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CNN Live Sunday

Legendary Animator Chuck Jones Dies

Aired February 24, 2002 - 11:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In California, private funeral services are expected to be held tomorrow or Tuesday for legendary cartoon animator Chuck Jones. When news of his death was made public Friday, so many people jammed his Web site, it was shut down for hours, according to family members contacted by CNN.

Our Catherine Callaway looks back now at the life and work of Chuck Jones.

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CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): You may not know his name, but chances are you know his characters, characters Chuck Jones brought to life.

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BUGS BUNNY: It's true, Doc. I'm a rabbit, all right. Would you like to shoot me now or wait 'til you get home?

DAFFY DUCK: Shoot him now! Shoot him now!

BUGS BUNNY: You keep out of this. He doesn't have to shoot you now.

DAFFY DUCK: He does so have to shoot me now!

I demand that you shoot me now!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Jones grew up in Hollywood during the hay day of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton and there, every once in a while, he worked as an extra. But it wasn't his talents before the camera that made him famous. It was his work behind the camera, as an artist and animator.

CHUCK JONES: It's very simple, really. You just draw a carrot and hook a rabbit onto it.

CALLAWAY: From Warner Brothers to Disney to MGM, he would become an icon. Remember this?

(VIDEO CLIP, "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS") CALLAWAY: In 1966, he directed "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." And oh, remember this?

(VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Chuck Jones. And this?

(VIDEO CLIP)

CALLAWAY: Chuck Jones. How about this?

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CALLAWAY: You guessed it, Chuck Jones. Along the way, he won three Academy Awards, worked on more than 300 animated films, and maybe more importantly, brought smiles to generations of children. He died Friday of congestive heart failure, his wife and daughter by his side. Chuck Jones was 89.

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