Release Date:

July 15, 1939

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A parody of “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” with a stranger battling Dan McFoo over Dan’s girlfriend, Sue.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. An unknown original tune by Carl Stalling played under the opening credits:

Supervision: Fred Avery

Story: Rich Hogan

Animation: Paul Smith

Musical Direction: Carl W. Stalling

Dan uses Elmer Fudd’s voice, before Elmer was even introduced. He’s even voiced by the same actor, Arthur Q. Bryan.

Sue talks like Katharine Hepburn, although the stranger visualizes her as Bette Davis.

Avery would parody “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” again in his 1945 MGM cartoon, “The Shooting of Dan McGoo” with Droopy as Dan.

What I Like About This One:

“A gang of the boys were whooping it up at the Malibu Saloon”, where it shows them all asleep before they all briefly cheer in excitement and then go back to sleep.

The piano player playing said piano like a typewriter.

A trio singing “I Was Seeing Nellie Home” and pausing in mid-performance to make ridiculous faces (a gag reused from “The Penguin Parade”).

Dan being manipulated by another guy in the pinball game he’s playing.

All of the holes in the pinball game moving out of the way to make the ball go into the “OUT” hole (upon losing, Dan cries, “I was wobbed!”).

When the stranger enters, he knocks the door down onto the floor, and then walks out of the door like he’s coming out of a basement.

The sight of the stranger’s heart beating when he first sees Sue: a valentine-shaped heart thumping.

When Dan sees the stranger trying to make love to Sue (who isn’t interested in the stranger), he tells her Sue is his girl. The stranger replies, “Well, what of it!?” and then flicks Dan’s finger into his face (complete with the noise of a crashing cymbal).

The fight between Dan and the stranger being presented as a boxing match where a trolley comes in out of nowhere and rings the bell for the rounds.

The stranger repeatedly pushing Dan’s head into his (the stranger’s) fist.

During the “relax”, the stranger is given a shave and a haircut.

In round 2, the stranger stuffs Dan into his own hat and uses him as a punching bag.

When Dan is knocked out, his conscience walks over to the bar, and grabs a bucket of water to revive Dan.

The stranger being revealed to not only have horseshoes in his glove but also a real horse!

All of the moves being freeze-framed to show exactly what Dan and the stranger do to each other. These include Dan kicking the stranger in the chin, the stranger poking Dan in the eyes, Dan pulling on the stranger’s ears, Dan punching the stranger in the stomach, the stranger accidentally punching the bartender in the chin (the announcer even says “Uh oh” before continuing the describe the moves), Dan whacking the stranger on the head with a mallet, and “in the center of the ring standing toe to toe”, where it looks like they’re dancing.

The narrator decides they’re not getting anywhere in their fight, and tosses them pistols to finish one off. After the lights go off, Sue doesn’t scream but instead lets out a simple “Eek”.

After the guns shoot off in the dark, Dan is seen lying on the floor. Sue cries over the supposed death of her lover, but Dan is not at all harmed, as he gets up and says “Hewwo”.

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕