Category: Celebrity caricatures

One of the things Warner Bros. did best! Any short that either has one as a joke, or was built on this premise, will be featured here.

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8 ball Bunny

“It’s a boid! A boid in a tuxedo!”

Directed by Charles M. Jones

At a local theater, a show is just now closing. It is the “Ice Frolics” and it appears that their claim to fame is a skating penguin. Why, it’s Playboy. Haven’t seen him since “Frigid Hare.” (He’s not as cute as he was there. But he is getting his name.) But, uh oh! Looks like the rest of the crew forgot him! He desperately tries to catch up, but penguins weren’t exactly made for running. Or flying. In fact, unless he’s chasing a submarine, it’s probably hopeless.

While on the chase, he falls into Bug’s rabbit hole and wakes him up. Bugs is initially hostile, but softens up when the bird tears up. Apologizing, he agrees to help him find his way home. To his dismay, he finds his new charge is a penguin, and they primarily live at the south pole. (Although they do live in other places you know. Africa, the Galapagos, Australia…) But a promise is a promise. As they make their way south on a train, Bugs again announces his unhappiness. (We also have an adorable shot of Playboy hugging Bugs.) Playboy begins to tear up again, and Bugs apologizes saying he can’t bear to see him cry.

A hobo on the car agrees. Why, Penguins is practically chickens. (Well, they are both birds. So, sure.) And crying chickens make him so unhappy, he has to put them out of their misery. Coming to the rescue, Bugs points out that rabbits are bigger than penguins. (Not really, but sure.) The hobo agrees abandoning the bird,  and trying to get his mitts on Bugs. Bugs easily kicks him off the train. At New Orleans, Bugs has apparently had enough, and sends Playboy off on a boat to go the rest of the way. After it sets off Bugs overhears that it’s heading back to Brooklyn. Bugs swims after it, and rescues Playboy from being on the menu. (Are penguins really as tasty as this short suggests? I should test it.)

They make their way to an Island where Bugs forces the bird to build them a boat. Then Humphrey Bogart appears and quotes “The treasure of the Sierra Madre” asking for money. Bugs angrily gives him some. Later at sea, Bugs is going mad with hunger. The hobo’s words echo in his head and he nearly gives in to temptation. Luckily, they seem to have hit land! Bugs however, is not willing to pay 25 cents to pass through the Panama Canal. He opts to travel by land. It’s not long before they are captured by natives and are prepared to be cooked. (Okay, I really need a penguin hot dog now!)

Suddenly, something appears that sends them into a panic! It’s Bogart again. Bugs more happily gives him change this time. After many perilous obstacles, Bugs finally delivers Playboy to the actual pole. As Bugs turns to leave, Playboy begins crying ice cubes. He shows Bugs a flyer. He’s actually the only Hoboken born Penguin. (You’d think he would have shown him that sooner.) Bogart appears again, ready to ask for more money, but Bugs gives HIM the penguin this time and runs off.

Personal Rating: 4

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Looney Tunes: Back in Action! (Part 5)

Back at Acme, Mr. Chariman is gloating over the success of getting the phone. Damian still believes that D.J. will foil his plans. Mr. Chairman has the Peter Lorre scientist keep using a machine that makes Damien hit himself. Looking at the map photo, they see that Daffy got himself in the shot, making it useless. They decide to go face our heroes and bring their most dangerous operative: The Tasmanian Devil. (When the Vice President of “Never Learning” points out that he’s kinda dumb, Taz is allowed to eat him.)

In Africa, our heroes are making slow progress when who should appear? No not Inki. (That would’ve been an awesome but probably problematic cameo.) It’s Granny, Sylvester, and Tweety on an geographically incorrect elephant. (Yes, I know why they’re not using the African variety.) They offer them a ride. Bugs points out how they came at just the right time, and Granny and Sylvester share a evil look. Could THEY be Acme agents? The group take a safari and end up at the temple. Granny bids them farewell. (Phew. I guess they were all right.)

When they enter, Daffy sets off a booby trap by taking a small monkey-like object off a pedestal. Kate figures out that it’s a puzzle piece and quickly puts it into its spot. It reveals the path to the Blue Monkey as well as the gem itself. D.J. accidentally turns himself into a Capuchin monkey and Daffy tries to make off with the gem, but Bugs convinces him to change D.J. back. Then Granny and Co. show up and demand the diamond. Oh No! They were evil! Except not really. These were disguises! Granny and Sylvester reveal themselves to be Mr. Chairman and Bob. Tweety is Taz and he farts. (*sigh* I hate this part. Warner Bros. never had to reduce themselves to such immature humor in their heyday. If not for this blemish, the film would have been perfect.)

Mr. Chairman also reveals that he is really Damien! No wait, he’s Michael Jordan! No wait, he’s really MR. CHAIRMAN! (Funny.) Bob takes out a device that transports them all to Acme. Bob then reveals to Taz that he is really the Tasmanian She Devil. (Yeah, Taz was kind of wasted in this movie. Shame) At Acme, the transporting caused everyone to get spliced with one another. While we laugh, Mr. Chairman fixes everything, and finally gets the TV to work right. He shows that if D.J. does not give up the diamond, Damien will die by a train, exploding dynamite and an anvil. (But not the pendulum of doom. That’s overkill.) Wile E. overseeing all of this.

D.J. stupidly relents and Mr. Chairman does not release Damian. (Did you really expect him to?) He calls Marvin and tells him to go into space with the diamond. Marvin takes off and Daffy runs after him taking another ship that was being worked on by an Instant Martian. (I didn’t know they could talk.) To his dismay, Bugs is along for the ride. Back on the Earth, Mr. Chairman tells his prisoners that the gem will loaded onto a satellite that will turn everyone on earth into monkeys. (You gotta have really dedicated henchmen to go along with this.) Well not everyone. Mr. Chairman is going to be in a safe room with Mary as company. Told you she’d come back. (She doesn’t look too thrilled with her fate.)

Bugs and Daffy try get rid of Marvin by tricking him into rolling down his window so they can ask for directions. He is sucked out into space. (Daffy: “Well whatya know, he fell for it. I guess I owe you 5 bucks.”) But Marvin is not gone yet, he’s clinging to the underside of their ship. They arrive at the satellite and Daffy volunteers Bugs to go get the diamond out of the other ship. Meanwhile, D.J. and Kate have been tied up and left hanging by a rope near Damian. D.J. easily breaks free before realizing that there was a reason it was so easy to escape. Releasing themselves also releases an Acme robo-dog. (He kinda looks like Chester.)

Bugs runs into Marvin again, and takes on his bubble gun with his carrot light saber. Daffy is cowering and wondering what to do? What would Duck Dodgers do? Realizing he IS Duck Dodgers, Daffy grabs a jetpack that blows up before he can say his name. (It happens four more times.) D.J. and Kate are barely able to escape the dog by hooking his collar onto a hook. D.J. just barely rescues his dad, and Wile (who was piloting the train) blows up with the dynamite. In space again, Marvin traps Bugs in one of the bubbles, and the satellite is about ready to fire!

Daffy gets caught between two of the pylons and his beak detaches again. Using his skills he has learned from this happening all the time over his career, he throws his bill, (ignoring the fact there’s no gravity,) and it lands on the laser, blocking it. The laser begins to backfire. Bugs escapes and dispatches Marvin with his own gun and the satellite begins to explode. Only two shots of the laser escape Daffy’s bill. One flies off into space never to be seen again. The other flies down to Earth and hits Mr. Chairman who was checking to see if everyone was monkeys yet. (Yeah, how was he supposed to know? Were the simians going to tell him?)

Daffy saves Bugs from floating away and they return to the ship. The others find a sobbing Mary with the monkey Chairman. (I guess she really did love him.) He is arrested and Damian and D.J. hug. They quickly leave when they see the rocket coming towards them, and in the chaos, Mr. Chairmonkey runs away. (Perfect for a sequel methinks!) Daffy and D.J. congratulate each other on each proving how awesome they are. Kate admits that she likes D.J. and Bugs congratulates Daffy on finally getting to be the hero. Daffy gloats that Bugs never got him into is movie when the entire building gets taken away.

Yes, this whole story WAS the movie and Daffy was not aware of it. (Ma bear  returns to bring Bugs a towel. Cute that she still has feeling for him.) D.J. punches out Brenden Fraser, (Laugh) and Bugs admits that Daffy and him should be equal from now on. (While he is being given a cavalcade of carrots by cameo characters including: Charlie Dog, Heathcliff the cat from “Dough Ray Me-ow”, the squirrel from “Much Ado about Nutting”, Marc Antony and Pussyfoot, Egghead, Mr. Gruesome Gorilla, and Hippety Hopper.) Daffy barely avoids a falling stage light, and comments that his luck is already improving. He is then crushed by the Looney Tunes rings. My man Porky comes out to say his famous closing line but his stutter is worse than usual, and everyone in the cast leaves. Porky: “Go home, folks.” Not until I’ve seen the credits!

We get a rockin’ song matched with some animation. (Some of which I’m guessing is from deleted scenes.) At the end of all this, we get a post-credits joke. Daffy is running form Nasty Canasta and Cottontail Smith in the casino and pulls a slot machine. It stops on three cherries. The thugs happily hold out their hats, but the cherries are really bombs and they blow up!

What a great movie! My favorite film of all time.

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A Gruesome Twosome

“Have you two putty-tats met?”

Directed by Bob Clampett

From the title alone, you’d probably never guess this is a Tweety short.

This is the last short with Tweety Clampett directed, and the last one where Tweety is naked. (He may be yellow, but he’s still got no feathers.) Apparently, it’s mating season for cat statues. (Yes, I know that the shadows don’t have to be animated) One female, who actually is pretty hot (and from an avid cat hater, that’s some compliment) has two suitors: A pot-bellied dolt nicknamed Snooks, and a horny Jimmy Durante cat. (None seem like ideal mates to me, but hey, she’s pretty nice to give them a chance.)

While they fight over her, a random dog pops up informing us that he does not belong in the short, but he’s not missing a chance to steal her kiss. My favorite part. Not wanting the titular twosome to fight over her, she tells them that the first one to bring her a bird will win her. (No specific bird? Would a plastic flamingo count?) The two both climb the same telephone pole (oblivious to each other) and find the same bird, Tweety. Upon noticing each other, they fight and Tweety causes them to fall and explode. (Cats do that, right?)

Jimmy decides they’ll have to work together if they want the naked genius. (I’m sure they are both planning a double cross) Their plan? Dress up as the most ridiculous horse in all history. (AKA the phony pony) Tweety isn’t fooled. In fact, he takes a bee out of his… pocket?, (So Tweety’s a marsupial?) slaps it around and shoves it in the costume. Making like the Lone Ranger he has a fun ride, until the cats crash into a tree.

While discussing another plan, Tweety takes a bone belonging to a bulldog, smashes him over the head, and tossing the bone into the costume. The dog runs into it and I’m pretty sure he ends up killing those two gruesomes. Tweety ends the film with his own Durante impression.

Personal Rating: 4

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Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur

“Well, I’ll bet you’re cranky before breakfast, too.”

Directed by Chuck Jones

Happy Birthday to Me! (Tomorrow.) Let’s celebrate with another Looney Tunes short! (I love those.)

As it begins, there is a disclaimer that there is no reason that this short takes place in prehistoric times. It just does. We see our host for this short, Casper Caveman. (I said ‘Casper’ not ‘Captain’.) He’s hungry and that means it’s time to go hunting. After calling for Fido, his pet sauropod. (Heck if I know what species he is!) Coming to a lake, he spies half of the cartoon’s namesake. He decides to eat this duck as it’s his favorite vegetable.

Casper slings a rock at Daffy, but he easily avoids it and gets it to hit Fido in the head. Daffy is safe in the water as there is no swimming allowed. (For cavemen, not ducks.) Casper decides to try elsewhere. (Remember me saying I saw a clip of “Corny Concerto” on Bill Nye? I saw clip of this one on the show too. Of course, I was the only kid in the class who knew that. It’s hard to be me.)

Daffy paints himself on a rock and when Casper clubs it, it gives him a monster headache. Daffy cures him and Casper (quite graciously) puts out a hand to shake. Daffy instead gives him a card advertising the best duck ever! Free to be eaten even! Casper follows many signs only to arrive at a ginormous duck. Really just an inflatable, courtesy of Daffy. (Where he got that had better not be your biggest question.) Casper sums up his courage and stabs it. KABLOOMER! The resulting explosion ends up killing Fido, Casper, and Daffy. (Check it out! Casper the ghost!) Daffy wonders if that was his best idea.

Personal Rating: 3

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Porky in Egypt

“THE CAMELS ARE COMING! THE CAMELS ARE COMING!”

Lets start off this year with another porky short! Particularly one that will keep us warm during the long cold winter.

Our story takes place in Egypt. After a few gags we get to the main story. A camel caravan is about to make its way to view the pyramids. (and by caravan, I mean one freakishly huge camel) Porky wants to go to, but misses the departure. He sets out on his own on a camel named Humpty-Bumpty. (Stolen? Rented? Actually belongs to Porky? Never answered.)

They begin their journey. Unfortunately, the angry sun from “Super Mario Bros. 3” is here, and demonstrates its power by annihilating an oasis. The heat soon gets to poor Humpty, and he gets the horrible, dreaded “Desert Madness!” He hears disturbing, disembodied voices calling his name, he sees herds of imaginary camels, and he soon runs off leaving Porky behind to die.

Porky finds him in a pool of water in Palm Springs, (Stop sweating Porky, Pigs are incapable of doing that!) only to find the hard way that it’s a mirage. Humpty finally gets some sense knocked into him and apologizes to Porky saying he’s fine now. He begins to hear the voices again and speeds back to the town, with Porky in tow. Now back in there (House? Inn? Random building? Never answered.) Humpty is glad to be both safe and sane. Then to his horror we see Porky now has the madness.

Great way to start a year huh?

Personal Rating: 3

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The Mouse that Jack Built

“I always feel better if I count my cheese before I go out for the evening.”

Our short begins with Jack Benny-mouse practicing his violin. He must be pretty bad as the cat waiting outside his mouse hole is wearing earmuffs. He decides to quit for the time being as he is taking Mary Livingston-mouse out for her birthday. After getting his suit back from Rochester-mouse, he has a bit of time on his paws to go count his cheese. Mary arrives soon afterwards. When asked where she wants to go, she suggests the “mousecumbo”. (Laugh. It’s a pun.) That’s too expensive for our “cheese-p-stake” Benny. (Don’t laugh. That was lower than a pun.)

The cat gets an idea and sends them a flyer advertising “The Kit-Kat Club.” It claims that entertainers are admitted free. That’s enough for Benny so he gets in his Mel Blanc car with Mary, and has Rochester follow the arrows that lead to their destination. Upon arrival, Jack is impressed that it looks just like a cat. It even rolls out the red carpet for them. Somehow the cat even got miniature tables, chairs, and exit signs in its mouth. Mary is disturbed but Benny only “cat-ches” on when the mouth closes. Cut to live action Jack Benny waking up. It was all a dream. He then sees two very familiar mice climbing out of the mouth of his sleeping cat…

Personal Rating: 3. It’s pretty cool that the actual cast of “The Jack Benny” show played their fursonas. (Err, poor choice of words.) However, if you don’t know anything about Mr. Benny (shaaaame) you’ll be confused.

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The Last Hungry Cat

“Sardines and milk wouldn’t have done it, you had to commit murder.”

Parody Time! It looks like “Hitchcock Presents”, but instead of a person its a bear. (I guess? It could just be a very strange hairdo.) He tells us a story. In this strory a one Sylvester the cat is about to break into Granny’s house and eat Tweety. Once grabbing him, he loses his balance on the stack of furniture he is standing on and everything collapses. Tweety uses this time to escape. Sylvester comes to and seeing the feather in his mouth deduces that he ate Tweety. Hearing Granny he makes his leave happy to have escaped.

The narrator works his nerves up by calling it murder. It doesn’t help when Sylvester walks by a newspaper hunting a criminal known as “The Cat.” He hides in a building. (I assume it’s his house.) He tries to relax by listening to the radio and reading but both things just add to his guilt. So he resorts to smoking and coffee drinking. (To calm his nerves I guess? I don’t think coffee does this, anyone care to explain?) He stays awake all night. While taking a sleeping pill shower he breaks down sobbing. The narrator tells him to give himself up and Sylvester agrees.

Upon arriving back at the scene of the crime he finds Tweety alive and well. His happiness soon turns to hunger, when Granny whacks him for trying to eat her bird. The narrator ends his tale and Sylvester throws a brick at him.

Personal Rating: 3

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The Honey-Mousers

“Whats wrong with mustard ice cream and kumquats?”

In our spoof of “The Honeymooners”, we find Ralph Kramden mouse surprising his wife, (Alice Kramden mouse) with their supper: a hunk of stale cheese. Alice, (who is probably a good contender for the hottest mouse ever award. It exists.) complains to Ralph how they need more food. Ralph would like to comply, but no one has moved into the place. (People = pestilence.)

Perfect timing. Ed Norton mouse comes in to tell that their prayers have been answered. So happy is everyone, that no one notices a cat has been brought as well. No one notices until Ralph and Ed both get mauled. Ralph’s can disguise is useless, so they set to work constructing a Trojan dog that Ed, Ralph and Ralph’s chameleon sweater will take to the fridge. They exit via a missing grate in the wall, (Good thing the cat was gone at the time.) and set to work loading up with goodies. Unbeknowest to them, the cat reappears and enters the dog. They notice once inside and in the ensuing chase, they lose all the food.

Alice suggests that they just get rid of the cat. Ralph tells her to put her money where he mouth is and do it. Alice tears off a whisker and yells at the cat who leaves. Angry with how lucky she was, Ralph assures her he still loves her.

Personal Rating: 3

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Wideo Wabbit

“About time television discovered my talents.”

Bugs is having a relaxing day when he sees an interesting ad in the paper. A TV studio is looking for a rabbit and luckily for Bugs, he is just what they were looking for. They sit him on a stepladder (that unbeknownst to Bugs has a 10,000 volt charge in it,) telling him that unlike the others in showbiz, he starts out on top.

Secretly, a hole is opened above him. We see that the show Bugs is on is “The Sportsman Hour!” With our special host, Mr. Elmer Fudd! YAAAAAAAY! He tells us that he is going to demonstrate how to catch a wabbit. He gives the signal and the volts shock Bugs up on stage. Angry about being shot at, Bugs runs with Elmer in hot pursuit. Elmer chases him into another studio where Groucho (Bugs) is the host of our favorite game show: “You Beat Your Wife.” He asks Elmer whether or not he has stopped beating his wife. Trapped, Elmer muddles it over while Marx makes his exit. Noticing the tail, he gives chase once again.

The next hiding spot is in Studio T, “Liverace.” Bugs is playing Hungarian Rhapsody 2 and notices Elmer. He identifies him as his brother George, and asks him to take a candelabra to their mother. Elmer realizes they’re fire crackers pretty quickly, but can’t stop the inevitable. Eventually Bugs, (in another disguise) tells Elmer they’ve been waiting for him. He forces him to put a costume on and to sit atop a stepladder. Bugs now playing the hunter, gives the signal to shock Fudd into jumping up. Now wearing a rabbit suit, and receiving bullets rather than applause.

Personal Rating: 3

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Swooner Crooner

“G-G-Gee Wiz! That’s swell fellas!”

Its the middle of WWII. Doing his part, Porky has all the hens who work at Flockheed Factory laying eggs for soldiers. They get in nests and powerhouse their way through the place, before laying an egg in a private area. (And don’t worry if you can’t lay any, Porky will force you to)

Work will be the last thing on the hen’s minds when a Sinatra Rooster is outside. They leave to swoon and reenact scenes that also appear in the animated part of “Two guys form Texas.” Porky needs those chickens back, but they’ve been seduced so much that only a crooner of equal or better value could lure them back.

Porky holds auditions and rejects the poultry versions of Nelson Eddy, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante, and Cab Calloway. He finds his man (er bird) in the form of a one Bing Crosby rooster. His singing has the hens “flocking” to him and subsequently laying eggs again. Frankie can’t have that and a battle of the singers ensues. Much later Porky is admiring the mountains of eggs he now has. He wants to know their secret. They start singing and (in a scene I could see as the ending to a “Twilight Zone” episode) Porky begins to lay eggs too.

Personal Rating: 4