Gerald McBoing-Boing

Although Mr. Magoo debuted UPA's distinct graphic style, Gerald McBoing-Boing was the short that truly made UPA famous. The short was directed by Robert Cannon] and was released in 1951. It went on to win the oscar for best cartoon short subject in 1951 as well as other awards from BAFTA (special award, 1952) and the National Film Preservation Board (National Film Registry, 1995). Cannon would go on to make three follow-up Boing-Boing shorts, Gerald McBoing Boing's Symphony (1953), How Now Boing Boing (1954), and Gerald McBoing Boing on the Planet Moo (1955), which was a nominated for an oscar. These later shorts were not as significant because they did not debut [[UPA's innovative style.

The short is based on Dr. Seuss` short story of the same name. The animated shot was written by Bill Scott, famous for his work on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. The short is about a young boy Gerald McBoing-Boing who can only speak in sound effects. His parents are greatly annoyed by Gerald's "handicap". They try to teach Gerald how to speak normally but to no avail. Gerald is made fun of at school, and runs away from home, but when boarding a train, a radio station hears Gerald's talent and he quickly rises to fame.

The McBoing Boing short was so significant because it highlighted the fresh UPA style. Although the Mr. Magoo series had introduced the style, McBoing Boing brought it to the fore front. The bold lines, highly stylized figures and backgrounds, and the distinct use of limited animation greatly contrasted the contemporary animation styles of Disney, Warner Brothers, and MGM.