Two-Headed Texan

Which Tex Avery cartoon used the “don’t-make-noise-and-wake-him-up premise” the best? Some argue “Deputy Droopy,” released in 1955.

Certainly the “quiet” gags roll on non-stop, one after the other. The weirdest comes near the end.



Droopy tickles the tall bad guy who is glued to the floor.



The tall bad guy exchanges heads with the short bad guy, who runs up the hill so the tall guy’s head can react without waking the sheriff.



Meanwhile, Droopy thwacks the tall guy with the small guy’s head.



Good ol’ Tex could have exchanged heads. But no. He makes the gag even more bizarre by having the small guy wear both heads and yell on the hill.

Avery and Mike Lah get co-director credits on the cartoon. Historian Michael Barrier revealed the Avery unit was shut down on March 1, 1953, Avery left MGM on June 24th and Lah stayed behind to finish this cartoon and “Cellbound.” Other than Walt Clinton, the rest of the credited animators are from the Hanna-Barbera unit—Irv Spence, Ed Barge, Ken Muse and Ray Patterson.