Famous Studios Cartoon Fall Sound

This is a fall sound that was often used in the Paramount cartoons produced by Famous Studios (including Noveltoons) from the 1940's to the 1960's. It was also used in some Warner Bros. and MGM cartoons, among other films.

Info

First recorded: 1940s
Creator: TBA
Owner: Warner Bros. (1941-1968), Famous Studios (1944-1967), MGM (196-
Origin: United States
Year debut: 1940
First heard: Elmer's Pet Rabbit (a Merrie Melodies short)
Last heard: 9 (2009)
Area used: Worldwide

It was originally a Warner Bros. sound effect that was probably first recorded in 1940 and debuted in 1941, starting with Elmer's Pet Rabbit. It was rarely used for some cartoons in favor of their trademark Looney Tunes Cartoon Fall Sound, but Famous Studios also picked the sound up in 1944 and used it as their trademark falling whistle sound (even after the studio became "Paramount Cartoon Studios" in 1956) until the 1960's.

Other studios like DePatie-Freleng, Chuck Jones Enterprises, and Total Television started to use the sound in the 60's, but its frequent use was later abandoned by the 1980's (only very few studios used it at that time, namely DiC Entertainment). However, some sound studios (such as Animation City Editorial Services, Inc.) used it in movies and TV shows after the 1980's, but only very few.

It is yet to be determined if the sound was included on any sound effect library; however it is likely it was released on a currently unidentified sound effects library sometime in the late 1980s (hence how DIC was able to use it in their work). Part of it, however, can be heard as part of the track Battle Sounds (Four) on the Robert Hall library.

Variations

Battle Sounds (Four) (included)
BOMB, WHISTLE - LONG BOMB FALLING WHISTLE (prototype variant)

Used In

TV Shows

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (Heard once in "Escape from the Treacherous Mountain", rare shortened version?)
Animaniacs
Beetle Bailey
Cool McCool
Felix the Cat (1959)
Go Go Gophers
Gumby (Not sure it was used in)
Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects
Kissyfur
Klondike Kat
Krazy Kat
Little Wizards
The Marvel Super Heroes
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
The New Casper Cartoon Show
Popeye and Friends (1982)
Popples (1986) (Heard once in "Tree House Capers".)
The Simpsons (Heard once in "Bart Sells His Soul" in the Itchy and Scratchy short "Skinless in Seattle".)
SpongeBob SquarePants (It's unknown what episode[s] it was used in; needs verification.)
Sylvanian Families (First heard multiple times in "Outfoxing the Foxes" in a low pitch.)
Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales
Underdog

Movies

9 (2009) (Heard once as the first of three shells/smoke grenades launched fall; it could be a rare shortened variant)
American Pop (1981)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (May be confused with a similar whistle as a refrigerator flies from a nuclear explosion.)
Popeye (1980)
The Weird Adventures of Mutt and Jeff and Bugoff (1973)

Shorts

Attack! Battle of New Britain (1944) (Heard in its entirety after the Looney Tunes Cartoon Fall Sound, twice, as bombs drop.)
Casper The Friendly Ghost
Famous Studios Cartoons
Herman and Katnip
Inacio Studios Media
Little Lulu Cartoons
Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (Only heard in the 40's cartoons as it was replaced by the Looney Tunes Cartoon Fall Sound, but it did return in the 1960's.)
Modern Madcaps
Noveltoons
Popeye Cartoons (First heard in "Pop-Pie a la Mode".)
Red's Dream (1987)
Screen Songs
Sugar and Spies (1966) (Rare shortened variant?)
Terrytoons (Not sure what it was heard in)
Tom and Jerry (Only used in the Chuck Jones era cartoons; in "The Cat's Me-Ouch" [2nd half], "Puss 'n Boats" [1st half in a much higher pitch], and "O-Solar Meow" [2nd half, briefly]; thrice in "Cat and Dupli-cat". The "Prototype Variant" is heard in some of the 1940s cartoons, however.)