Release Date:

May 9, 1953

Main Character(s):

Elmer Fudd

Summary:

Elmer Fudd throws some firecrackers towards some anthills during his Fourth of July picnic. Angered at these unwarranted attacks, the ants form an army and engage in an explosives war against Elmer.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1245 and was released as a Looney Tune.

This is the last of Freleng’s three ant cartoons with the first two being “The Fighting 69 1/2th” and “The Gay Anties”. This is also the only one of the three to feature a starring character.

The cartoon is also similar to “Of Thee I Sting” in that it’s another insect-themed cartoon where the insect in question (mosquitoes in that one) go to war against a human foe.

The ant’s president is based off of Harry Truman, who was president around the time this cartoon was in production. When the cartoon was released, Dwight D. Eisenhower had become president.

This cartoon is a good example where its title card has nothing to do with the actual cartoon: Elmer is seen wearing his hunting clothes in the title card (and director credit), but he doesn’t wear those clothes in this cartoon.

The cartoon’s original 1998 restoration is used on the Looney Tunes Super Stars Porky and Friends Hilarious Ham DVD set from 2012. This is a very acceptable restoration, and definitely a lot better than not having it restored at all (I also say the same about other 1998 restorations, the restorations on the first two Golden Collections that were later re-restored by HBO Max, and especially the “dark” 2012-2015 restorations). It was restored again for HBO Max in 2020, but like all other HBO Max re-restorations of cartoons that had already been restored on an official home media release, this print is inferior as it not only has the obligatory photoshopped titles but also the incorrect ending card.

Since the ants’ dialogue is sped up, Mel Blanc is credited for “Vocal Effects” rather than “Voice Characterizations”.

Speaking of credits, Manuel Perez’s name is misspelled as “Manual Perez” in the opening credits.

The “character tries to flush out swallowed dynamite stick with water only to be blasted inside the water cooler” gag is reused from “Bad Ol’ Putty Tat”.

One of the ants borrows one of Bugs’ oft-used phrases, “Of course, you know, this means war!”

Favorite Scene:

Elmer catches an ant trying to sneak a firecracker into his back pocket, so the ant stomps on the fuse to stop it and sheepishly hands the explosive to Elmer, who snatches it. However, a bomb pops out from the firecracker and explodes in Elmer’s hand, destroying his wristwatch.

What Happens in This One:

Having arrived somewhere out in the countryside, Elmer brings out his camping supplies: “Oh, boy! This is an ideal spot for a Fourth of Juwy picnic! I can hardwy wait to shoot off my firecwackers and wockets and Woman candles!” (animated by Arthur Davis)

A while later, Elmer has set up his whole camp, “Well, that’s that. And now to shoot off some firecwackers!” He lights one and tosses it into the distance. After it explodes, he cheers, “Whee! Hooway for the Fourth of Juwy! Whee! Hooway! Hooway! Thwee cheers for the wed, white, and bwue!” as he tosses another one. This firecracker lands near an anthill as a curious ant comes out to sniff it before it explodes on him. The charred ant raves at him but Elmer only laughs, “That wittle ant can’t take it! Here’s where I have some fun!” He tosses another firecracker at another anthill where several ants are coming out. They all run away or go back down before it can explode. After Elmer throws a few more, another ant comes out of one of the destroyed anthills and vows, “Of course, you know, this means war!”, before he goes back down to avoid another firecracker. After it explodes, this ant comes back up charred and with an annoyed expression (animated by Davis).

At the ants’ “Capitol” building (a soap box turned upside down), an ant-lookalike of Harry Truman gives a speech, “We have been the victims of an unwarranted attack that we cannot tolerate without retaliation. I ask this meeting of both Houses to empower your President to declare that a state of hostility exists” before he receives applause. Drafted ants are picked via names drawn from a fishbowl, and one ant who receives a draft notice in his mailbox faints in shock. The drafted ants all head to literal “Boot Camp” for active military service (animated by Virgil Ross).

The bugler ant blows his bugle before numerous soldier ants are seen marching along the trail (animated by Ross). Elmer is seen taking a nap against his tent before a group of ants sneak in and steal one of his boxes of firecrackers. A tossed firecracker then lands on Elmer’s nose, which wakes him up. He moves around in shock, but manages to avoid the explosion. Realizing the ants have decided to get back at him, Elmer accepts the challenge: “Okay, ants! If it’s war you want….”, and returns wearing a metal pot on his head for a helmet, “….it’s war you’ll get!” He then runs out of the way of more launched firecrackers (animated by Manuel Perez).

After Elmer peeks up from his trench he dug, a general ant orders three ants to launch three respective firecrackers from three respective mousetraps one by one, “Fire 1!”; “Fire 2!”; “Fire 3!” With them all hurling towards him at the same time, Elmer ducks down before they all explode. Some more ants use a “Kazooka” (a kazoo used as a bazooka) to launch more firecrackers, one of which knocks Elmer’s pot helmet off of his head. “You wascals! You won’t get away with this!”, Elmer declares as he shakes his fist towards them, oblivious that another ant has put an explosive in his pot helmet. Elmer puts his pot helmet back on his head and feels it rattling atop his head. The explosion creates a big hole in the ground. Elmer rises out of it, charred from the forehead up (animated by Perez).

Later, Elmer sneakily crawls over to a few anthills and plugs one of them up with his finger, so the ants can’t push it out. The explosion blows several charred ants out of four anthills, to which Elmer crawls back to his trench while cackling fiendishly. Another ant sneaks up to Elmer’s trench with a tiny explosive, but Elmer catches him, forcing him to throw the tiny stick at him and run away. Thinking this tiny stick of dynamite can’t possibly hurt him, Elmer picks it up and looks at it in an amused manner, only for it to make a big explosion and completely char his face and left hand (animated by Ross).

Elmer notices a pipe being used by the ants as a periscope to spy on him, so he sends an explosive down said pipe. The soldier ant looking through the pipe looks at the incoming explosive in fright, but a nearby general ant kicks him for his cowardice and takes a look into the pipe for himself. The soldier ant attempts to warn him, but it’s too late as the general ant ends up getting the explosion. Angry as he is charred, the general ant chases the soldier ant away while kicking him (animated by Ken Champin).

As Elmer retorts, “Why don’t you ants go undergwound where you bewong?”, another ant attempts to slip an explosive into Elmer’s back pocket. Elmer catches this ant in the act, so the ant stomps out the fuse and sheepishly hands the explosive to Elmer, who snatches it from his grasp. Elmer then feels something shaking and finds this is a trick firecracker, where it opens up and a bomb on a spring pops out of it. Elmer turns away so it doesn’t explode in his face, but the explosion not only blackens his left hand, but also destroys his wristwatch by means of the glass breaking, and the clock and several gears falling out and being held by springs (animated by Champin).

Elmer moves an extension pipe into the ants’ headquarters, oblivious to three ants putting a rubber band in front of it and nailing both ends to the wall. When Elmer blows through the pipe to send an explosive to the headquarters, the rubber band causes it to slingshot at full speed back into Elmer’s throat. Realizing he just swallowed his own firecracker, Elmer runs to his water cooler and attempts to guzzle down the whole cooler to put out the fuse. It explodes anyway, getting him stuck inside the cooler (animated by Perez).

Another ant combats Elmer’s continued explosive-throwing by launching five firecrackers from a suitcase, sending them flying towards Elmer and them all exploding on him (animated by Perez). The “Royal Flying Ants”- ants attached with wings in order to fly- drop more explosives (animated by Ross) on a fleeing Elmer (animated by Davis). A captain ant with three sailor ants sail by firing from a box used as a ship, “Big Mo” and another captain ant fires spittoons from a sardine can used as a smaller ship, “Little Shmo” (animated by Ross).

Heavily outnumbered, Elmer takes his remaining explosives and puts them in a wheelbarrow, oblivious to the explosive powder leaking. After putting on his hat, Elmer screams, “You’ll never take me awive!” and runs away with the wheelbarrow, unknowingly leaving a trail of powder. A general ant ignites the trail with a match, sending it after Elmer. This creates a terrific explosion and a spectacular fireworks show that the victorious ants proudly salute (animated by Davis).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½