Release Date:

August 31, 1946

Main Character(s):

Foghorn Leghorn, Henery Hawk, Barnyard Dawg

Summary:

After learning from his father that he is meant to eat chicken, Henery Hawk goes hunting for one. Foghorn Leghorn convinces him that Barnyard Dawg is the chicken he’s looking for.

That’s Not All, Folks:

Despite the production number being 4-16 (the 4th Looney Tune in the 16th release season), the cartoon was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “Buzz Buzz Buzz Will You Be My Honey” played under the opening credits:

Story: Warren Foster

Animation: Richard Bickenbach, Cal Dalton, and Don Williams

Layouts and Backgrounds: Cornett Wood and Richard H. Thomas

Voice Characterizations: Mel Blanc

Musical Direction: Carl Stalling

Direction: Robert McKimson

Additionally, a print with the original titles was rumored to have aired on local stations in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Hopefully, these titles will be unearthed to the public one day.

The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award. Interestingly, in the Merrie Melodies music video “Cock of the Walk” (which was originally part of the Looney Tunes Show episode “Reunion” from 2011), where Foghorn sings about how great he is, one of the lines is about he won an Oscar for best rooster in an animated feature. No Foghorn cartoons actually won the Oscar, and this was his only one that was even nominated.

This is Henery’s second appearance, following “The Squawkin’ Hawk”. Henery was originally meant to be the starring character, but once it became obvious that Foghorn was the character causing all the laughs, he was immediately elevated to starring role at the end of the 1940’s. As it turns out, Henery would start to appear less and less, while Dawg would become Foghorn’s most prominent arch-enemy.

Foghorn is a rare example of a major Looney Tunes character where every single cartoon of his from the Golden Age was directed by only one person, in this case, McKimson.

Foghorn’s voice and personality is a parody of Senator Claghorn. This cartoon has his voice sound a lot more gruff compared to his other later cartoons.

The full cartoon would be used in the 1975 documentary, “Bugs Bunny Superstar”.

Foghorn’s imitation of a horse where he presses his finger up against the side of his nose to make a whinnying sound was actually the way Mel Blanc imitated a horse.

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

You can find out who animated what scene here.

“Huckleberry Duck” plays throughout the cartoon as Henery’s theme.

What I Like About This One:

In the respective mailboxes of Henery’s family (where their house is high up in a tree), it’s revealed that Father Hawk reads Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies comics, while Henery reads “Exquire”.

Henery explains to his father, “Gee, pop. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. The trouble’s in my tummy. I crave something, but I don’t know what it is” (animated by Arthur Davis). Father Hawk then gives an overly-dramatic speech: “You see, Henery, your mother and I are outcasts. Hated and hunted, because of what we are: chicken hawks. And you, you Henery, you’re a chicken hawk too. And like all chicken hawks, you crave to eat…. a chicken” (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

Henery sees nothing wrong with this: “Eat a chicken? Is that bad!?” and walks out to get one himself (animated by Davis), jumping off the tree branch and falling to the ground while flapping his arms. Henery confesses, “Someday, I guess I’d better learn to fly” (animated by Don Williams).

Meanwhile, Dawg sneaks up on Foghorn and smashes a watermelon over his head, to which Foghorn grumbles: “Every day, it’s the same thing!” (animated by Anatolle Kirsnaoff) For the very first time, Foghorn then walks up to the sleeping Dawg and whacks his behind with a wooden plank, provoking Dawg into chasing him until his leash reaches its limit (animated by Williams).

Spotting Henery calling for a chicken, Foghorn asks him if he lost something. Henery tells him he’s a chicken hawk and is after his first chicken. Taking advantage of the fact that Henery doesn’t know what one looks like, Foghorn tells him he’s a horse and imitates one. He tells him Dawg is a chicken: “Go on over, I say, go on over and taste him, kid! You’ll like him!” (animated by Davis)

Unaware this is the wrong species, Henery is excited: “Oh, that’s the biggest chicken ever I seen! So round, so firm, so fully packed!” before taking a chomp out of Dawg’s tail (animated by Davis), to which Dawg screams in pain, picks Henery up (animated by Kirsanoff), and growls at him. After Henery threatens, “Are you comin’ quietly or do I have to muss ya up?” (animated by Davis), Dawg chases him. Once his leash reaches the limit, Foghorn comes over to play croquet with Dawg’s head, that is, striking the ball through the wicket by malleting Dawg’s head against the ball (animated by Williams).

Inspired by Foghorn telling him, “Don’t let that chicken bluff ya! You’re a chicken HAWK, ya know! Go get ‘em, kid!” (animated by Bickenbach), Henery walks around the doghouse and picks it up offscreen (animated by Cal Dalton), carrying it off like a train. Wondering why the land outside is moving, Dawg looks at the bottom of his doghouse through a mirror and sees Henery carrying it (animated by Kirsanoff). Dawg throws the doghouse off, and chases Henery, but once again, his leash doesn’t let him go far (animated by Williams). This time, Foghorn puts a knight helmet on Dawg and mallets it several times (animated by Dalton).

With Dawg now having his doghouse tied down, Henery sets up some props (animated by Kirsanoff) and draws a doorbell on Dawg’s house before ringing it. Hearing jaunty piano music, Dawg happily walks on all fours to the side of the house where Henery hits him offscreen. Dizzy, Dawg slips on a banana peel, lands back first on a spring, and lands chest first on a roller skate to which Henery starts to push him home (animated by Dalton). Dawg comes to his senses and frantically asks Henery, “What have I got that you want?” (animated by Bickenbach) Henery explains, “You’re a chicken. I’m a chicken HAWK. And I’m gonna eat chicken.” (animated by Davis) Dawg attempts to sort out the confusion: “Hubba, hubba, hubba. I’m no chicken. THAT’S a chicken!”, pointing to Foghorn. Foghorn zooms up to Dawg: “Don’t you call me, I say, don’t you call me a chicken, you chicken!” (animated by Bickenbach) Confused, Henery remarks, “Hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba!” (animated by Davis)

As Dawg is trying to get at an overconfident Foghorn from his leash limit (animated by Bickenbach), Henery unscrews Dawg’s leash from his doghouse (animated by Kirsanoff), allowing him to start wrestling Foghorn and chase him into the barn where a horse brings them out and knocks their heads together (animated by Dalton).

Foghorn and Dawg briefly team up to fight against the horse as Henery walks in (animated by Dalton), and pulls all three of them out to sort out at home (animated by Williams). Henery confides, “One of these things, I say, one of these things has got to be a chicken!” (animated by Davis)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕