Dave Monahan

Biography

Monahan was one of the first gag writers at Leon Schlesinger's cartoon factory to receive screen credit. His initial tenure at Warner Brothers spanned the period from 1938 to 1942, during which he toiled on several of the early Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies entries for Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny (including the odd classic, like Tortoise Beats Hare (1941)). It was said, that Monahan fitted in perfectly with the rest of the wacky crew at 'Termite Terrace', helping to devise practical jokes, whenever possible, "to relieve the boredom". According to Michael Maltese (who took over the mantle of leading story writer after Monahan's departure), this included once setting fire to the studio "just for the hell of it, just to see if it burned. And it wouldn't burn". Monahan left in 1942 to serve as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, though he returned for a brief spell in 1947. He announced his permanent exit from Warner Brothers with "I'm going to the dentist", before driving halfway across the United States to secure a job elsewhere. Monahan latterly worked as a writer and director of commercials. He also directed the live action sequences of an animated feature, The Phantom Tollbooth (1970).