Release Date:

April 30, 1955

Main Character(s):

The Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote

Summary:

The sixth chase between Wile E. Coyote (Famishus Famishus) and the Roadrunner (Speedipus Rex).

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1327 and was released as a Looney Tune.

Despite being released as a Looney Tune, the smaller Merrie Melodies rings are used instead (even though the text still says “Looney Tunes” and “The Merry Go Round Broke Down” still plays as normal. This is also the penultimate cartoon to use the 1946-1955 Looney Tunes opening and closing theme).

This is the only 1955 cartoon to have Maurice Noble involved.

The title is a pun for the phrase, “ready, set, go”.

The mine that Wile E. comes out of when his rocket causes him to go underground into said mine is called “Selzer Mining Co.”, which is a reference to Eddie Selzer.

Carl Stalling scored this one (and as I forgot to mention it Monday, he also scored “Sandy Claws”).

This is the last Warner cartoon to use “It Had to Be You”. In this case, it plays during the end gag with the ACME Female Roadrunner Costume.

Favorite Scene:

Wile E.’s contraption consisting of an outboard motor, jim-dandy wagon, washtub, water (labeled as H20), and roller skates that ends with him untying himself from the contraption when he approaches a gap where the bridge is out. He ends up taking the fall after the contraption makes it safely to the other side of the gap!

What Happens in This One:

The Roadrunner starts the day running around. Coming out of his cave yawning, Wile E. spots the Roadrunner below and goes down after him with his cutlery by running down the cliff side. The Roadrunner runs off, causing Wile E. to land smack on the road before giving chase. Just as he catches up, the Roadrunner, as usual, puts on the extra burst of speed and darts off far into the distance. Wile E. skids to a stop with his jaw hanging open, with his teeth falling out while he’s in the smoke the Roadrunner left behind. After putting them back in, Wile E. thinks to himself while leaning against a rock before giving a sinister grin with his fangs shown (animated by Ben Washam).

Wile E. coats the road with ACME Glue and upon hearing the Roadrunner approaching, rapidly finishes the glue-coating. The “Meep! Meep!” he heard is actually coming from an oncoming truck, and Wile E. realizes he’s surrounded by the glue trap except for the spot he’s standing. He attempts to get off the road, only to get stuck in the glue and then run over (animated by Abe Levitow).

Wile E. uses more ACME Glue and this time pours it all over the road, while he stands off to the side, intending to throw a dynamite stick at the Roadrunner when he gets stuck. The Roadrunner dashes through the glue so fast that it causes said glue to splash to both sides and completely engulf Wile E., who now has the dynamite stick stuck to him. The sticky Wile E. attempts to remove the dynamite from his grasp, only to end up getting both of his arms and legs stuck to it. After failing to blow it out and in an act of desperation, Wile E. uses his glutes to inch his way towards the water in hopes to jump in there and put out the dynamite. Unfortunately for him, it explodes after he jumps off and seconds before he can land in the water, leaving him no longer covered in glue but now completely black as he plops in (animated by Levitow).

The Roadrunner stops in front of a “Detour Thru Tunnel” sign put up by Wile E. with an arrow pointing to a log hanging off a cliff. He goes all the way to the other end and looks out of it. Wile E. goes in after him, only for the Roadrunner to jump out through a hole at the top of the log and run back the way he came. Once Wile E. gets to the other end and pokes his head out of the hole, the log gives way and falls off the cliff it was perched on (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Next, Wile E. attempts to drop a 10,000-pound weight on the Roadrunner, only for it to not fall when the Roadrunner passes under it. Angry, Wile E. drops the rope and goes after the Roadrunner, only for the weight to now be released and land on Wile E. offscreen. Wile E. walks back into view with his body from the crotch up having been squished into the shape of a poker chip (animated by Vaughan).

Wile E. attempts to ensnare the Roadrunner via a lasso with several dynamite sticks tied to it. However, the Roadrunner goes down a different road, leaving Wile E. still absentmindedly swinging the lasso and not realizing he’s still doing so until it’s too late (animated by Richard Thompson).

Wile E.’s next attempt involves firing himself from a large slingshot, only to realize the Roadrunner is right behind him when he lets out a “Meep! Meep!” Wile E. attempts to grab him, but the slingshot releases him and sends him flying backwards into a tunnel where he hits the grille of a truck offscreen, coming out stuck to the grille and with his arms still in the same grabbing position (animated by Thompson).

Having made a contraption out of “One ACME Out-Board Motor”, “One Jim-Dandy Wagon” from the “ACME Toy Co.”, a wash tub, a bottle of H20, and a pair of roller skates, Wile E. uses it to go after the Roadrunner only to notice a sign warning “Danger Bridge Out”. He attempts to untie himself from the contraption and finally does so right after he’s in the middle of the gap where the bridge is out before he watches the rope falling. To add insult to injury, the contraption makes it safely to the other side! Waving a sad, defeated “bye-bye”, Wile E. also falls (animated by Ken Harris).

Wile E. rides a rocket to go towards the Roadrunner head-on, only to right into the ground and out through a mine. After exiting out of the mine, the rocket comes to a stop, having seemingly run out of fuel. Wile E. lets out a silent sigh of relief, only for the rocket to explode shortly (animated by Thompson).

Dressing up in “One ACME Female Roadrunner Costume”, Wile E. attempts to lure the Roadrunner to him with a “Meep! Meep!” This instead attracts dozens of hungry Wile E.-lookalikes popping up out of nowhere. They chase after Wile E. into the distance, along with a little coyote at the back, trying to catch up. The real Roadrunner runs past and holds up a “The End” sign before running off again (animated by Harris).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕