Release Date:

August 23, 1952

Main Character(s):

The Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote

Summary:

The third chase between Wile E. Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris) and the Roadrunner (Acceleratti Incredibilis).

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1209 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

With this being a Roadrunner cartoon, there is no dialogue, allowing Milt Franklyn to be credited for orchestrations.

The title is a pun for the auctioneer phrase “going going gone”.

Lloyd Vaughan’s last name is misspelled as “Vaughn” in the opening credits.

The slingshot gag and the female hitchhiker gag (“Ole Virginy or Bust”) were used in the 1979 compilation movie “The Bugs Bunny-Roadrunner Movie”.

This is one of the shortest cartoons from this period, running for only 6 minutes and 25 seconds.

This cartoon was released two days after my paternal grandfather was born.

The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons contains a very obvious error in the synopsis written for this cartoon: “But it tears like canvas when the Roadrunner tries it”, making it seem like a scheme worked, when it is clearly the exact opposite as always (which is why it’s very important to edit your writing and always rewatch the film you’re writing about, so you don’t make a glaring mistake).

Favorite Scene:

The quick drying cement and the fake road painting scenes.

What Happens in This One:

As the Roadrunner speeds down the road, Wile E. leaps out at him from his cave before the action freeze frames to show their Latin names. The action resumes with Wile E. attempting to lunge at the Roadrunner with his cutlery, only to get wrapped around his torso several times. After unraveling himself, Wile E. gives chase, only for the Roadrunner to put on the extra burst of speed and zoom off into the distance. As Wile E. stops, his nose droops and his eyeballs slightly extend before he starts thinking (animated by Ken Harris).

Wile E. attempts to use a dynamite stick attached to a bow fired from an arrow, but the bow launches forward instead, leaving the arrow with the dynamite to explode on him (animated by Ben Washam).

Wile E.’s next scheme involves attempting to launch himself from a slingshot, but the slingshot uproots from the ground and flies backward at him, pinning him against a pinkish-colored cactus (animated by Washam).

He then covers up the road with “Quick Drying Cement” in hopes to trap the Roadrunner in it. The Roadrunner just simply zooms through it so fast, causing the cement to splash onto the side of the road and engulf Wile E. and the barrel the cement came from. Enraged, Wile E. attempts to run off, but true to its name, the cement covering him hardens, leaving him frozen in place (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Wile E. hides in a manhole with a grenade, planning to pop out of it and throw it at the Roadrunner. The Roadrunner instead goes up a hill in the other direction and causes a boulder to fall atop the manhole. Unable to get out, thanks to the boulder, Wile E. gets the explosion, sending the manhole’s cover and the boulder flying into the air. As a dazed Wile E. comes out, the manhole lands on his head, followed by the boulder (animated by Vaughan).

Disguised as a sexy blonde female hitchhiker with a bag labeled “Ole Virginy or Bust”, Wile E. attempts to seduce the Roadrunner with this disguise. The Roadrunner zooms past him, causing Wile E.’s wig to fly off of his head. The Roadrunner, now wearing the blonde wig, comes back with a sign, “I’ve Already Got a Date” (animated by Washam).

At a spot in the road where the bridge is out and leads to a long drop below, Wile E. puts a canvas in front of the gap and paints a setting of the road continuing against a mountainside. He then hides in the rocks and turns the “Danger End of Road” warning sign around. Due to being unaware of this being a painting, the Roadrunner runs right through it as if it’s real and off into the distance. Wile E. comes out, bewildered, and turns around to the audience to give a shrugging look. Then, a truck comes out of it and hits Wile E.! Furious, Wile E. attempts to go into it, but since he knows it’s a painting, he tears through it and falls, with the dust coming from his falling speed spelling out the words “Oh. No!” (animated by Washam)

Wile E. pushes a large boulder to send it rolling down a hill towards the Roadrunner. Just as it becomes close to crushing him, the Roadrunner takes a different direction, sending the boulder flying into the air, going off a ramp-like cliffside, and landing on the top of another set of roads from another mountain. Wile E. turns around to see the boulder rolling towards him and rather than outrun it, just looks at it in worry before it hits him (animated by Harris).

Having created a makeshift hot air balloon by using “One Weather Balloon Self-Inflating Type” and “One ACME Street Cleaners Wagon”, propelled by an “Excelsior Electric Fan”, Wile E. attempts to drop a 500 lb. anvil on the Roadrunner from up in the air. Once he unties the anvil for it to fall, the craft goes upward rapidly. The rope keeping the balloon inflated then unties, causing it to lose air, and send Wile E. flying around through the air. After the deflated balloon falls out from the ropes, Wile E. and the street cleaner wagon fall and zoom past the anvil, landing in the road, creating a hole. Once Wile E. gets up, the anvil falls on him, with the Roadrunner passing atop him shortly (animated by Vaughan).

Lastly, Wile E. attempts to swing with a harpoon towards the Roadrunner upon hearing his “Meep! Meep!”, only to swing right into an oncoming truck, with the impact causing Wile E. to fly back to the post he jumped off of to swing towards and getting tied up on the post, seeing trucks instead of stars. The truck’s driver is revealed to be none other than the Roadrunner (animated by Washam).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½