Release Date:

March 2, 1946

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

An exasperated father quail named Quentin attempts to catch a worm for his daughter, Toots’ supper. Not only does the worm prove tricky to catch, but Quentin eventually has to deal with a tough crow to claim it.

That’s Not All, Folks:

Despite the production number being 6-15 (the 6th Looney Tune in the 15th release season), the cartoon was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is a spoof of radio’s “Baby Snooks” with Toots speaking like the title character and Quentin being a takeoff on Snooks’ father.

Tedd Pierce voices Quentin.

This is the last Warner cartoon to have animation by Robert Cannon.

This is one of only 5 Warner cartoons to be a “Q” title with the others being “The Queen Was in the Parlor”, “Quack Shot” (1954), “Quackodile Tears” (1962), and “Quacker Tracker” (1967).

When I was in fifth grade, the speech room had pictures of A to Z animals on the wall along with the animal given a name that begins with the same letter as their species. While not the same character, the “Q” animal happened to be named “Quentin Quail”.

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “The Woods are Full of Cuckoos” over the opening credits.

Searching around for a worm, Quentin is asked by Toots as to what he’s doing. Quentin answers, “Oh, Toots, you know perfectly well what I’m doing. I’m looking for a worm for your supper”. Toots then asks if this is an early worm. Quentin replies, “No, not an early worm. When I get through with him, he’ll be the LATE worm!” before going back into the hollow log he was looking in. A worm then passes by as Toots tries to tell Quentin about this. But Quentin believes Toots is trying to annoy him and ignores her before she cries as the worm goes down the hole (animated by Robert Cannon).

Chasing the worm into a junkyard, Quentin finds the worm sneaking off under a glove. Under the glove, the worm socks Quentin (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Toots then tries to help by planning to club the worm once he comes in sight but the worm jumps down another hole, with Quentin’s attempt to grab him resulting in Quentin’s hand getting caught in the glove, and getting clubbed by Toots. Toots attempts to wrestle it as Quentin calmly tries to get her attention before he finally yells her name at the top of his voice (animated by Ben Washam).

Quentin attempts to pour pepper into the hole and explains to Toots that once the worm comes up to sneeze, he’ll sock him with the club. Toots cries at this to which Quentin wonders, “Don’t you WANT me to sock him?” Toots replies “No!” before answering, “I want to sock him”. Quentin reluctantly gives her the club, with the reminder to “when you hear him sneeze, let him have it”. When the worm doesn’t sneeze immediately, Quentin looks down into the hole. The worm pumps a bellows down another hole, which causes Quentin to sneeze very hard. Toots clubs him before realizing, “I thought you was the worm and I socked YOU!”, giggling (animated by Ken Harris).

Not amused, Quentin asks, “Toots, would I sock you?” “Well, would I?” Toots innocently asks him if he would to which Quentin replies, “Toots, don’t tempt me” (animated by Harris).

Quentin’s next scheme involves using a plunger to get the worm out of his hole. The worm attaches a rubber band to the end of a tree and the other end against the plunger, which causes Quentin to be propelled underground and hitting several branches while ascending, before falling. The worm puts a nail over the spot where Quentin will land, but takes it away at the last second. When he lands, Quentin’s body becomes accordian-like while the worm explains his reasons for taking the nail away via a sign: “I’d have hated myself” (animated by Basil Davidovich).

Annoyed at Toots’ question as to if he got him, Quentin answers while mocking her voice, “No, I ‘didn’t get him, Daddy’!” With Toots asking why, Quentin lets her catch him herself if she thinks it’s that easy (animated by Davidovich). Toots simply runs over to the hole, reaches down, and grabs the worm. Feeling defeated, Quentin laments, “Well, now I suppose you’re satisfied. You’ve shown me up. Made a fool of your father- in front of all these people. I guess I just don’t matter anymore”. Feeling guilty, Toots tosses it aside as Quentin runs after it, only to find the crow standing in front of him (animated by Washam).

Thinking the crow was doing him a favor, Quentin congratulates him for catching the worm, but the crow who speaks in a tough guy voice, “Eh, pardon me, mac, but I caught that worm”. Misinterpreting this, Quentin answers, “Yes, and a very good job too. I’ve been after him all afternoon”. The crow then starts to sound threatening, “I caught him and he’s mine. Hand him over before I part your beak in the middle!” Finding this threat nonsensical, Quentin claims, “Why, that’s ridiculous! (animated by Cannon) I certainly won’t! That’s for my daughter’s supper and I-” but upon seeing the crow strip down to an outfit a tough guy would wear, Quentin surrenders the worm to the crow. The crow sneers, “That’s more like it, Mac!” (animated by Harris) but fails to notice Toots stealing the worm from him (animated by Washam).

Once Toots shows him she has the worm (animated by Washam), Quentin boasts, “Thought he’d bluff me, the feathered four-flusher!” But the crow suddenly reappears and remarks, “Indian giver!” before punching Quentin in the face, which sends him flying backwards featherless into a tree with his feathers rejoining his body seconds later. As a dazed Quentin goes back with his fists raised, Toots attaches a rubber band to two trees so that when Quentin gets punched again (animated by Davidovich), Quentin slingshots right into the crow and ends up knocking him out without even trying (animated by Vaughan).

Having reclaimed the worm once and for all, Quentin gives it to Toots but she doesn't want it because “he looks like Frankie Sinatra!” (animated by Washam)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

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