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Boulder Wham! is a 1965 Merrie Melodies short directed by Rudy Larriva.

Plot[]

Wile E. Coyote is chasing Road Runner, who moves fast enough to easily clear a canyon. With Wile E. unable to get up the speed necessary to clear it as easily, he uses a series of devices to try and get across to the waiting roadrunner.

  1. First, Wile E. lassos a boulder on the other side and ties it to a rock to make a tightrope. As he walks towards Road Runner, the boulder wobbles and Wile E. falls. Luckily, his balance pole wedges between the walls of the canyon, saving him from hitting bottom. Then the boulder rolls off the edge and swings toward the coyote. It smashes the pole, then it hits Wile E. As he holds on to the boulder, the rope breaks, and Wile E. and the boulder fall to the ground.
  2. While Road Runner is still standing here, Wile E. reads a information book called Pole Vaulting Made Easy. He puts on cleats, grabs a pole, and runs toward the edge. He plants his pole in a convenient hole, but it's far too deep, and the pole sinks all the way into it, vaulting Wile E. right down into the canyon again.
  3. While Wile E. stares at Road Runner, he hatches a new plan. From the ACME Mail Order Catalog, he orders an ACME Deluxe Hi-Bounce Trampoline Kit. He assembles it at the bottom of the canyon. Road Runner watches as Wile E. tests the trampoline, then climbs a nearby pillar of rocks. When he jumps on the trampoline, the top boulder slides off and bounces too. Then the boulder and Wile E. fall to the ground.
  4. Next, Wile E. reads Hypnotism for Beginners. He starts swinging a pocket watch as he holds up a sign that says "Follow the Watch". Road Runner seems to be hypnotized. Wile E.'s next sign says, "You Are Under My Power", while the watch continues to swing. Wile E. motions for Road Runner to walk toward the edge and fall, but as he looks down, his eyes fall on the watch and he hypnotizes himself. Road Runner holds up his own sign that says, "Walk". Wile E. drops the watch and walks past the edge of the cliff. Road Runner holds up a sign that says, "Stop", and Wile E. stops in mid air. Then Road Runner holds up another sign that says, "'Bye". Wile E. waves bye-bye and he falls.
  5. Finally, Wile E. reads a book about karate and judo techniques. He karate chops bricks and breaks them. He toots a horn that sounds like the roadrunner. Road Runner rushes across the gap to see who is beeping. Wile E. attacks, sending up a cloud of dust. When it clears, Wile E. realizes he's standing in midair, while Road Runner stands safely on the cliff. He holds up a sign saying "That's all Folks!", then falls to the bottom once more, while Road Runner hops and beeps.

Availability[]

Streaming[]

Censorship[]

  • When this cartoon aired on ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, the entire sequence of Wile E. Coyote using hypnotism to brainwash Road Runner into capturing him, only for Wile E. to become hypnotized and walk across the cliff into the thin air was cut.[1] A similar scene in 1953's "Zipping Along" was never edited when aired on ABC.
  • When this cartoon aired on CBS during its last season in 1984, the ending where Wile E. Coyote uses karate to subdue the Road Runner, only to realize that he's standing in midair, while Road Runner is standing safely on the cliff and him falling was cut. The CBS-edited version now ends after the hypnotism sequence, which wasn't cut on CBS like it was on ABC.[2]

Notes[]

  • This is the only cartoon in the DePatie-Freleng era to mention the standard Looney Tunes sign-off phrase "That's all Folks!" at the end; all the cartoons from both the DePatie-Freleng and Seven-Arts eras have phased out the "That's all, Folks!" phrase in the ending cards, and it would not be used again until 1980.
    • Here, Wile E. Coyote holds up a sign saying "That's all, Folks!" to the audience before falling down the cliff one last time.
    • Unusually in this sequence involving picket signs, the "That's all, Folks!" line appears near the end of the cartoon. In contrast to other cartoons from the classic era such as "Ready.. Set.. Zoom!" (1955), similar ending sequences would usually have the sign written as "THE END", before fading to black/irising-out to the "That's all Folks!" ending card.
  • This is the only Road Runner cartoon that has the Canyon Fall Gag at the end of all of its gags.
    • At five uses, this cartoon sees the second-most uses of the gag in a Road Runner cartoon; it is beaten only by the seven uses of it in "Soup or Sonic".

Gallery[]

References[]



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