Tex Avery-Walter Lantz Cartoon "SH-H-H-H-H-H"/The Laughing Record

TV historian Kliph Nesteroff tweeted an offbeat audio recording last night dating back to 1923. Titled "The Laughing Record," it features nothing more than a trombonist attempting to play a sorrowful song but unable to do so as he and his female companion keep cracking up laughing.

This reminded me of an old cartoon, produced by Woody Woodpecker creator Walter Lantz, in which a nervous man goes on a vacation on doctor's orders to relax at a quiet retreat. The man's vacation is disturbed, however, by his raucous neighbors in the adjoining room who are playing a trombone and laughing loudly.

I looked up the cartoon on YouTube, and not only does the cartoon follow the same conceit as "The Laughing Record," the cartoon uses the exact record as the soundtrack! The record even receives a credit in the cartoon's opening! I love when connections like this reveal themselves.

Here for your pleasure is the cartoon, produced by Lantz and written and directed by Tex Avery (his last theatrical cartoon), titled "SH-H-H-H-H-H," followed by the original "Laughing Record," complete with a link to download the public domain recording for your own collection. Enjoy!