Looney Tunes Wiki
Advertisement

Deprecated

We have moved to portable infoboxes using the new Template:Shorts

Please do not use this template anymore. It is left here for reference purposes.

A Star is Hatched
ImagesCAA3IXE1
Directed By: I. Freleng
Produced By: Leon Schlesinger
Released: April 2, 1938
Series: Merrie Melodies
Story: Ted Pierce
Animation: Bob McKimson
Layouts:
Backgrounds:
Film Editor: Treg Brown
Voiced By: Mel Blanc
Sara Berner
Berneice Hansell
Tedd Pierce
Music: Carl W. Stalling
Starring: Emily the Chicken
Clem
J. Megga Phone
Baby Chick
Director
W.C. Fields
Movie Star Guide
Preceded By: Porky's Phoney Express
Succeeded By: Porky's Five & Ten

A Star is Hatched is a 1938 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.

Plot

Clem meets Emily the Chicken and gives her flowers, but Emily wants to be alone continuing to read the movie magazine. Emily then sees a "Megaphone" and runs out leaving Clem heartbroken. The man tells her to go to Hollywood if she wants to be in pictures. She then walks 2000 miles to Hollywood. On the way, we see many caricatures of Hollywood stars for a minute and a half before reverting back to Emily. Emily walks into a building but not too long before getting kicked out because the sign said, "DO NOT ENTER WHEN THE RED LIGHT IS ON!". We then see some acting rehearsals taking place for about 2 minutes before reverting back to Emily who has found the "Megaphone" man. She tries to get his attention but sadly the door is slammed on her. Emily starts to cry and decides to go back to Hickville. Eventually, she marries Clem and they have kids. Several years later, one of the chicks reads the magazine Emily read earlier in the cartoon, but Emily slaps her when the chick says she wants to be an actress too.

Availability

Notes

  • This was Freleng's final cartoon in the 1930s for Warner Bros. because of his decision to work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's new series for a higher salary, Captain and the Kids. After the series was cancelled, Freleng left MGM and returned to Warner Bros.
  • While this cartoon airs on the Turner networks as an AAP print, the USA dubbed version was released in 1997 on the 5th volume of The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, with the 1938-41 rendition of "Merrily We Roll Along" in place of the original. The European dubbed version, however, does not have this edit.
  • The Hollywood night lights title would be used by Avery in "Daffy Duck in Hollywood" for the opening title.
  • This was the final appearance of Emily. In the 1950s, Robert McKimson created a new character based on Emily,

a widowed old hen named Miss Prissy. In fact, McKimson worked on animation for this short.

Caricatures

  • Katharine Hepburn
  • Freddie Bartholomew
  • John Barrymore
  • Joan Blondell
  • Edward G. Robinson
  • Clark Gable
  • W.C. Fields
  • Mae West
  • Johnny Weissmuller
  • Charles Chaplin
  • Charlie McCarthy
  • Dick Powell

Gallery

Advertisement