Category: Merrie Melodies

Cartoons that were labeled as such.

Posted on

Chili Weather

“All these foods and not a crumb to eat.”

Directed by Friz Freleng. Released in 1963.

There’s a food plant, and where there’s edible goods, you’re bound to attract mice. Good thing whoever owns the place has Sylvester on guard duty. Speedy almost immediately comes by and offers to help the mice get some grub. He actually manages to run in and out the first time, without Sylvester noticing. When he does become aware, he chases the mouse onto one of the conveyor belts. While Speedy compliments how much easier it is running this way, (and barely misses being chopped up) Sylvester is chopped up.

Speedy greases the floor and Sylvester slips into a vat of tobasco sauce. Sitting on ice cools him down somehow. (He’s not even licking it, not that it would help, but was the sauce being cooked? It didn’t look heated.) While Speedy looks at some soda bottles, (I don’t know what’s in there, but they say “es bueno” on the side. That’s good enough for me! *takes*) Sylvester comes back and actually grabs him. (2 posts in a row? New record!) But the bottle cap machine caps him and blinds him, simultaneously. (He must be really small.)

He manages to get it off with a bottle opener, but Speedy surprises him and he jumps back up into it. Speedy’s inner troll emerges and he takes it away. Sylvester blindly swings a bat around and doesn’t notice he’s running into the dehydrator. (It appears to belong to a someone named Gomez. Or maybe that’s the machine’s name?) He shrinks and is now able to get the cap off. Seeing Speedy, he runs off in fear. (After years of chasing Hippety Hopper, he’s finally found a real giant mouse.)

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

West of the Pesos

“Mio Speedito is muy loco.”

Directed by Robert McKimson.  Released in 1960

I just want to say that this place has been getting fairly popular lately. I want to thank everyone who stops by. Especially those leaving comments. They really make my day. Now on with the show.

Our story takes place in a village called “Veelage.” (That is probably the best name ever.) In a nearby lab, a one Sylvester J. Pussycat is guarding the entrance. Inside, several mice await their doom. And for anyone who is concerned that animal labs are hardly different from concentration camps, can rest easy. This one is okay because it says “Expieramento Scienteefic” on the front. (That’s reasonable) The other mice in town are worried and have set up a sign that lists the missing mice. (Two of which include Pablo Picasso and animator Manuel Perez, who ironically didn’t work on this short.)

They would like to go save everyone, but they are not fast enough. Why not Speedy? Well, he’s in Guadalajara at the moment. He’d need a pretty good reason to come down. A mouse-ette named Carmella might do the trick. She gives him a call and he’s there in no time. (Pfft, men.) He agrees to help and walks up to the gate. He tells “El Poosygato” about how he plans to come in and rescue his people. Chuckling, Sylvester opens up the gate. Speedy runs, and slips right through Sylvester’s paws. (Leaving a bad case of mouse-burn, I might add.) Slyvester works fast and quickly sets up a snare trap. Speedy ends up dragging him through the little knot hole it’s threaded through. He brings the mouse back where he is immediately hugged by his… wife? Maybe? Whoever she is, it’s nice not to have all the females lusting after Speedy this time.

Sylvester waits with a rock, but Speedy surprises him and he drops it on himself. After getting more mice, they run out under a can. They hide by two more. Sylvester checks them all. The last one contains a dynamite stick. (The second one had the mice.) On the next run out, the mice dress as a dog to keep the kitty away. It works until one trips out of the disguise, exposing the jig. Sylvester chases but still crashes into the wall. Speedy sets some train tracks that lead into the building, and runs out pulling the mice in cars. (Speedy uses a cigar to imitate smoke. He won’t be able to run so mast for much longer.) Sylvester hides behind a tunnel with his mouth open, but the train comes out through his tail. That’s the lot then. Carmella thanks Speedy with a kiss and that sends him rocketing into the sky. (Pfft, men.)

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

Tabasco Road

“Hola gato! You wanna fight?”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1957.

This short is another nominee for best animated short. It lost to “Birds Anonymous” (At least that’s a good short to lose to.)

At night in Mexico (maybe City or maybe some other place, I don’t know) the mice are having a great time at the cantina. They’re celebrating Speedy. (Is it his birthday? The fact they depend on him for survival? It’s not important.) Two mice known as Pablo and Fernando are already muy loaded on the Tequila, but ignore Speedy’s warnings and continue to drink up. At 3:00 A.M. the place clears out. Those two aren’t dead despite all the alcohol they have no doubt consumed, and tipsily head home. (I agree with them. They make a fine “trio.”) Speedy is well aware that they are in trouble and sets off to find them.

They meanwhile have attracted the attention of an alley gato. (“I think I saw un pussy gato.” “You did! You did see un pussy gato!”) Drunk as they are, they don’t recognize the danger and instead put up their dukes. The cat prepares for a feast, but Speedy arrives in the nick of time and saves Pablo; putting him in a sardine can for safekeeping. When he goes back for Fernando, he only finds his sombrero. He assumes the worst, but finds him in the can also. (Drunken mice have teleporting powers.) Speedy runs Ferny home telling Pablo to stay put. Once he gets his friend home, he rushes back for the other one. Unaware that Fernando climbed out of his window and is still stumbling about.

The gato meanwhile has found Pablo and puts him in his mouth. (Grey nose.) Speedy has seen all this and runs over. The cat screams, we hear a snap and then he kind of explodes. Ummm… what? Speedy apologizes for his… well speed, and does the whole gag again in slow motion. We see that he hammers the cat’s foot causing him to scream. Speedy grabs Pablo and sets him down on a set mousetrap. He quickly gets him off and puts him in a glass bottle, then he lights a firecracker and puts that in the cats mouth. Bad luck though, the bottle was broken and Pablo got out. Fernando meanwhile finds his way into the cats mouth himself. Speedy redoes the fast gag again and this sends the gato running for the “Ceety Leemits.”

The two drunkards are safe now, right? That’s how a Disney short would end. To Speedy’s surprise, the two have found an alley full of dozens of gatos, challenging them to a fight.

Personal Rating: 4

Posted on

Cat-Tails for Two

“Why did you hit yourself on the head for, George?”

Directed by Robert Mckimson. Released in 1953

It’s night at a wharf. The moon is bright, the water is green, and two cats are going hunting. The little one is named George and the hippo in a cat suit is named Benny. ( “Of Mice and Men” reference) They are played by Blanc and Freberg respectively. (To be fair, this is one of Freberg’s funniest roles. Don’t take my hippo quote the wrong way. I love Benny.) Benny actually appeared the year before in a short with Sylvester and Hippity Hopper called “Hoppy Go Lucky.”

Back to our featured short. Benny wants to come hunting with George who agrees on account that Benny not do stupid things like he always does. He points out a ship in from Mexico and comments on their Mexican feast they will have. Benny loves Mexican food! It gives him the heartburn that he loves! He agrees to throw George aboard and tosses him into the side. He doesn’t notice until he’s hopped over himself and scolds George for disobeying the “No Fishing”  sign. (No Swimming.) He pulls him up and George brings out the trap he brought. He sets it up, but a blur runs over and steals all the cheese. The blur leaves a card behind that identifies him as the fastest mouse in all Mexico: Speedy Gonzales! Making his film debut! Let’s take a look at him.

Wh-what is this unholy terror?

Yes, in his debut Speedy had ragged fur, a red shirt, NO PANTS, huge eyes, oversized teeth, (one in gold) and only wore his sombrero in his very first scene. After this short, Speedy wouldn’t be used again until Freleng sort of adopted him two years later. It’s like when McKimson did that with Chuck Jone’s Henery Hawk, and Freleng previously did with Bob Clampett’s Tweety. Only McKimson made some more pictures with the mouse as well. I’m getting off topic.

George has Benny hoist a crate of anvils into the air while he sets some more cheese down. Speedy in turn blows up a bag near Benny and he drops the trap on George. (Of course, Speedy is fast enough to grab the cheese first.) Next George sets up many pieces of cheese near firecrackers. All he needs is a match. Speedy has one and runs to each cheese wedge, grabs it, and lights the fuse. George who is chasing him keeps getting caught in the explosions. (You know, if Speedy didn’t run so much, he’d be fat.) Benny goes to get some water to cool his friend down, but remarks that “P-e-t-r-o-l” is a funny way to spell water.

They set up a free casino that advertises lots of free girls but is really a hidden pipe. (Good thing all men share the same sexual orientation.) George then tells Benny to wait at the other end. Speedy naturally saw all this, but plays along. As he runs in, George pointlessly lights a rocket to chase the mouse, but gets launched alongside it. Benny ends up smacking him on the head. Getting a new pipe, George leads it into Speedy’s mouse hole, unaware that the rodent is bending it with a wrench. He stuffs lots of dynamite into the pipe  also oblivious to the fact it’s all piling up behind him. He lights the fuse and the resulting explosion launches the cats off the ship. No Mexican meal tonight.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

Cracked Ice

“I can almost feel pneumonia, embracing me in its icy grip.”

Directed by Frank Tashlin.  Released in 1938

This short starts eerily similar to the Mickey Mouse short “On Ice”, which was released 3 years earlier. Many creatures are enjoying some ice skating, and we get a few sight gags. Like a centipede’s segments scattering away from it’s body, and a fish skating in a pelican’s mouth. One bird is jumping over barrels. He messes up on the final jump and lands in a open area of the ice. His screams are heard by that W.C. Fields pig caricature we saw in “The Coocoo nut Grove.” (Obviously, his name is W.C. Squeals.) He begins to help the best way he can: calling for someone to help the bird out.

A St. Bernard hears the cries and comes to the rescue. He hauls the bird out, picks him out of his icy prison, and makes him a drink via the various liquors in his barrel. (For the record, it wouldn’t actually help.) This drink succeeds in warming the bird up. But now, Squeals is claiming he needs some too. He is deathly ill, otherwise he wouldn’t touch the stuff. The dog ignores him, so Squeals tosses a boulder into the water, and calls for help. (Even yelling “Splash. Splash.”) The dog comes back and finds he is lying on the ice. Out Cold. (Get it? Don’t laugh. It wasn’t funny.) The dog quickly mixes up another drink… and drinks it himself before leaving.

A voice begins laughing at Squeals. To those of you who don’t know your W.C. Fields lore, you’d think it was just a voice from the audience. To those of you who do know your W.C. Fields lore, you’ll know that it’s Charlie Mcarthy mocking him. (I did not know this was something the two did. I had to learn it from the commentary on my DVDs.) Squeals vows to get the goods. He fills up a plate with bones and sends it sliding towards Fido. Before the dog can chow down, Squeals uses a magnet to keep the dish just out of reach. The dog gives chase and Squeals realizes too late, that he’s going to crash. The impact sends the magnet into a hole in the ice, where it gets stuck on a fish.

While it struggles with it’s new accessory, the dog’s brandy (which was nowhere near the hole) begins to leak into the lake. The fish becomes a “pickled herring” if you will, and swims around drunk. The magnet pulls an axe above the ice after it, and the fish ends up using said axe to cut a hole in the ice around that bird from earlier. Squeals meanwhile, has come to and gets ready for a drink. The fish comes back, and Squeals’s skates are pulled along. The fish drags him to an ice skating competition, where it plays on a clock, (That is just under the ice. Don’t question it) and swims away from a bigger fish. Squeals is pulled along the whole time, and ends up winning the contest.

He is awarded a big trophy. Pleased, he calls Charlie a “Termite Terrace” (always good to slip the bosses a plug) and pours the alcohol into the trophy to drink. Before he can indulge, the fish comes back and ends up dragging the trophy away from Squeals. (Much to Charlie’s delight.)

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

You’re an Education

“Calling all countries! Calling all countries!”

Directed by Frank Tashlin. Released in 1938

This short takes place in a travel agency, where the brochures come to life. We see many different countries mixed with appropriate music gags. Hawaii plays “Aloha-oe”, Oxford plays “We’re working our way through college”, Scotland plays “The cambells are coming”, Africa plays “Conga”, and Mexico plays “La Cucaracha.” All the racial stereotypes cheer. “Cuba” plays a tuba and “India” plays that pipe, that snake charmers play. “Little America” and “Asia Minor” shake their rattles to the music, and a fish from the “Indian Ocean” does a war chant.

While the title song plays, two “Hungary” fellows visit the “Cook Islands” to fill their rumbling bellies. But why stop there? They get “Twin Forks, Minnesota” and load up their plates with “Turkey”, “Sandwhich (Islands), some “Thousand Island” dressing, “Hamberg(er)”, “Oyster” (Bay), and some “Java” to drink. While they tuck in, the thief of “Bagdad” sets about robbing the “Kimberly Diamond Mine.” He unlocks the door with the “Florida Keys” and tries to make off with his prize. However, he accidentally steps on a toy duck, waking a baby. It’s “Wales” alert everyone and many troops like the “England” guards and “Canada” Mounties rush after him.

He is found trying to sell the diamond to the “Pawnee” Indians and he tries to run for it. The “Pisa” tower blocks his path, he is poked by “West Pointers”, and must take cover from an erupting “Mt. Vesuvius.” His hiding place in the “London” fog, is revealed by the “Holland” windmill. A man from a “Dude Ranch” lassos him and drags him through the “Red, Black, and Yellow” seas. (Turning him many different colors) “Italy” uses its shape to kick him and he lands on the horse of the Lone Stranger. They gallop off together. (Huh. The villain won.) Interestingly enough, the Lone Stranger would reappear a few months later with Porky.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

Now that Summer is Gone

“Poppa needs a new pair o’ shoes.”

Directed by Frank Tashlin. Released in 1938.

Another year has gone by, and in the tradition of updating each year, I will now list the year in which the day’s featured short was released. So, let’s begin.

It’s Fall, and that means the squirrels are busily storing acorns for the winter to come. All except one little squirrel. Work is for those who don’t like to have fun. He’d much rather gamble for them. He wins and the other all storm off. (What poor losers.) Unfortunately, the squirrel’s father shows up and scolds him for his deeds. (The other squirrels laugh and tell him that gathering acorns is the right way to do it. Hypocrites.) Despite his dad’s warnings, Jr. keeps it up and wins all the time. Soon enough, it’s time to go get their acorn supply from the “nutional bank.” His dad reminds him to not gamble while doing so, but he immediately runs into another squirrel who offers to play with him.

Admist a montage of dice, cards and roulette wheels, the little squirrel steadily loses everything. (Obviously that older guy is cheating.) With nothing left to win, the gentleman leaves and Jr. sadly heads home. Once there, he begins telling a tale of how bandits beat him up and stole the acorns. (They must’ve been nice enough to clean him up afterwards.) Too engrossed in his fib, he doesn’t notice his dad putting on the disguise he was wearing. (Are you shocked?) But he does soon enough. Having caught his delinquent son in the act, his father plans to give him ten lashes. Has Jr. learned his lesson? Will he take the punishment like a man? Heck No! He offers double or nothing but gets paddled anyway. We hear his cries of pain all through the ending.

Personal Rating: 3

Posted on

Little Pancho Vanilla

“You will never be bullfighter. You will always be, Mamacita’s good little machachito.”

Directed by Frank Tashlin

Our main character, Pancho, is reading a book on bullfighting. His mother however, is very discouraging and pretty much tells him he sucks. As Pancho (whose age is also never mentioned) sulks, three senoritas (of unidentifiable age) walk by. They cheerfully say hi, but Pancho is too busy brooding to be polite. The girls sing/mock him. (That’s the best part) Their attention is grabbed by a poster, that shows Clark Gable as a toreador. He’s apparently the greatest in the world! Or at least in Mexico. Pancho knows of one better: himself. The girls laugh. Come the big day, Pancho tries to enter the amateur entrance with everyone else. (At least he’s not insisting he’s a pro) He is turned away due to being too short. He sits on a wagon and grumbles at the fact they’re not letting him in, because he would scare the bull. (Suddenly, I have a huge craving for sour grapes) Inside, the bull is making billiard balls out of everyone. They bounce around, (dissapearing) and one flies out and lands on the wagon Pancho’s on. This launches him into the arena. He lands on the bull who is knocked down. Getting his second wind, the bull charges. Pancho may not be very big, but he is fast and gets out of the way. The bull still launches him, but Pancho launches him right back. Not fooling around, the bull revs up and gives a mighty charge that sends Pancho into the air. He falls on the bull and knocks him out for good. Back with his mom, Pancho and the girls (who I think I will name: Rose, Rosie, and Rosita) tell her what happened. She still acts kinda like a jerk. (You could’ve gotten hurt) But at least she makes use of Pancho’s first prize: a washing machine.

Personal Rating: 2

Posted on

Rabbit Romeo

“Women don’t chase men in America.”

Is it possible to be too attractive?

Directed by Robert McKimson

Acme Animal Delivery Service has just delivered a package to Elmer from his ncle, Judd Fudd. (I love that name.) The crate contains a rare species of slobovian rabbit. Her name is Millicent and if Fudd will hold on to her for awhile, Judd will give him $500.00 for the trouble. Elmer is momentarily shocked to find out how…”interesting” Millie looks. (“Wooks aren’t evewything, you know!”) He shows her to her room, but she immediately begins throwing a tantrum. Calling a vet, Elmer learns that slobovian rabbits prefer the company of other rabbits, and hey, who doesn’t? Elmer sets out to get one.

Bugs meanwhile, has been on a diet of icicles, and takes Elmer’s carrot bait without question. Elmer brings him home and Millicent immediately falls for her new boyfriend. Bugs is less than amused. She demands a kiss, so Bugs shoves a goldfish to her lips. She likes it. The fish shoots himself.  (Suicide CAN be funny. You just have to know how to do it.) Bugs tries to hide, but Millie’s strength easily helps remove him from his hiding places. She wants marriage now, and Bugs tries to teach her how the Americans do it: A long courtship.

She rushes through that to get to the good parts. (I love Bug’s annoyed face here.) Not willing to stick around, Bugs jumps out the window, but Elmer marches him back in at gunpoint. Millie next tries to get Bugs to do a traditional slobovian courtship dance. (“When in Slobovia, do as the other slobs do.”) He tries to dance away, but Elmer brings him back again, and tells him to go snuggle with his mate. Fudd goes to bed, and Bugs suggests eloping. Millie agrees and Bugs lets her climb out of the room first. He lets her plummet from the windowsill, leading to a very angry rabbit banging on the door. (That’s June Foray as Millicent. Out of all her roles as deep voiced women, this is my favorite.)

Bugs wakes up Elmer, and tells him that Uncle Judd is here. He gives Fudd a bathrobe to slip on, which is really a rabbit suit. As soon as Millicent sees this, she dumps Bugs and chases Elmer into the hills. Bugs: “Ain’t I the little matchmaker?”

Personal Rating: 4

Posted on

To Hare is Human

“Poor chap. He had his chance.”

See the poor coyote, dreaming of his breakfast.

Directed by Chuck Jones

Wile E. heads out of his lair with some type of contraption in tow. It turns out to be a portable elevator which he uses as a way into Bugs’s home. He comes out with Bugs literally in the bag. Bugs asks what is going on. Wile E. explains and also tells Bugs (who is in the middle of escaping) that since he is a genius, he knows that Bugs was going to ask what was in the bag, Wile E. would tell, and Bugs would ask what he was going to do with the rabbit, whilst using the time to escape. And by this point, Wile E. knows there is nothing in the sack. As it turns out, Bugs says there IS something in the sack and Wile E. humors him by taking a look. It explodes. Bugs takes the elevator back down and Wile E. chases after him. Not noticing the TNT Bugs has left in the lift. BOOM! Time for the brains to be used.

Wile E.’s latest gizmo is a Univac Electronic Brain. (UEB for short) You just enter your problem and it will offer you the best solution. He enters the animal as “rabbit” (was one of those options ‘dad’?) location as “hole”, and what as a “combination lock.” The machine tells him to use burglary methods and even prints the code for the lock. (Wow. I need me one of those. For good deeds, I mean!) Wile E. heads out at night with a portable window he puts up next to the lock. (Of course it’s necessary.) Bugs, reading in bed, can hear him and casually tosses a banana peel into his path. He slips and lands in the coyote disposal which throws him out off the side of a cliff.

Come morning, he asks what to do while Bugs is putting carrots into the toaster. It recommends substituting the veggies for grenades. He does so, but the spring of the toaster needs work as it launches them right back to sender. Simply asking “what”, “now”, and “?”  has it suggesting using a plunger. Wile E. has clearly been working out, as it creates a LOT of suction. So much so, that when Bugs puts a pipe out the other way, Wile E. gets sucked through it and into the plunger himself. Next, Bugs is vacuuming and Wile E. places a TNT stick into the machine. This probably would have worked if he hadn’t done it just as the rabbit was finishing. Then maybe he wouldn’t have emptied the bag right away into the trash can Wile E. was hiding in.

Wile E. then sets a booby trap in the carrot patch, that will launch a boulder on Bugs when he pulls a certain one. (Can carrots grow in the this dry a climate?) Of course, nothing happens until Wile E. touches the snare himself. Rushing back to the UEB he asks for a suggestion, and it flat out tells him to go back and get hit. (Which he does.) As the short ends, we see that the UEB only has one moving part: Bugs himself.

Personal Rating: 4

Have a merry Christmas!