Release Date:

January 28, 1939

Main Character(s):

Egghead

Summary:

A series of amateur acts at the “Warmer Bros. Theater”, with all of the bad performances getting the gong and falling through a trapdoor. Egghead appears as a running gag, trying to sing “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain” and getting the hook every time.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The theater is named “Warmer Bros. Theater”, which is of course a reference to Warner Bros.

The cartoon is in the public domain.

Avery previously used the “Amateur Hour” joke in “I Love to Singa”. Here, this whole cartoon revolves around the idea.

Avery voices the fat hippo who causes a lot of annoyance to the audience, complete with the trademark obnoxious laugh.

What I Like About This One:

Before the acts begin, the band members conduct their maestro playing multiple instruments at once.

Egghead getting pulled offstage by two hooks the second time he interrupts the host with “She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain”.

A piano player named “Maestro Padawinski” inserting a coin in a piano that plays “The Merry Go Round Broke Down” by itself. The judge is not amused by this fraud so he gives him the gong and sends him through the trap door.

A dog in the audience using the bottom edge of the seat in front of him as a fat hippo sits down in that chair. The dog yells, “I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!” and when the hippo gets up, the dog cries about his crushed feet.

A Hindu magician, Swami River, attempting a basket trick with Egghead as his volunteer. When the basket trick apparently fails, Swami River asks the usher to give Egghead his money back.

The world’s smallest entertainer, the flea “Teeny Tiny Teensy Tinny Tinny Tin” reciting “Mary Had a Little Lamb” in a high, squeaky voice and when she is dropped through the trap door, she takes the longest fall but makes the loudest crashing noise.

When “Fleabag McPoodle” instructs his trained dog to “speak”, the dog imitates one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s lectures.

The fat hippo nudging everyone to the left of him so hard, they crash outside through the wall.

A Shakespearean wolf attempting to recite “to be or not to be” without getting hit in the face with a tomato.

When the host introduces the next act, he gets hit in the face with the next tomato.

When two chickens recreate the balcony scene from “Romeo and Juliet” (with “Juliet” sounding like Katharine Hepburn), the fat hippo’s laugh disturbs “Romeo” so much that he goes down and shoots the hippo! When “Romeo” finishes his monologue, “Juliet” laughs like the hippo!

When Egghead interrupts a third time, he gets pulled by three hooks with an additional hook pulling his derby.

In the end, the host tries to present the prize to the best performer, but all of the actors are booed. They go wild for Egghead however, and to the host’s shock, the entire audience consists of cheering Eggheads!

Where Can I Watch It?

On YouTube!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½