Granny is a Warner Brothers cartoon character, an elderly woman, variously depicted as a spinster or a widow. Her age remains uncertain, though the 1953 cartoon Hare Trimmed implies she was at least a teenager in the 1860s.
Warner Brothers regards Canary Row (1950) as her debut, and it represents her first appearance as the owner of the Tweety Bird. Earlier incarnations appear; Grannies not unlike the official character appear in The Cagey Canary (1941) and Hiss and Make Up (1943). This is typical of Looney Tunes; several trickster rabbits precede Bugs Bunny and boast elements of the superstar-to-be, while Egghead predates and strongly resembles Elmer Fudd, whose name appears on a scooter in 1938's "A Feud There Was."
Granny's history is further confused by the two distinct drawing styles that artists have used to depict her. One features a cartoonier, more crotchety-looking woman with a larger head. The other, more frequently used, presents a milder looking character. Her personality remains the same, sweet but capable of terrible temper, particular when defending Tweety or dispensing justice to lecherous "mashers." Her weapons of choice in such cases are her purse or umbrella.
Bea Benederit gave her voice in 1950; at least three other actresses have been Granny since. She appears in more than 20 theatrically-released cartoons, and in the 1995 Saturday morning cartoon series, The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries. She most often acts opposite Tweety Bird and Sylvester, but she has also co-starred with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, and Speedy Gonzales. She also made occasional appearances in 1960s and 1970s Gold Key comics, and other licensed Looney Tunes spin-offs.
Hare Trimmed gives her the first name, Emma. In The Last Hungry Cat (1961) and The Hawaiian Aye Aye (1964), she refers to herself as "Granny Sweet." Elsewhere, she is just Granny.
Looney Tunes Site. http://looneytunes.warnerbros.co.uk
Ultimate Granny Bio. The Unofficial Looney Tunes World.
http://www.tultw.com/bios/granny.htm
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