Release Date:

May 20, 1944

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

Furious with all of the plans to bomb Moscow ending in failure, Hitler goes to bomb the Russian capital himself. He meets his doom when his plane is hijacked by “Gremlins from the Kremlin”, who are caricatures of the Warner cartoon staff.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 26-12, the 26th Merrie Melodie in the 12th release season. This likely means that it swapped production schedules with “Falling Hare”, Clampett’s other gremlin-themed cartoon.

The cartoon was originally titled “Gremlins from the Kremlin”.

Clampett wrote the gremlins’ theme song himself.

The gremlins are caricatures of the following: Michael Maltese (the gremlin with the blue mustache), Tedd Pierce (the gremlin with the bulbous nose who pops out from under the Maltese caricature), Bob Clampett (the gremlin using a pickax), Friz Freleng (the gremlin who uses a blowtorch and is also later seen using a saw), Chuck Jones (the gremlin using a mallet while the Freleng caricature is sawing), storyman Michael Sasanoff (the gremlin who brings out a wing-eating termite), cameraman John Burton (another gremlin who uses a saw), Henry Binder (the gremlin with large hair who the Burton caricature saws around), Leon Schlesinger (the gremlin who mallets the controls while being hoisted up), Ray Katz (the gremlin who is accidentally malleted by the Schlesinger caricature), storyman Melvin Millar (the gremlin with a tack on his head who tries to jump up and stab Hitler in the behind), Robert Cannon (the very tiny gremlin who smashes the controls with a large mallet and says “I’m only three and a half years old”), and Arthur Davis (one of the gremlins who sticks Hitler’s nose in an electric socket along with the Binder and Freleng caricatures).

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

Jerry Beck’s liner notes for this cartoon in the booklet for the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2 Blu-ray set say this: “With cartoons like this, no wonder we won the war”. I couldn’t agree more.

What I Like About This One:

The cartoon’s premise is awesome in that it’s basically the men behind the funniest animated cartoons ever made causing the demise of one of the most awful people to have ever existed.

Hitler’s nonsensical angry speech at the start of the cartoon with a brilliant performance from Mel Blanc (in addition, his microphone is labeled “PU” and his platform is labeled as “The New Odor”): “Stoopnagel hamburger mit der frankfurter und der sauerkrauten! (breathes heavily) Mit der zoot suit mit der reet pleet! Zoot! (Hitler’s people cheer) Stop Fritz Freleng und der Heinrich Binder und der what’s cookin’, doc? (breathes heavily) Pumpernickel mit sauerkrauten from the delicatessen with liverwurst, hasenpfeffer, und der Chattanooga Choo-Choo! Gesundheit!” A card comes over the screen saying, “Silly, isn’t he?” Hitler then continues his speech: “We will bombin’ them Moscow! Bombin’ Stalin! Bombin’ that Irish general Timoshenko!” (even though he was actually a Soviet) After sobbing over the mention of the latter’s name, he concludes “To bomb Moscow, I will send the best pilot in the Reich! The greatest Superman of all time!” Someone in the audience asks, “Who’s dat? YOU, Fuhrer?” Hitler responds with, “Eh, who else?” and shrugging (this entire opening is superbly animated by Robert McKimson).

The gremlins’ song which starts like this: “We’re gremlins from the Kremlin! Da-da-da-da-da! We’re gremlins from the Kremlin! Da-da-da-da-da!”(animated by Thomas McKimson) One gremlin sings, “I’m a gremlin from the Kremlin!” A smaller one that wouldn't look out of place in a Dr. Seuss book mallets his foot with the large gremlin’s cry of pain being the “Ohhhhhhhhhh” (animated by Rod Scribner) that leads into the next part of the song: “We are Russian gremlins, up in the sky we’re found. Shickelgruber’s aeroplanes we smack right to the ground (animated by Gil Turner). We like nothing better than to mess up Messerschmidts and send their heavy bombers down to Earth in teeny bits! (animated by Scribner) Napoleon and his army never got to first base; now we’ll push those nasty Nazis in der Fuhrer’s face! (animated by Virgil Ross) We’re here, we’re there, we’re everywhere! (animated by Scribner) We’re in the Nazi’s hair! (animated by Ross) And when they try to catch us, we’re the little men…who weren’t there!” The large and small gremlins then run offscreen leaving only their shoes, gloves mustache, and hair behind. They then dance offscreen and finish the song: “We’re the little men who weren’t there!” (animated by Scribner)

The Melvin Millar gremlin with the tack on his head trying to stab Hitler in the behind without success (animated by Scribner).

Since the Henry Binder gremlin’s hair is so large, the John Burton gremlin has to saw around it (animated by Thomas).

The Michael Sasanoff gremlin bringing out a “termite-ski” (animated by Ross) which eats away at the plane’s wings, buzzing a part off one by one and saying “Burp!” after each cut. After doing this four times, he says, “Eh, I hope you folks would pardon me for saying… BURP!”, with several nuts and bolts flying out of his mouth (animated by Turner).

The John Burton gremlin switching the plane’s C ration card with an A ration card, but disappearing before a confused Hitler notices the change (animated by Scribner).

Eventually, the Melvin Millar gremlin eventually succeeds in stabbing Hitler in the behind and when Hitler lands on the ground, he spots the small gremlin with the mallet who greets him with “How do you do?” and hits him with a larger mallet (animated by Scribner).

A few gremlins then stick Hitler’s nose into an electric socket with him getting electrocuted in tune to a drum solo which causes him to briefly form into a human forming a swastika, a skunk covered in swastikas, and a “jack-ass” (animated by Thomas).

Being chased by an angry Hitler carrying a knife, the gremlins shield themselves by pulling up a Stalin mask out of nowhere causing Hitler to scream in terror like a murder victim (animated by Robert).

The gremlins then saw out the floor from under the Hitler (animated by Ross), who upon coming to his senses (animated by Turner), tries to outrun the plane which has been sent downward (animated by Thomas). It lands on top of him, with the plane’s wing forming his tombstone (animated by Turner). As the triumphant gremlins sing a reprisal of their song (animated by Scribner), Hitler pops up to do a Lew Lehr imitation, “Nutzis is da cwaziest peoples!” (animated by Ross) The gremlins then pound him back into the ground and yell, “Hey!” in the tone that would be said during a Russian kick dance (animated by Scribner).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕