Release Date:

August 26, 1950

Main Character(s):

Charlie Dog

Summary:

Charlie Dog gets kicked off a freight train into “Platt Falls”, south of the Mason-Dixon line and attempts to get himself adopted by a Colonel obsessed with the South and who absolutely despises Yankees to the point that he gets enraged over the smallest mention of them. The Colonel’s bulldog, Belvedere, is another obstacle so Charlie attempts to turn the two against each other.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1126 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. When it was restored for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 DVD set in 2008, the original opening rings were put back in.

This is the first of two Charlie Dog cartoons where he appears without Porky with the other being “A Hound for Trouble” (1951).

The Colonel in this cartoon shares the same character design as Colonel Shuffle from “Mississippi Hare”, but they are completely different characters as this Colonel is voiced by Mel Blanc instead of Billy Bletcher and is not a villain.

The cartoon is in the 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons book.

The “Charlie Dog in” title card for his sole appearance in Looney Tunes Cartoons, “Adopt Me” (2021) is based off of the title card for this cartoon.

For as much as he hates the North, the Colonel strangely doesn’t seem to direct his rage towards Charlie’s voice, which is a Brooklyn accent.

After the Colonel seemingly ousts Belvedere, Charlie tells the latter to say hello to his aunt in Boston. When the Colonel gets enraged at the mention, Charlie clarifies, “South Boston, Alabama”. There is actually a Boston in Alabama, an unincorporated community in its least populated county, Greene County.

Charlie briefly puts a flower near his ear as some sort of headdress near the start of the cartoon. He would make a cameo appearance wearing it in “Looney Tunes Back in Action” (2003) during the casino scene.

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “Start the Day Right” over the opening credits (I particularly love the note that plays at the very end of the credits).

As the train is traveling into the city limits of “Platt Falls”, Charlie is kicked off one of the boxcars by someone who is presumably the conductor. “And stay out!” Plucking a flower, Charlie sulks, “This is ridiculous. A fine dog like me treated like a tramp. (sniffs flower and puts it on his head as a headdress) All because I haven’t got a home. I just don’t get it”. He walks off (animated by Ben Washam) and up to a fence where a cow is eating. “I’m a bargain, too. I’m Gratis. And I’m lovable”. He then kisses the cow, who immediately spits it off in disgust (animated by Phil Monroe). “I make friends easy. Hello, birds. Hello, flowers. Hello, tree. Hello, sky. Hello, caterpillar. Hello, fence post” (animated by Washam).

Charlie then hears the Colonel playing the banjo on the porch of his mansion and singing an original tune about how glad he is to be “way down south”. Deciding to endear himself to the Colonel, Charlie comes up to him, and takes the banjo from him (animated by Washam) . He starts to play the banjo himself while singing “Yankee Doodle”. “YANKEE!?”, the Colonel rages as he takes the banjo back from Charlie and smashes it over his head before ordering, “Get off of my plantation, you, you (animated by Monroe), carpet bagger!” Charlie wonders, “Plantation?” and asks ecstatically in a Southern accent, “Are you from the South?” The Colonel answers, “I’m not only from it, sir. I’m IN it”. Charlie exclaims, “Well, shut my fat old mouth, and stuff me with chitlins. I’M from the South TOO!” He then picks the Colonel up, “I’ll tell you what. I’ll be your little old dog and you all can be my little old master”. Figuring this is settled, Charlie sits down in the Colonel’s chair (animated by Emery Hawkins).

The Colonel instead gets up and calls out, “Oh, Belvedere! Come here, boy!” Belvedere, whose back legs always stick up in mid-air whenever he runs out, is the Colonel’s bulldog (animated by Lloyd Vaughan), which causes Charlie to act offended. “What is the meaning of this, sir!? You invite me into your home, then you insult me by having that uh, that dog around! I tell you, sir! This is too much! Either he goes or either I go!” (animated by Hawkins) Unsurprisingly, the Colonel chooses Charlie to be the one to leave as he kicks him out, with Charlie skidding on his rear end so hard, he comes up with his behind green from being rubbed across the grass (animated by Vaughan).

Inside his mansion, the disgruntled Colonel hears a knock on his door. It’s Charlie who has a pig under his right arm while he’s holding an ear of corn with his left. He asks, “Hey, what do ya say we have some sour belly and corn pone for lunch?” The Colonel slams the door on him (animated by Vaughan).

Charlie is then seen at Belvedere’s dog house and looking down at him as he sleeps. “If it wasn’t for YOU, Belvedere, I’d stand a better chance around here. So-”. He puts a Union hat on Belvedere’s head and a banner in his mouth that reads, “The North Forever!” (animated by Vaughan). Charlie then imitates the Colonel’s voice, “Oh, Belvedere! Come here, boy!” Unaware of what he’s wearing Belvedere runs up to the real Colonel, who’s fondly sniffing his magnolias. He is then horrified upon seeing Belvedere, who looks at the audience in confusion. The Colonel returns in a Confederate outfit and starts shooting at him while also chasing him with his sword. Behind a bush, Charlie plays a bugle and lets off a stream of firecrackers and then appears dressed as a wounded Confederate soldier. The Colonel believes “Why, it’s one of our boys!” In a Southern accent and acting deliriously, Charlie explains that he managed to save the regiment despite being attacked by Yankees (animated by Monroe).

In the Colonel’s bedroom, Charlie is seen in the Colonel’s bed as the latter asks him, “Is there anything else I can do for ya? Some food, perhaps?” Charlie answers, “Yes”, but then makes the mistake of switching to his normal voice and requesting, “How about some Yankee Pot Roast?” Realizing he’s been tricked, the Colonel kicks Charlie out the window, which is revealed to be on the highest story of the mansion (animated by Monroe).

At Belvedere’s house again, Charlie asks, “Why, Belvedere. Asleep again?” and dresses him up in something. Upon hearing the Colonel apparently call him again, Belvedere emerges from his doghouse and finds that Charlie dressed him up in a New York Yankees cap and sweater. He then beats up what he thinks is Charlie, but it’s revealed that he actually beat up the Colonel in the middle of sniffing his magnolias! It’s only when he’s about to kick him in the rear that Belvedere realizes his mistake and makes a horrified gasp that sounds like a horse’s whinny. He then hears Charlie calling him for real this time, and runs over to where he is to beat him up with a club. Charlie quickly puts the still dazed Colonel in his place so that Belvedere accidentally beats him up instead. The enraged Colonel then marches up towards a nervous Belvedere and beats him up with the club behind another bush (animated by Vaughan).

Having packed his belongings, a bruised Belvedere leaves as Charlie calls to him, “So long, Belvedere! Ce le guerre! If you’re up that way, say hello to an aunt of mine in Boston!” The Colonel is also shown to be enraged at Northern cities, “BOSTON!? Why you Yankee, I’ll-” before Charlie clarifies, “South Boston. Alabama” (animated by Monroe).

Just as the Colonel reluctantly accepts Charlie as his dog (animated by Monroe), a red-beared colonel comes by and explains that he always wanted a dog like Charlie, promising to give him lots of food, lots of rest, and lots of pampering. Before the Colonel can answer, Charlie interrupts, “You keep out of this! You and your Southern hospitality! And besides, my aunt lives in NORTH Boston. Massachusetts!” As the red-bearded Colonel walks away carrying Charlie, Charlie tells him he wants breakfast in bed, moonlight serenades, and alcohol rubs. He asks, “By the way, where IS my new home?” The red-bearded Colonel suddenly yells, “THERE!” and kicks Charlie onto another train this time leaving “Platt Falls”. The red-bearded Colonel is revealed to be none other than Belvedere in disguise as the Colonel calls him back over. The cartoon ends with them both happily singing, “I Wish I Was in Dixie” (animated by Ken Harris).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕