April 20 1957–
The Merrie Melodies short, Boyhood Daze, directed by Chuck Jones, debuted on this date.
According to animation historian Don Markstein, Ralph Philips was Chuck Jones’ version of the literary character Walter Mitty. Both are meek, put-upon characters who seek to escape reality through daydreaming about being heroes or villains. The main difference was that Walter is an adult trapped in an unhappy marriage, while Ralph is a little boy with mundane problems.
The Haus of Dcaligari 