Author: Dr. Foolio

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

What? Sure its a Disney movie, but if you know that, than I am quite certain you know that a few  Looney Tunes were actually allowed to cameo in it. I am not going to describe the plot, though, because if you have not seen this movie you should be ashamed. If you haven’t seen it and call yourself an animation lover, (Such as myself,) then rectify your crime immediately. It won’t be a regret.  What I am going to do is just point out the Looney Tunes I saw. If you have seen more please let me know. (I’m noting the character’s actual appearances. Passing mentions and still pictures aren’t fun to find. No mention of the infamous deleted funeral scene either. Just thinking about what could have been makes me cry.)

At Maroon studios: Bugs is hard to spot, but as Valiant strolls through the lot, right before the scene changes to the entrance, you can spot him. He’s on the left of the screen. Then, when the scene changes, you can see the Dodo walking into the studio. He is in his “Dough for the Do-do” color scheme.

At the ink and paint club: The infamous scene where Donald and Daffy duel with pianos. (Playing my favorite music piece, no less.)

Near the Acme factory: Yosemite Sam flies out of Toontown

Toontown: Tweety and Bugs are here. It’s hard to miss them. Wile E. and the Roadrunner can be more difficult, though. Don’t blink as Valiant ascends in the elevator. Their silhouettes, and by extension bodies, can be seen.

Ending: You can see Bugs, Daffy, Yosemite Sam, Tweety, the Roadrunner, Wile E Coyote, Foghorn, Marvin, Sylvester, Speedy, and Sam sheepdog. And of course what kid of movie would it be if it did not end with Porky saying “That’s all Folks!”

Yes I know that Wile E. and the Roadrunner, Speedy, Sam Sheepdog, and Marvin were not around at the time this movie takes place, but if you are going to complain about that, then you should also complain that all the flags in the movie have 50 stars. As for the Looney Tunes vocals,  they were still provided by Mel Blanc. Except for Yosemite Sam, but that is forgivable as Blanc was aging at this time, and he could not yell like he used to.

Personal Rating: 5

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Oragne Blossoms for Violet

“If Violet’s marrying anybody, it’s gonna be me!”

This isn’t really a Looney Tune. So why am I talking about it? Well, it was made by the W.B. and it has voices and sound effects from the Looney Tunes in it. Besides, I think it’s a stellar bit of work. The entire cast is animals!

In a town, there is a monkey named Violet and she is going to marry another monkey named Fred. (Bea Bennederet and Mel Blanc, respectively) Another monkey named Harvey is angry as he wishes to marry her as well. (While he is getting his shoes shined, there’s a black-faced monkey. Is it still racist if they do it?)

Harvey decides to kidnap her and its up to Fred to rescue his fiance. Harvey stuffs her in a bag and takes off with Fred following on a goat. The chase ends up on a hot air balloon where the guys fight, eventually leaving Fred as the victor. Fred and Violet go get married and I guess they are really happy because they fly away. (?)

Personal Rating: 3 (The story is basic, but the animals were really well trained. Humanely, I hope)

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You Ought to be in Pictures

“You mean to say you want to get out of your cartoon contract?”

Once upon a time, Friz Freleng left Warner Bros. for MGM. Long story short, he hated it. He did get his old job back and this was his short he made to thank everyone for the welcome home.

At the Warner Bros. studio, everyone goes for lunch. Daffy tells Porky that his talent is too great to be squandered in cartoons and that he should go into the full-length movies. Porky somewhat agrees, and goes to talk to Schelsinger. (Interesting note. Leon is the only one doing his own voice. Everyone else (including the studio guard played by Micahel Maltese) is played by Blanc) He lets Porky out of his contract, knowing he’ll be back.

Porky leaves for the movie studio, but the guard won’t let him in. (I don’t know if he’s being a dick or he doesn’t know who Porky is.) Porky disguises himself as Olliver Hardy and sneaks in. He disrupts a film, is thrown out, and decides to get his old job back. Daffy meanwhile has used this opportunity to sell himself as the new star. When Porky comes back and discovers this, he beats Daffy to a pulp, and gets his own job back. Happy, he gets back on the drawing board and throws a tomato at Daffy.

Personal Rating: 5

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What’s Opera, Doc?

“Oh mighty warrior of great fighting stoooock! Might I inquire to ask, ‘Ehh, What’s up Doooc?!'”

This is the greatest cartoon ever. (Or so says “The 50 Greatest Cartoons” I’d trust it.) While I don’t personally agree, I can agree this is some fine work.(In my opinion, it’s “Porky In Wackyland” which is also on the list.) This whole cartoon is an opera, and Elmer (as Siegfreid) sings that he is hunting wabbits. Bugs appears and Fudd tells him he will use his spear and magic helmet. (Which can control weather) Bugs runs away just as Elmer gets wise.

Bugs renters the picture in disguise as Brunhilde. (Riding the world’s fattest horse, I might add.) They dance and sing and proclaim their love just as Bug’s disguise falls off. In his fury, Elmer conjures up many forces of weather to kill da wabbit. (Blanc yells Elmer’s line of “SMOOOOOOG!” The man is a good yeller.) After this, Elmer sees Bugs is dead (Yes, really.) He feels remorse and carries Bugs into the sunset. As the cartoon ends, Bugs asks us if we honestly expected a happy ending.

Personal Rating: 5

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Stage Door Cartoon

“Bewieve it or not, I’m hunting a cewtain wascawwy wabbit.”

Elmer is hunting Bugs and has a genius idea of using a fishing pole. Bugs hooks it to Elmer’s pants and then offers to help reel him in. Finding him too small, Bugs throws him back and then Fudd chases him into the city. There, Bugs hides in a theater for cover and Elmer follows. He traps Bugs on stage where in order to please the crowd, he dances, and then plays a piano Elmer is hiding in.

When the curtain comes up again, Bugs gets Elmer to dive into a glass of water and then gets him to make faces at the audience. Bugs puts on a disguise and the next thing Elmer knows, he’s being arrested by a sheriff, (Pretty much a Proto-Yosemite Sam.) for his indecency. As they leave, a Bugs Bunny short comes on and the sheriff insists they watch.

It turns out to be the cartoon we are watching right now and when Elmer sees Bug’s putting on a disguise he pulls off the sheriff’s clothes to reveal… a sheriff in his underwear. As the sheriff takes Fudd away to be hung, Bugs reveals he disguised himself as the music conductor.

Personal Rating: 3

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Show Biz Bugs

“I’m sick of people taking bows for my talent.”

Merry Christmas everyone! I got plenty more Looney Tunes DVD’s for Christmas, so this site is in no danger of leaving you.

In one of the best Bugs/Daffy confrontations, we see Daffy is angry because Bugs’ name is much bigger than his on the marquee of the theater the two are performing at. Oh, and his dressing room is the mens room. He and Bugs go on stage and dance, which nets thunderous applause. Daffy runs back out to take a bow and the clapping immediately stops. Bugs of course just has to poke his head out for the crowd to applaud again. Daffy is determined to get the applause he deserves.

Bad luck just keeps coming to him. His trained pigeons fly away, he actually gets cut in half while Bugs does a magic trick, and blows himself up trying to get Bugs to play “Those Endearing Young Charms” successfully. (If you recall “Ballot Box Bunny” you’d know Bugs can’t get that song right) Fed up, Daffy tries the act he’s held back in case of an emergency. He drinks various explosives before gulping down a lit match and blows up. He finally gets the applause he wanted. Daffy sadly remarks that the trick can only be done once, as he floats up to the afterlife.

Personal Rating: 4

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Rhapsody Rabbit

“Franz Liszt?”

Cartoon network turned twenty this year, so I feel its my duty to talk about where it all started. The very first thing to air on this channel was this cartoon.

The plot is very simple. Bugs is going to play my favorite piece of music, but we all know that other things will happen. First things first! Bugs kills someone who won’t stop coughing. (Hey, this is off to a great start!) He begins to play and catches the attention of a mouse who joins in, to Bugs’s annoyance. Later the mouse tries to watch Bugs play despite the fact Bugs does not want it to watch.

With the first part of the piece done, the mouse gets Bugs to play something more modern. Bugs joins in but afterwards shoves a TNT stick in with the mouse. The piano plays taps, but there is no time for Bugs to grieve as it’s time for the final part and it looks to be a monster. Bugs prepares to play a piece that may kill him, but before he begins, the mouse, with his own piano beats him to the punch. At least he lets Bugs play the last three notes.

Personal Rating: 4

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One Froggy Evening

“*Ribbit*”

(Quick note: I forgot to mention in last week’s entry, that all the voices were done not by Mel Blanc but by Stan Freberg. A rare thing in the Looney Tunes world. At least while Mel was still under contract.)

I’m wearing my Michigan J. Frog shirt today, so it only seems natural that I talk about this cartoon. This Chuck Jones classic starts out at a demolition sight. A building is being torn down and one of the employees finds a box hidden in the ruins. Inside is a wondrous sight to behold! A frog who sings and dances to songs form the early 1900s! (And one that Warner Bros. made up themselves, “The Michigan Rag.” )

Seeing this wonder of nature firsthand, it doesn’t take long for the man’s thoughts to turn to greed. However, when he tries to show it to a talent agency, the frog acts like a normal frog. Croaking, lethargic, (ectotherms don’t do well in unheated boxes) and not about to sing anytime soon. The two get thrown out. So the man rents a theater to show off his new pet. Costing him pretty much everything he owes, so this better be worth it…

The grand opening has no audience until he promises free beer. (Some of those letters are coming off his sign. Couldn’t afford better quality paint) But by the time he gets the curtains open the frog is done, and the man is booed. Now out of money, he is living in the local park. Where someone else finally overhears the frog. Said person is a cop, and he only heard the frog. He didn’t see it. Therefore, he does not believe the man and takes him to a mental hospital.

Later, now having lost everything from his money, home, and sanity, the man sees that the building is getting rebuilt and he leaps at his chance to hide the frog. He finally manages to succeed. 100 years later, another person finds the frog and begins to think of how rich he will potentially be…

Now I have a theory as to why the frog does this. I believe he was created to show people greed is bad. He purposely stops to get them in trouble. Hes the ultimate troll. Or perhaps, it just makes for better comedy.

Personal Rating: 5

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The Three Little Bops

“I wish my brother, George, was here.”

Now then, once upon a time,

(Just like the short, this post’s in rhyme.)

Their first tale may have ended, but the three pigs aren’t done,

as now they play awesome music for everyone.

At first, everything seemed like it would be all right,

then the wolf came into the club that night.

But he doesn’t want to eat them, he just shakes their hands.

And poof! Nothing to it! He’s a part their band.

But his music just isn’t to the crowds liking,

so the pigs throw him out, as fast as lightning.

The wolf is mad and blows the place down.

(Does everyone build places of straw in this town?)

The pigs next play in a building made of sticks,

but the wolf comes back for more horn tricks.

He’s cast out again, and again destroys the club,

and the pigs are fed up with the hubbub.

They go to play at a place that is wisely built of bricks,

(which, incidentally was built in 1776)

No wolves are allowed in this here joint,

but the wolf sneaks in at a later point.

His disguises hide his body, but his music still is crap,

so he opts to pull out a TNT trap.

He lights the thing, and starts to run, but it blows him up, and well,

he’s gone and gotten himself stuck down in hell.

But to play cool music, you got to get hot,

and that was one thing the wolf was not.

So via the afterlife he gets to play with the pigs until they’re done,

we end (no “That’s all folks!”) with the new and improved Three little Bops plus one.

Personal Rating: 4

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The Hep Cat

“Say, are you followin me?”

In this, the first Looney Tune in color, (the ones before were Merrie Melodies) A cat walks by a doghouse to the tune of “5 o clock whistle.” The dog (Willoughby, but he is here named Rosebud) chases after him, but fails. A bird tells him he almost got the cat, but the dog says that this happens every night. Out of danger, the cat begins to sing about how irresistible he is to females. Cue girl.

This cat is creepy! Look! Her feet have stilettos! She literally gives him the cold shoulder, but his luck seems to change when he gets a note calling him over the fence. He gleefully runs over, only to run into Rosebud and they chase again. Later, he sees a hot girl and begins to make out with her. He doesn’t realize its Rosebud with a puppet until its too late. They chase again, and the cat loses the dog on a clothesline. He goes back to his make out session. (Okay, that puppet is hot.) The bird comes back to tell him its not real. This does not bother him in the slightest.

Personal Rating: 3