Release Date:

April 2, 1938

Main Character(s):

None

Summary:

A hen wants to be an actress and makes a long way to Hollywood. She tries to find the director, J. Megga Phone, who seduced her into coming to Hollywood in the first place, but has a hard time and eventually realizes that several other hens were seduced into auditioning.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The cartoon’s plot is similar to “Let It Be Me”. Incidentally, the hen in this cartoon shares the same design as Emily in that cartoon.

The hen talks like Katharine Hepburn.

This was Freleng’s last Warner cartoon in the 1930’s. He would leave the studio for about a year to direct MGM’s “Captain and the Kids” cartoons. That series proved to be unsuccessful and Freleng was unhappy at MGM and would soon return to Warner Bros. His first cartoon upon coming back was “Confederate Honey” (released in 1940 and was the second appearance of Elmer Fudd).

Caricatures include Greta Garbo, Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, John Barrymore (in reused animation from “The Coo Coo Nut Grove”) , Freddie Bartholomew, Clark Gable, WC Fields, Johnny Weissmuller, Charlie McCarthy, Mae West, and Charlie Chaplin.

What I Like About This One:

The opening sign: “2000 Miles to Hollywood. 200 Yards to Hickville Gas Station”.

Hickville being so small that the gas station is also the fire station, the police station, “Justice of the Peace”, “Plumbing Supplies”, AND where the hen lives.

When a hick rooster (who has the same voice as the salesman in “Jungle Jitters”) shows up at the hen’s door courting her, she turns him down by talking like Greta Garbo (“Please go away. I want to be alone”).

J. Megga Phone having three pairs of shades (one red, one blue, and one green) and removing all of them to get a good look at the hen.

The hen packing her bags by removing the drawers, which are actually suitcases.

The music slowing down during the montage of the hen’s journey to Hollywood.

Clark Gable being a trolley conductor and using his large ears as the bells.

WC Fields as a cop who uses his nose as a traffic light (it blinks red and green).

The visual gags of stars’ footprints in cement: Edward G. Robinson’s has a gun while Greta Garbo’s are so enormous they take up a lot of pavement.

The celebrity’s houses being revealed to be cardboard cutouts during a tour.

The hen noticing a sign “Do Not Enter When the Red Light is On”, but the “light” is actually WC Fields departing from the room.

The “casting office” being an office of men practicing their fishing skills.

J. Megga Phone having a ton of assistant directors.

A red traffic light being labeled “Quiet!” instead of “Stop”.

In the last scene, the hen is revealed to now be married to the rooster she married earlier, and they have a ton of chicks. When one of them claims she wants to be an actress, the hen gives her such a smack!

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕 ½