Injokes and spoofs on real life people in old movies

[Jack Theakston]

The lawsuit was over two shorts: LET IT BE ME and BINGO CROSBYANA (both 1936). Parodies of real-life people aren't basis for lawsuits, but defamation of character is, which was the basis of that lawsuit.

[s.w.a.c.]

I'll have to go through my Looney Tunes sets and see if LET IT BE ME is on there.

Here's a synopsis from Wikipedia:

The plot revolves around an anthropomorphic hen named Emily, whose boyfriend rooster is just about to propose marriage to her when she gets infatuated with a passing rooster motorist, the radio crooner Mr. Bingo (a caricature of Bing Crosby). She goes with Mr. Bingo instead. Bingo, while dating Emily in a nightclub, gets infatuated with a singing hen, and after Emily cries that Bingo no longer loves him, has a bouncer throw her out into the street. Crying, she then fends for herself selling violets on a winter day. The jilted boyfriend meanwhile overhears Mr. Bingo on the radio. He grabs the radio and smashes it on the ground, with the "boo boo boo boo" sounding as if the radio is in its death throes. He eventually makes his way to the city, goes to the radio station and gives Bingo his just due in the middle of a broadcast. He then finds Emily selling violets, forgives her and marries her, and sires her brood.
In the concluding scene, both were lounging in the living room when the scene is cut to one of her brood of chicks singing at the piano the song that Emily first heard when she dated Mr. Bingo. A shoe is hurled and hits the poor chick, silencing the singing.

In the meantime, here's a colour trade ad for it (courtesy of Greenbriar Pictures).

[dr.giraud]

I've similarly heard that Sylvester the Cat is something of a parody of Darryl F. Zanuck.

Lee Tracy's character in THE NIGHT MAYOR is closely based on NYC Mayor Jimmy Walker.

Speaking of FOOTLIGHT PARADE, the whole idea of prologues in general is based around the Fanchon & Marco circuit prologues.

Daffy Duck's lisp is supposed to suggest Leon Schlesinger, who apparently didn't notice.