Norman Normal (1968)

Director:

Alex Lovy

Writers:

N. Paul Stookey (story) &
Dave Dixon (story)

Release Date:

3 February 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

After a multicolored rock group introduces the cartoon, Norman Normal is asked by a boss to wine and dine a client at a nightclub party...

Plot Keywords:

Rock Group | Salesman | Father Son Relationship | Cocktail Party | Breaking The Fourth Wall

Cast

Dave Dixon	...	Norman (voice) (as Paul Dixon)
N. Paul Stookey	...	Norman's Boss / Norman's Father / Drunk Businessman / Hal (voice)

Directed by
Alex Lovy

Writing credits
N. Paul Stookey		(story) &
Dave Dixon		(story) (as Paul Dixon)

Produced by
William L. Hendricks	....	producer
N. Paul Stookey	....	producer

Original Music by
William Lava

Film Editing by
Hal Geer

Animation Department
Bob Abrams	....	background artist
Ted Bonnicksen	....	animator
John Freeman	....	layout artist
Laverne Harding	....	animator
Volus Jones	....	animator
Ralph Penn	....	background artist
Ed Solomon	....	animator

Music Department
N. Paul Stookey	....	composer: theme music

Production Companies

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts Animation
• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1968) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

6 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #21778)

Company:

Warner Brothers/Seven Arts Animation

Trivia:

Neither a Merrie Melodie nor a Looney Tune - this film was released as a one-time-only "Cartoon Special".

Quotes:

Norman:I can't take this man that I don't know to a nightclub that I never go to, and try to get him to buy a shipment of ball-bearings by getting him drunk!
Norman's Boss:Everybody's doing it, Norm! Listen, you want to count?
Norman:It just isn't right.
Norman's Boss:But nobody will ever know!
Norman:But I'll know.
Norman's Boss:[de-ages into a college student] Mummy and Daddy won't know!
Norman:But, I...
Norman's Boss:[de-ages into a teenager] Listen, you wanna be in the gang?
Norman:Well, sure...
Norman's Boss:[de-ages into a young boy] Well then, go take Tommy's glove away or don't come any more!

Soundtrack:

Norman Normal Theme

Something a bit different and surprisingly excellent for such a late Warner cartoon

Alex Lovy's 'Norman Normal' is an exceptional little satire on business ethics and social behaviour. Produced by the new Warner Bros. department in the late 60s (long after the dreadful Speedy and Daffy series and lacklustre new characters such as Cool Cat had made Warner cartoons seem entirely past their best) as a "Cartoon Special", 'Norman Normal' takes an entirely different approach as a hip animated think piece which ultimately takes place inside the titular character's head. The amiable Norman must fight off unethical propositions from his boss, endorsements of conformity from his father, peer pressure from his acquaintances and the desperate search for approval by a man with a lamp on his head! A whole new contemporary attitude is apparent, especially in the scene in which Norman refuses to laugh at a joke about a minority group which seems like an apology for Warner's decades of politically incorrect racial humour (although a year later Warner Bros. animation department would close down with a short called 'Injun Trouble'!). The satire is sharp and funny and the modern atmosphere is enhanced by a catchy theme tune by Peter, Paul and Mary. It may have little in common with the golden era of Warner cartoons but 'Norman Normal' is a wonderful short and one of the few latter day Warner shorts that really works.