Years ago, I was watching a FUNNY QUIPS video on YOUTUBE of LEON S KENNEDY from RESIDENT EVIL saying his one liners and whoever made that video also cut to scenes of a LAUGHING HIPPO as to serve as the punchline.
Shortly after, I did research and as it turns out, that LAUGHING HIPPO is from this 1939 MERRIE MELODIES Cartoon:
This is a Cartoon that makes a fool out of every character and yet, it surprisingly doesn't feature any of the pre-1940 staples of Looney Tunes......
Save for this little guy in the green suit here:
The WIKIs say that the man in the green suit is ELMER FUDD....
But that's actually his prototype brother EGGHEAD.
Though some might refute that the man interrupting the talent show is really Elmer Fudd as Elmer has been seen wearing EGGHEAD's suit a little later in ELMER'S CANDID CAMERA in 1940
Though by the time of A WILD HARE, also from 1940,
Elmer swapped his EGGHEAD costume for his more iconic hunting uniform.
And for a brief period, He got fat
Until Audience Backlash circa early 1940s forced ELMER to go on a strict crash diet just to slim him back down to his more iconic design
Suffering Succotash!!! I'm getting too ahead of myself!
The cartoon begins with a prelude which is an establishing shot of a Performance Arts Theater.
And an opening ORCHESTRA
You know something gets screwed up when even the COMPOSER is playing instruments instead of conducting while his bandmates are conducting...
But CARTOONS don't have to be realistic....
(No sign of the GREAT GAZOO hovering over my shoulder.)
We then cut to this guy who's announcing the acts
"Hello Folks.
Tonight is AMATEUR NIGHT!"
But suddenly
"She'll be coming around the mountain when she comes!!!"
Egghead.... er..... ELMER FUDD
Constantly interrupts the preludes to the TALENT SHOW by singing.....
LOOK. JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR BIG HIT SOON, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD STEAL THE SHOW!!!!
Even PORKY PIG learnt to share the spotlight when he made his debut in I HAVEN'T GOT A HAT back in 1935
But ELMER doesn't care. He just wants the spotlight now that he's stolen EGGHEAD's clothes
Well.... Being yanked with SHEPPARD'S CANES is enough to finally start the show
WHAT KIND OF BLASPHEMY IS THIS!!!
LONG HAIR ON MEN?!
IN THE LATE 1930s!!!!!????
He's about to play his upright PIANO........
But what's this?
???????
OH NO HE DIDN'T!!!!!
THAT'S CHEATING!!!!
YOU CAN'T USE A PLAYER PIANO IN A TALENT SHOW!!!
Judging by this JUDGE's reaction,
He agrees with the sentiment but I think He also disapproves of the PIANO PLAYER's hair
Next act is this BOID
Yeah.. He's singing but I can't transcript his tune.
Though that doesn't matter as He's been dropped down the Trapdoor.
Next, we have this guy,
Who always gets his scenes cut on TV but thank WABBITS that MeTV airs his scenes uncut
LOOK at how serious SWAMI RIVER is!!!
Even though this cartoon predates A BUGS LIFE by 59 years, SWAMI RIVER's demeanor on how to perform his act reminds me of MANNY from the 1998 PIXAR film
But unlike MANNY
SWAMMI RIVER is a HUMAN BEING, not a PRAYING MANTIS with the voice of the late JOHNATHAN HARRIS from LOST IN SPACE.
Anyway, SWAMMI requests ELMER FUDD to come to the stage to demonstrate the wicker basket trick
"Come right up little man."
"Now, into the basket."
The idea is that the performer stabs the basket while the assistant or child comes out unscathed.
But because of the HAYS OFFICE being in SERIOUS EFFECT back in the late 30s, My guess is that WARNER BROS could only have an ADULT ASSISTANT do the honors.
Did I mention that whoever's in the basket is meant to emerge unscathed?
"UP! UP!!!"
That was the plan but SWAMMI RIVER might have overdid his act to the point......
"Usher."
"Give this gentleman his money back."
Did I mention this scene always gets cut by broadcasters when it airs on TV?
Fortunately, The Cartoon airs on both MeTV and TUBI uncensored....
And don't worry about ELMER FUDD in this act. He's just fine.
?????????????
Ok. Let's zoom into the subject in the spotlight shall we?
IT'S A BUG!!!!
AND SHE'S RECITING THE POEM "MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB"
I'm guessing that the judge can't hear what this BUG is saying but even My adult years can hear what she is saying.....
But as usual the trapdoor is engaged.
We know the fall is gonna take a long time due to how small the bug is when you see the EMCEE trying to clean his hands on his jacket.
Other acts soon follow
Such as a dog LITERALLY TALKING, RECITING QUOTATIONS, ETC.
"Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking....
FROM THE ROCK-BOUND COAST OF MAINE, TO THE SUN-KISSED SHORES OF
CALIFORNIA!!!!"
a FOX's poor attempt at reciting HAMLET
"TO BE, OR NOT TO BE!!!!!"
All while having tomatoes thrown at his face.
And yes, the DOG EMCEE does get.....
""Uh Oh...
*SPLAT*
Well...... ACTIONS do speak LOUDER than WORDS do.... soooo
The last act would be these CHICKENS reciting the most famous part of ROMEO & JULIET
and yes, the HIPPO does indeed interrupt the two at one point!
Remember that LAUGHING HIPPO I mentioned at the beginning as well as this above act?
Well he has three scenes where he's shown onscreen.
The first is when He's about to take his seat at the theater.
"OW!!!!!"
"I GIVE UP! I GIVE UP!!!!"
"OH.... Look at my feet!"
"THEY'RE ALL CROOKED AND EVERYTHING!!!"
AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T REST YOUR FEET ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF YOU!!!
These are not my feet. I got these photos from GOOGLE MAPS.
(Theater that's pictured is CINEPLEX INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE, formerly known as CINEMARK TINSELTOWN INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE.)
Next is when the HIPPO starts laughing his ass off after the SINGING BOID ACT.
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!!!"
"It's a killer!!!!"
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!!"
His last onscreen scene is the TOPPER after the TALKING DOG ACT.
That's the scene that the LEON S KENNEDY FUNNY MOMENTS video used.
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!"
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!"
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!"
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!"
"IT'S A KILLER!"
"HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!"
And with that CRASH through the wall, I guess that's my queue to close up this post.
"SHE'LL BE COMING AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WHEN SHE COMES!!!!"
DAMMIT ELMER FUDD!!!! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR YOUR INTERUPTING ACT!!!
Believe it or not, This CARTOON is definitely in the PUBLIC DOMAIN because stupid UNITED ARTISTS didn't renew the copyright in 1967 like they were supposed to so that means
I get to forward you my wonderful readers the hotlink to the .WBM print of the CARTOON on WIKIPEDIA:
HAMATEUR NIGHT(1939)
So.... to close this post......
Real subtle ELMER FUDD! Real Subtle.......
But I guess I did that when I closed my SWEATBOX post with the classic
PULL THE LEVER KRONK bit from NEW GROOVE....
But your requests for anachronisms are getting ridiculous.
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