| Laughing Hippopotamus | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Unknown |
|
First Appearance |
Hamateur Night (January 28, 1939) |
|
Original Publisher |
Warner Bros. |
|
Created by |
Tex Avery |
Origin[]
The laughing hippopotamus appears in the audience at an "Hamateur Night” at the Warmer Bros. Theatre. He is portrayed as boisterous, physically imposing, and full of energy. His hearty, infectious, booming laughter disrupts the performances, ranging from a singing bird to a comically botched Romeo and Juliet performance—and even physically interferes with other spectators (for instance, crushing a dog’s feet and inadvertently knocking a row of people out of their seats and through a brick wall). His rowdy, chaotic antics eventually leads to the actor playing Romeo to try to silence him for good.
Public Domain Animated Appearances[]
- Hamateur Night (1939)
Notes[]
- The hippo's laughter and voice was provided by Tex Avery himself.
- This short entered the public domain in 1967 due to United Artists failing to renew the copyright in time.
- Despite Egghead being heavily featured in in the cartoon, the character will not enter the public domain until 2033 due to his debut cartoon still being under copyright.