Stage Hoax

The stories in the Woody Woodpecker cartoons of the early ‘50s aren’t exactly strong stuff. Some of the cartoons don’t have a storyman in the credits, like Stage Hoax (released 1952). It starts off with Woody being exhausted trying to reach some destination. But suddenly he’s not exhausted and has no interest in going anywhere. The plot kind of switches to how stupid male cartoon characters when they see another male cartoon character wearing any kind of female clothing, no matter how obvious.

Some of the gags aren’t bad, even though a few go back to the silent days. My favourite is when Buzz Buzzard is so aroused by a “woman” (Woody) with 13 legs that he flaps his feet around the frame of the cartoon.



Some of the animation is pretty good, but Woody had begun his slide. The worst was yet to come.