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Recap / Looney Tunes in the '50s

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Artistically, this was the era of increasing minimalism and aggressively-geometric graphic design in character design and backgrounds (visually distinguishing this period's output from the more aesthetically-finished refinement of the late '30s and '40s) owing to increased competition from the design-heavy (and then-critically-acclaimed) work of UPA and, more directly, the hiring of Maurice Noble as Chuck Jones' layout man (a position analogous to an art director or production designer within the studio's system) in 1952. As Noble and UPA's influences amalgamated and accentuated across the decade, each of the studio's units (albeit on differing timeframes) increasingly adopted more angular character designs and physically and chromatically-abstract "flat-form" backgrounds.

The Looney Tunes directors in this period include Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, and Chuck Jones (the only three left after Arthur Davis' unit was shut down for budget reasons, Frank Tashlin left to do live-action movies, and Bob Clampett left to do television). Jones, in particular would rise to become the most prominent of the remaining directors (through attaining the high point of his artistic talent) during this period, producing some of the most popular and acclaimed shorts of the decade and his career, cementing his place in animation history.

This is also the era where you can find almost all the Warner Bros. shorts that are/were staples of weekday afternoon and Saturday morning TV for kids in Americanote , as well as being popular picks for home media releases (such as "One Froggy Evening", "What's Opera, Doc?", "Show Biz Bugs", the "Rabbit Season/Duck Season" shortsnote , "Birds Anonymous", and several Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote cartoons, to name a few). See if you can spot your favorites.

A total of 278 shorts were released during this time.


1950

  • Home Tweet Home (MM) (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Hurdy Gurdy Hare (MM) (McKimson): Bugs Bunny.
  • Boobs in the Woods (LT) (McKimson): Porky, Daffy.
  • Mutiny On The Bunny (LT) (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • The Lion's Busy (LT) (Freleng): Beaky the Buzzard.
  • "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" (LT) (Jones): Daffy Duck. Many other Looney Tunes characters guest star (including Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Henery Hawk, the Mama Bear from the Three Bears cartoons, Sylvester the Cat and Melissa Duck).
  • Homeless Hare (MM) (Jones): Bugs.
  • Strife With Father (MM) (McKimson): Beaky the Buzzard.
  • The Hypo-Chondri-Cat (MM) (Jones): Hubie, Bertie and Claude Cat.
  • Big House Bunny (LT) (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • The Leghorn Blows at Midnight (LT) (McKimson): Foghorn Leghorn, Henery Hawk, Barnyard Dawg.
  • His Bitter Half (MM) (Freleng): Daffy Duck.
  • An Egg Scramble (MM) (McKimson): Porky Pig.
  • What's Up, Doc? (LT) (McKimson): Bugs, Elmer Fudd.
  • All Abir-r-rd (LT) (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • 8 Ball Bunny(MM) (Jones): Bugs Bunny. Second and final appearance of Playboy the Penguin.
  • It's Hummer Time (LT) (McKimson)
  • Golden Yeggs (MM) (Freleng): Porky, Daffy.
  • Hillbilly Hare (MM) (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Dog Gone South (MM) (Jones): Charlie Dog, Colonel Shuffle (the Southern gentleman antagonist from "Mississippi Hare").
  • The Ducksters (LT) (Jones): Porky, Daffy.
  • A Fractured Leghorn (MM) (McKimson): Foghorn.
  • Bunker Hill Bunny (MM) (Freleng): Bugs. Sam.
  • Canary Row (MM) (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Stooge For a Mouse (MM) (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • Pop 'im Pop (LT) (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Hippety Hopper.
  • Bushy Hare (LT) (McKimson): Bugs. Rarely airs on American television these days because of the Australian aborigine caricature as Bugs' adversary. It did, however, air on Nickelodeonnote  and is available on the Looney Tunes Super Stars: Bugs Bunny: Hare Extraordinaire DVD.
  • Caveman Inki (LT) Jones: Inki. Final appearance of Inki.
  • Dog Collared (MM) (McKimson): Porky.
  • Rabbit of Seville (LT) (Jones): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Two's a Crowd (LT) (Jones): Claude Cat and Frisky Puppy

1951

  • Hare We Go (McKimson): Bugs.
  • A Fox in a Fix (McKimson)
  • "Canned Feud" (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • "Rabbit Every Monday" (Freleng): Bugs, Yosemite Sam.
  • Putty Tat Trouble (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Corn Plastered (McKimson)
  • Bunny Hugged (Jones): Bugs.
  • Scent-imental Romeo (Jones): Pepé Le Pew. Is the only Golden Age Pepe cartoon in which Pepe does not continue chasing the girl at the end (he gets taken back to the zoo just as she runs off).
  • A Bone For a Bone (Freleng): Goofy Gophers.
  • The Fair-Haired Hare (Freleng): Bugs, Yosemite Sam.
  • A Hound For Trouble (Jones): Charlie Dog. Last cartoon featuring Charlie the Dog and only other cartoon that doesn't have him paired with Porky Pig.
  • Early to Bet (McKimson)
  • Rabbit Fire (Jones): Bugs, Daffy, Elmer. First of the "Hunter's Trilogy" cartoons (the three cartoons in which Bugs and Daffy argue about what hunting season it is, only for Daffy to get shot repeatedly)
  • Room and Bird (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny. Score by Eugene Poddany, not Carl Stalling as usual.
  • Chow Hound (Jones): A one-shot cartoon known for its dark content, its allusions to prostitution and the line "This time, we didn't forget the gravy!"
  • French Rarebit (McKimson): Bugs. Score by Eugene Poddany, not Carl Stalling as usual.
  • The Wearing of the Grin (Jones): Porky. Score by Eugene Poddany, not Carl Stalling as usual.
  • Leghorn Swoggled (McKimson): Foghorn, Henery Hawk, Barnyard Dawg. Score by Eugene Poddany, not Carl Stalling as usual.
  • His Hare-Raising Tale (Freleng): Bugs. A "cheater" cartoon which reuses animation from "Falling Hare", "Stage Door Cartoon", "Baseball Bugs", "Rabbit Punch" and "Haredevil Hare".
  • Cheese Chasers (Jones): Last cartoon featuring Hubie and Bertie.
  • Lovelorn Leghorn (McKimson): Foghorn, Miss Prissy, Barnyard Dawg. Last score by Eugene Poddany.
  • Tweety's S.O.S. (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Ballot Box Bunny (Freleng): Bugs, Yosemite Sam.
  • A Bear for Punishment (Jones): Last cartoon featuring The Three Bears.
  • Sleepy-Time Possum (McKimson)
  • Drip-Along Daffy (Jones): Daffy, Porky.
  • Big Top Bunny (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Tweet Tweet Tweety (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • The Prize Pest (McKimson): Porky, Daffy.

1952

  • Who's Kitten Who? (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Hippety Hopper.
  • Operation: Rabbit (Jones): Jones, Wile E. Coyote, Bugs Bunny.
  • Feed the Kitty (Jones): Marc Antony, Pussyfoot.
  • Gift Wrapped (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny, Hector.
  • Foxy By Proxy (Freleng): Bugs.
  • Thumb Fun (McKimson): Porky, Daffy.
  • 14 Carrot Rabbit (Freleng): Bugs, Yosemite Sam.
  • Little Beau Pepe (Jones): Pepe. Last Pepe cartoon (until 1956's "Two Scents Worth", where he shares credit with Maurice Noble) to have Robert Gribbroek as layout artist.
  • Kiddin' the Kitten (McKimson): First of two cartoons featuring lazy housecat Dodsworth and a small white kitten Dodsworth manipulates into doing work for him.
  • Water, Water Every Hare (Jones): Bugs.
  • Little Red Rodent Hood (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • Sock-a-Doodle-Do (McKimson): Foghorn, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Beep, Beep (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • The Hasty Hare (Jones): Bugs, Marvin the Martian.
  • Ain't She Tweet (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • The Turn Tale Wolf (McKimson)
  • Cracked Quack (Freleng): Daffy, Porky.
  • Oily Hare (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Hoppy Go Lucky (McKimson): Sylvester, Hippety Hopper.
  • Going! Going! Gosh! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • A Bird in a Guilty Cage (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Mouse Warming (Jones): Claude Cat
  • Rabbit Seasoning (Jones): Bugs, Daffy, Elmer.
  • The Egg-Cited Rooster (McKimson): Foghorn, Henery Hawk, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Tree for Two (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • The Super Snooper (McKimson): Daffy, Shapely Lady Duck (Melissa).
  • Rabbit's Kin (McKimson): Bugs. Only appearance of Pete Puma.
  • Terrier Stricken (Jones) : Claude Cat, Frisky Puppy
  • Fool Coverage (McKimson): Daffy, Porky.
  • Hare Lift (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • Orange Blossoms For Violet: Neither a Looney Tunes nor Merrie Melodies, actually a live action short made by the studio, parodying old school Silent Age melodramas - but with live animals!

1953

1954

  • Dog Pounded (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety. Features a cameo by Pepé Le Pew (Friz's first time using the character in one of his cartoons and the second time that Pepe has been seen in a cartoon not directed by Chuck Jones)
  • Captain Hareblower (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • I Gopher You (Freleng): Goofy Gophers.
  • Feline Frame-Up (Jones): Claude, Marc Antony, Pussyfoot.
  • Wild Wife (McKimson): A one-shot cartoon about a 1950s housewife who tells her husband the story of what she goes through during the day (with hilarious results).
  • No Barking (Jones) : Claude, Frisky; Tweety and a dog that looks like Marc Antony makes a cameo appearance.
  • Bugs and Thugs (Freleng): Bugs, Rocky, Mugsy. The first short where Milt Franklyn receives solo credit for music.
  • The Cat's Bah (Jones): Pepe.
  • Design for Leaving (McKimson): Daffy, Elmer.
  • Bell Hoppy (McKimson): Sylvester, Hippety Hopper.
  • No Parking Hare (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Dr. Jerkyl's Hide (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • Claws for Alarm (Jones): Porky, Sylvester. Second of the "Porky and Sylvester horror vacation" trilogy and considered the best one, according to most animation fans and critics.
  • Little Boy Boo (McKimson): Foghorn, Miss Prissy, Egghead Jr..
  • Devil May Hare (McKimson): Bugs, Tasmanian Devil.
  • Muzzle Tough (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny, Hector.
  • The Oily American (McKimson)
  • Bewitched Bunny (Jones): Bugs, Witch Hazel.
  • Satan's Waitin' (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Stop! Look! And Hasten! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Yankee Doodle Bugs (Freleng): Bugs.
  • Gone Batty (McKimson)
  • Goo Goo Goliath (Freleng)
  • By Word Of Mouse (Freleng): Sylvester. First of three shorts funded by the Sloan Foundation (which included an educational segment about American economics).
  • From A To Z-Z-Z-Z (Jones): First cartoon featuring Ralph Phillips (the daydreaming boy)
  • Quack Shot (McKimson): Daffy, Elmer.
  • Lumber Jack-Rabbit (Jones): Bugs. Only WB cartoon to be shown in 3D (not the 3D as it's known today — the 1950s style 3D)note 
  • My Little Duckaroo (Jones): Daffy, Porky.
  • Sheep Ahoy (Jones): Wolf, Sheepdog.
  • Baby Buggy Bunny (Jones): Bugs. The premise for this cartoon was used for the flop movie Little Man (about a midget criminal who poses as a baby in order to escape the law), which won a Razzie award for "Worst Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel."

1955

  • Pizzicato Pussycat (Freleng)
  • Feather Dusted (McKimson): Foghorn, Miss Prissy, Egghead Jr.
  • Pests For Guests (Freleng): Goofy Gophers, Elmer.
  • Beanstalk Bunny (Jones): Bugs, Daffy, Elmer.
  • All Fowled Up (McKimson): Foghorn, Henery Hawk, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Stork Naked (Freleng): Daffy.
  • Lighthouse Mouse (McKimson): Sylvester, Hippety Hopper.
  • Sahara Hare (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • Sandy Claws (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • The Hole Idea (McKimson) A one-shot short animated by Robert McKimson himself (due to the 1953 studio shutdown and his crew members being put out of work at the time) about a scientist whose latest invention falls into criminal hands.
  • Ready.. Set.. Zoom! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Hare Brush (Freleng): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Past Perfumance (Jones): Pepe. Is the only Pepe cartoon in which Pepe realizes that the skunk he's been chasing is a cat — though he goes after her anyway, but not before blacking out the stripe on his tail.
  • Tweety's Circus (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Rabbit Rampage (Jones): Bugs. Elmer cameo. A remake of "Duck Amuck".
  • Lumber Jerks (Freleng): Goofy Gophers.
  • This is a Life? (Freleng): Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Sam. A "cheater" cartoon which reuses animation from "A Hare Grows in Manhattan", "Hare Do" and "Buccaneer Bunny".
  • Double or Mutton (Jones): Wolf, Sheepdog.
  • Jumpin Jupiter (Jones): Porky, Sylvester. The last of the "Porky and Sylvester horror vacation" shorts and the one a lot of people don't like or remember. Was used in the "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue on Daffy Duck's Quackbusters showing that Porky and Sylvester got lost in the desert somewhere.
  • A Kiddie's Kitty (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • Hyde and Hare (Freleng): Bugs.
  • Dime to Retire (McKimson): Porky, Daffy.
  • Speedy Gonzales (Freleng): Speedy, Sylvester.
  • Knight-Mare Hare (Jones): Bugs.
  • Two Scent's Worth (Jones): Pepe. One of three Pepe Le Pew cartoons where Chuck Jones is also credited for writing it (and one of seven Pepe cartoons that Michael Maltese didn't write).
  • Red Riding Hoodwinked (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Roman Legion-Hare (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • Heir Conditioned (Freleng): Elmer, Sylvester.
  • Guided Muscle (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Pappy's Puppy (Freleng): Sylvester.
  • A Hitch in Time (Jones)
  • One Froggy Evening (Jones) A very popular one-shot cartoon about a construction worker who tries to exploit a singing frog he found on the job, only to learn that the frog doesn't sing for anyone but him. Steven Spielberg considers this the Citizen Kane of animation, it's one of the four shorts produced by Warner Bros. Cartoons to be selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry in America, and the singing frog (retroactively known as Michigan J. Frog) was the mascot for the former WB network.

1956

  • Bugs' Bonnets (Jones): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Too Hop to Handle (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Hippety Hopper.
  • Weasel Stop (McKimson): Foghorn.
  • The High and the Flighty (McKimson): Foghorn, Daffy, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Broom-Stick Bunny (Jones): Bugs, Witch Hazel.
  • Rocket Squad (Jones): Daffy, Porky.
  • Tweet And Sour (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Heaven Scent (Jones): Pepe. One of three Pepe Le Pew cartoons where Chuck Jones is also credited for writing it (and one of seven Pepe cartoons that Michael Maltese didn't write).
  • Mixed Master (McKimson)
  • Rabbitson Crusoe (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Tree Cornered Tweety (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • The Unexpected Pest (McKimson): Sylvester.
  • Napoleon Bunny-Part (Freleng): Bugs.
  • Tugboat Granny (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Stupor Duck (McKimson): Daffy.
  • Barbary Coast Bunny (Jones): Bugs.
  • Rocket-bye Baby (Jones)
  • Half Fare Hare (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Raw! Raw! Rooster (McKimson): Foghorn.
  • The Slap-Hoppy Mouse (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Hippety Hopper.
  • A Star Is Bored (Freleng): Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, Sam.
  • Deduce, You Say! (Jones): Daffy, Porky.
  • Yankee Dood It (Freleng): Elmer, Sylvester.
  • Wideo Wabbit (McKimson): Bugs, Elmer.
  • There They Go-Go-Go! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Two Crows From Tacos (Freleng)
  • The Honey-Mousers (McKimson): The Honey-Mousers.
  • To Hare Is Human (Jones): Bugs, Wile E. Coyote.

1957

  • The Three Little Bops (Freleng): The only short with music by Shorty Rogers. A jazz version of The Three Little Pigs.
  • Tweet Zoo (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Scrambled Aches (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Ali Baba Bunny (Jones): Bugs, Daffy.
  • Go Fly a Kit (Jones): Marc Antony.
  • Tweety and the Beanstalk (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Bedevilled Rabbit (McKimson): Bugs, Taz.
  • Boyhood Daze (Jones): Last cartoon featuring Ralph Phillips (the daydreaming boy)
  • Cheese it! The Cat (McKimson): The Honey-Mousers.
  • Fox Terror (McKimson): Foghorn, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Pikers Peak (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • Steal Wool (Jones): Wolf, Sheepdog.
  • Boston Quackie (McKimson): Daffy, Porky.
  • What's Opera, Doc? (Jones): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Tabasco Road (Freleng): Speedy.
  • Birds Anonymous (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety. Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1958.
  • Ducking the Devil (McKimson): Daffy, Taz. Is the only Golden Age pairing of Daffy Duck and Taz.
  • Bugsy and Mugsy (Freleng): Bugs, Rocky, Mugsy.
  • Zoom and Bored (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Greedy for Tweety (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny, Hector.
  • Touche and Go (Jones): Pepe.
  • Show Biz Bugs (Freleng): Bugs, Daffy.
  • Mouse-Taken Identity (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr., Hippety Hopper.
  • Gonzales Tamales (Freleng): Speedy, Sylvester.
  • Rabbit Romeo (McKimson): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Drafty, Isn't It: Another Non-Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies spinoff made by Chuck Jones. Public Domain.

1958

  • Don't Axe Me (McKimson): Elmer, Daffy, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Tortilla Flaps (McKimson): Speedy.
  • Hare-Less Wolf (Freleng): Bugs.
  • A Pizza Tweety Pie (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Robin Hood Daffy (Jones): Daffy, Porky.
  • Hare-Way to the Stars (Jones): Bugs, Marvin.
  • Whoa, Be-Gone! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • A Waggily Tale (Freleng)
  • Feather Bluster (McKimson): Foghorn, Barnyard Dawg. A "cheater" cartoon which reuses animation from "Henhouse Henery", "The High and the Flighty", and "All Fowled Up".
  • Now Hare This (McKimson): Bugs.
  • To Itch His Own (Jones): Carl Stalling's final score.
  • Dog Tales (McKimson): Charlie Dog cameo. Pseudo-remake of 1937's Dog Daze, a similar spot-gag cartoon featuring dog jokes.
  • Knighty Knight Bugs (Freleng): Bugs, Sam. Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 1959.
  • Weasel While You Work (McKimson): Foghorn, Barnyard Dawg. Due to a musician's strike, this was the first of six cartoons with stock music from the Capitol Hi-Q Library (the same music library that the original Gumby TV series often used) chosen by John Seely instead of a scene-specific score.
  • A Bird in a Bonnet (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety, Granny.
  • Hook, Line and Stinker (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • Pre-Hysterical Hare (McKimson): Bugs, Elmer.
  • Gopher Broke (McKimson): Goofy Gophers, Barnyard Dawg.
  • Hip Hip-Hurry! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner. The last of the six Seely-supervised soundtracks.
  • Cat Feud (Jones): Marc Antony, Pussyfoot.

1959

  • Baton Bunny (Jones, Abe Levitow): Bugs.
  • Mouse-Placed Kitten (McKimson)
  • China Jones (McKimson): Daffy, Porky. Isn't seen much on TV due to the Asian stereotypes, though it did air on Nickelodeon with the ending where Daffy is held prisoner in a Chinese laundromat when he refuses to pay his laundry bill cut.
  • Hare-Abian Nights (Ken Harris): Bugs, Sam. A "cheater" cartoon which reuses animation from "Bully For Bugs", "Water, Water Every Hare", and "Sahara Hare".
  • Trick or Tweet (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • The Mouse That Jack Built (McKimson)
  • Apes of Wrath (Freleng): Bugs. Quasi-remake of "Gorilla My Dreams".
  • Hot-Rod and Reel! (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • A Mutt in a Rut (McKimson): Elmer.
  • Backwoods Bunny (McKimson): Bugs.
  • Really Scent (Levitow): Pepe. Is the last of three Pepe cartoons not to be directed by Chuck Jones, the last of three that ends with Pepe getting chased, and the only Pepe cartoon in which Pepe realizes why everyone runs from him and tries to fix the problem (with hilarious results).
  • Mexicali Shmoes (Freleng): Speedy.
  • Tweet and Lovely (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety.
  • Wild and Woolly Hare (Freleng): Bugs, Sam.
  • The Cat's Paw (McKimson): Sylvester, Sylvester Jr.
  • Here Today, Gone Tamale (Freleng): Speedy, Sylvester.
  • Bonanza Bunny (McKimson): Bugs.
  • A Broken Leghorn (McKimson): Foghorn, Miss Prissy.
  • Wild About Hurry (Jones): Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner.
  • A Witch's Tangled Hare (Levitow): Bugs, Witch Hazel.
  • Unnatural History (Levitow)
  • Tweet Dreams (Freleng): Sylvester, Tweety. A "cheater" cartoon which reuses animation from "Gift Wrapped", "A Street Cat Named Sylvester", "Sandy Claws", "Tweety's Circus", and "Too Hop To Handle". Also notable as the final WB short on which longtime storyman Warren Foster receives credit, owing to his departure in 1957.
  • People are Bunny (McKimson): Bugs, Daffy.

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