Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid
Encyclopedia
Bugs Bunny Gets The Boid is a 1942 Merrie Melodies
cartoon, directed
by Bob Clampett
, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions
, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures. It marks the first appearance of Beaky Buzzard in a Warner Bros. short.
The title is a Brooklynese way of saying "gets the bird", which can refer to an obscene gesture, or as simply the "Bronx cheer
"; in this case, it is also used metaphorically, as Bugs "gets" the bird (a buzzard) by playing a trick.
instructing her children to go out and catch something for dinner (horse
, steer
, moose
, and cow, respectively). Three out of four agree to their mom's food choices and take off right away. Then Mother notices one of her kids remaining with his back turned. This is where we meet Beaky (called "Killer" in this short, presumably as an ironic pet name or nickname
), as he is painfully shy and a little on the slow side (with Kent Rogers doing a fair imitation of Mortimer Snerd, anticipating Cecil Turtle's voice). Against his will, his mother kicks him out of the nest with instructions to at least catch a rabbit. Beaky spots Bugs Bunny
and soars down to catch him. Bugs makes like an air-traffic controller and "guides" Beaky to the ground with a crash. Upon getting up, he is greeted with Bug's trademark phrase "Eh, what's up Doc?"
A chase ensues ending with Bugs crashing into the ground underneath the skeleton
of a dead animal. He cries because he thinks he's dead, breaking the fourth wall
momentarily with a Jerry Colonna-like comment straight to the audience, "Gruesome, isn't it!" He then laughs it off when he realizes otherwise, and breaks the fourth wall again, telling the audience that he knew it all the time. Beaky ends up the same way, and just as he begins to call for his mother in panic, she shows up. At first the mother buzzard thinks Bugs did something to Beaky. Bugs pulls Beaky out of the ground. Upon the realization that Killer is unharmed, the mother abandons her desire to devour Bugs. Instead, she turns to him and declares, "And you, you are my hero!" She embraces Bugs and kisses his mouth. When their lips part a pink heart can be viewed in the space between. This causes Bugs to blush and say "nope, nope, nope" just like Beaky.
, the popular song from the same period the cartoons were made, changing the lyrics for comedic value.
Also sampled is music from The Arkansas Traveler (song)
, specifically an instrumental version of the "I'm bringin' home a baby bumblebee" part.
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
cartoon, directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Bob Clampett
Bob Clampett
Robert Emerson "Bob" Clampett was an American animator, producer, director, and puppeteer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes animated series from Warner Bros., and the television shows Time for Beany and Beany and Cecil...
, produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions
Warner Bros. Cartoons
Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was the in-house division of Warner Bros. Pictures during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, Warner Bros. Cartoons was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical...
, and released to theatres by Warner Bros. Pictures. It marks the first appearance of Beaky Buzzard in a Warner Bros. short.
The title is a Brooklynese way of saying "gets the bird", which can refer to an obscene gesture, or as simply the "Bronx cheer
Blowing a raspberry
Blowing a raspberry or strawberry or making a Bronx cheer is to make a noise signifying derision, real or feigned. It is made by placing the tongue between the lips and blowing, making a sound redolent of flatulence. In the terminology of phonetics, this sound can be described as an unvoiced...
"; in this case, it is also used metaphorically, as Bugs "gets" the bird (a buzzard) by playing a trick.
Plot
The cartoon begins with a mother buzzardBuzzard
A buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
instructing her children to go out and catch something for dinner (horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
, steer
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, and cow, respectively). Three out of four agree to their mom's food choices and take off right away. Then Mother notices one of her kids remaining with his back turned. This is where we meet Beaky (called "Killer" in this short, presumably as an ironic pet name or nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
), as he is painfully shy and a little on the slow side (with Kent Rogers doing a fair imitation of Mortimer Snerd, anticipating Cecil Turtle's voice). Against his will, his mother kicks him out of the nest with instructions to at least catch a rabbit. Beaky spots Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
and soars down to catch him. Bugs makes like an air-traffic controller and "guides" Beaky to the ground with a crash. Upon getting up, he is greeted with Bug's trademark phrase "Eh, what's up Doc?"
A chase ensues ending with Bugs crashing into the ground underneath the skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
of a dead animal. He cries because he thinks he's dead, breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
momentarily with a Jerry Colonna-like comment straight to the audience, "Gruesome, isn't it!" He then laughs it off when he realizes otherwise, and breaks the fourth wall again, telling the audience that he knew it all the time. Beaky ends up the same way, and just as he begins to call for his mother in panic, she shows up. At first the mother buzzard thinks Bugs did something to Beaky. Bugs pulls Beaky out of the ground. Upon the realization that Killer is unharmed, the mother abandons her desire to devour Bugs. Instead, she turns to him and declares, "And you, you are my hero!" She embraces Bugs and kisses his mouth. When their lips part a pink heart can be viewed in the space between. This causes Bugs to blush and say "nope, nope, nope" just like Beaky.
Music
This is one of a number of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons that sampled Blues in the NightBlues in the Night
"Blues in the Night" is a popular song which has become a pop standard and is generally considered to be part of the Great American Songbook. The music was written by Harold Arlen, the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for a 1941 film begun with the working title Hot Nocturne, but finally released as Blues...
, the popular song from the same period the cartoons were made, changing the lyrics for comedic value.
Also sampled is music from The Arkansas Traveler (song)
The Arkansas Traveler (song)
"The Arkansas Traveler" was the state song of Arkansas from 1949 to 1963; it has been the state historical song since 1987. The music was composed in the 19th century by Colonel Sanford C...
, specifically an instrumental version of the "I'm bringin' home a baby bumblebee" part.