The first time, Lenny crushes a bone and a water dish, as he tells us he wants a little friend, that he had one once, “but he don’t move no more.” Lenny reaches into a pocket and pulls out a dead mouse (as Scott Bradley plays “Taps” in the background.
The second time, he pulls out Screwy Squirrel.
Except in this case, Screwy DOES “move.” He opens an eye and holds up a sign. Bradley doesn’t play “Taps.” He plays “If I Only Had a Brain” because, if Lenny had a brain, he’d know Screwy is alive.
Some animation fans love to connect dots and invent their own history. Screwy is dead, they say, because (Dot 1) “Tex didn’t like Screwy,” (Dot 2) “Tex didn’t make another cartoon with him,” (Ergo) “So, he killed him.”
Sorry, fans. Screwy doesn’t play a harp while ascending to the heavens, or wear a halo, Avery’s signals that a character is dead (see the ending of Batty Baseball). Screwy is still alive. Come to think of it, Sylvester’s nine lives and a gowned, haloed Elmer Fund rise toward heaven in Back Alley Oproar, but no one every claims Friz Freleng killed them.
But, yeah, Tex didn’t make any more Screwy cartoons after this one. Too bad. I liked Screwy and some of the gags were pretty clever and inspired.
Screwy Squirrel didn't die; his career did. He should have appeared in "Roger Rabbit," as should have Heckle and Jeckle, the by-then-forgotten Fox and Crow, and Tom and Jerry (the most surprising omission considering they were the top toon stars of 1947, the year the film is set in).
ReplyDeletetom and jerry are not in it, but i vagugly remember H. and J. in the last crowd scene of the song smile darn ya smile.......and you are right, S.S. shoulda coulda woulda.....been a condendor to me in this scene at least....oh well, all izzz hell sometimes....heh.
DeleteOr maybe he died after the iris-out.
ReplyDeleteLong Live Screwy Squirrel! He was a fun character. He was probably too wacky for MGM management.
ReplyDelete...“Tex didn’t like Screwy,”...“Tex didn’t make another cartoon with him,”...“So, he killed him.”
ReplyDeleteScrewy the trailblazer!--Setting the stage for R. Crumb and Fritz the Cat. (*JK, folks)
Sad...
ReplyDeleteHiya Pete, so can you and I do a better type of toonz featuring a S.Sq. type of character.....so connect with me and we can collab. re;;; shorts of a S.Sq. type of character if ya wanna......[ I know I wanna...]
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