, there was no mention of Grace or honeymoons. But later in life, the two sat lovey-dovey (as opposed to Alex Lovy) together insisting the honeymoon story was a humorous and indisputable fact. He apparently took the same Embroider the Truth 101 class that Mel Blanc went to.
Yowp
16 Aug 11 at 12:41 am
Why is Dave not the front runner of Lantz history?
Mike R.
16 Aug 11 at 8:57 am
Because I’m running the other way as fast as I can? (Right down into the gutter.)
David Gerstein
16 Aug 11 at 11:37 am
“Hold tight,Pop-Here we go!”
top cat james
16 Aug 11 at 11:50 pm
For further reading …Walter Lantz: Hollywood’s Sleaze King copyright D.Gerstein 2011, ISBN 0-06-100789-8
Adam
19 Aug 11 at 2:44 am
This theory was already proposed at TV Tropes, except for the adultery part. So, it’s nothing new.
Brandon
8 Sep 11 at 2:35 pm
Fuck TV Tropes. David Gerstein is better than all of those websites combined.
Thad
9 Sep 11 at 2:57 pm