“♪ Here comes the groom, straight as a broom. All purtied up with ten cent perfume.♪”
Supervision by Robert Clampett; Animation by Virgil Ross; Story by Warren Foster; Musical Direction by Carl W. Stalling. A Looney Tune released in 1942. (This is Clampett’s last B/W short.)
This short is sung to us by Leo White. (Well, he’s providing the lip movements. It’s Mel doing the actual lines. It’s always Mel.) I’ve heard this is Clampett’s answer to the Disney short “The Moth and the Flame” seeing as how he liked doing a parody of Disney every now and again. It’s also considered one of the top 100 Looney Tunes. Since the plot is in rhyme though…
“Oh, walk with me to the altar.” Said a moth to a honeybee.
“And a happier insect, you shall never, I mean ever, see!”
(Though by all biologic logic, this won’t work, don’t try.)
She loves the Moth and so agrees to give marriage a try.
I like this moth; (whose voice has got that squeaky Mel Blanc style)
I’ll name him Bucky due to his cute little buck toothed smile.
The day of his wedding arrives. (To the bee that I’ll name Rose.)
And as a cartoon moth, his diet’s naught but human clothes.
While passing by a bar, he notes a ton of “pre-war cuffs”.
And though a stop could make him late, he goes to try the stuff.
Now plump and fat, he a’slumps back, to rest his tired nipper.
(He liked the food, but could have done and gone without the zipper.)
But time has passed, and now alas, where is his dear bee bride?
Sitting alone, on steps (alone) and yes, ALONE, she cried.
Seeing the time, he tries his best to take off and head down.
But it seems that this here bar, is part of the wrong town.
Though he may be a fly…er, moth to complex human eyes,
To arthropods of female types I guess he’s quite a prize.
For this moth, who’s sloshed inside, with what he’d call hard cider,
(A tad bit forced, but still) he’s spotted by a hungry spider.
Man-hungry to be precise. A black widow, is she.
Disguised as Veronica Lake, so that her prey won’t flee.
But her nose is quite the turn-off and he’s (a soon) to be married man!
And I guess he’s still too full to fly, since running is his plan.
She trips into a bowl of punch. Time for a trick! This dame
exploits his biggest weakness: he can not resist a flame.
Now gotten what she wanted from a husband hunt and chase,
She lacks eight limbs. Er, no, I mean, she goes back to her place.
Rose heads home too, awash in tears. Wait! That’s her “honey’s” yelp!
And making like a “Bee 19” she flies on in to help.
She brandishes her stinger, and then- wait a minute… what?
What is that that’s now sticking out of the spider’s butt?
Why does she have a stinger too? Tell me, Clampett. Why?
I know it’s a cartoon, but still, it’s such a stupid lie!
We will all ignore that. And the moth’s lack of four wings.
Rose wins of course, because she gives the spidery broad a sting.
“My hero.” says she. “Tweren’t nothing” says he. (Yeah, that’s true. He’s right.
He was hiding under a table, while the ladies had their fight.)
And so they moved into a vest to live happ’ly ever after.
Won’t be long; they’re insects! *Cue uncomfortable laughter*
So Leo ends his story ( and I end my rhyme) but he can’t help but confide to us that he has no idea what that bee saw in that moth. She is cute and sexy and benefits the environment, whereas Bucky is a dope. The moth responds by showing how tough he can really be, and eats Leo’s pants.
Personal Rating: 4