Speedy Ghost to Town is a 1967 Merrie Melodies short directed by Alex Lovy.
Title[]
The title is a play on "Speedy goes to town," and is perhaps a reference to the 1941 movie Mr. Bug Goes to Town. It may also be in reference to the Hanna-Barbera superhero character "Space Ghost", with a similar logo to the character who premiered in 1966.
Plot[]
Speedy Gonzales and his friend Miguel visit a ghost town in the desert, and are followed by Daffy Duck, who wants to see what they're doing. Inside a saloon, Miguel fears that they'll starve and be unable to leave, but Speedy says otherwise by stating that there is an old mine in which they can dwell. Daffy thinks that the mine will have gold in it, and attempts to snatch the map out of Speedy's hands. However, the window falls down on Daffy. Daffy attempts to find Speedy, but Speedy ties a piano roll onto Daffy's tail, and he and Miguel operate the piano to trap Daffy.
Daffy tries setting up a phone with explosives. Speedy answers it when it rings, but quickly hands it to Daffy, saying that the call is for him. Speedy activates the plunger, blowing up Daffy. "What's the matter, you loco pato? You got the wrong number?" He takes off and hides in a barrel. Daffy tries to blow up the barrel with a grenade, but only drops the pin instead of the grenade.
Daffy sticks his head through a hole in the fence, catching Speedy by the tail, but Miguel drops a horseshoe on him. Daffy continues pursing Speedy, only ending up having a bull head fall on him and Speedy acting as a matador, and Speedy hiding behind different-shaped bottles before Speedy hides in a ketchup bottle. Speedy escapes as Daffy is searching and squirts ketchup onto Daffy. Speedy and Miguel head to the mine, where Daffy tries to throw dynamite in until a minecart with dynamite is sent out to Daffy to blow him up.
Daffy demands that Speedy give up the cart, which he does. However, it is not gold, but cheese. "Sure it's cheese, you Daffy Duck. What do you think we keep in there, gold?" Daffy then snaps, bouncing away while still yelling, "It's cheese! Cheese!" When Miguel asks what the matter is, a confused Speedy shrugs, "I guess maybe he don't like cheese."
Goofs[]
- When Speedy activates the plunger to the explosive telephone, once the smoke clears the phone and bomb set disappears, instead of appearing damaged, Daffy appears to be unharmed.
Notes[]
- This is the first cartoon released under the newly reopened Warner Bros. animation department; previous Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons from late 1964 onward were produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and Format Films.
- However, it still uses the Abstract WB openings and closings from 1964-1967.
- Due to budget cuts made after the transition, there is a notable decrease in size of the orchestra, resulting in William Lava's music scores to sound notably lighter.
- Also, subsequent cartoons produced in the late-1960s feature extensive use of Hanna-Barbera sound effects. This could be due to Hanna-Barbera film editor Donald A. Douglas working on the film editing of the shorts of this era alongside Hal Geer.
- This is the first cartoon to be directed by Alex Lovy, who would direct all Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts after this cartoon until "Chimp & Zee" in 1968.
- This also reunites Lovy with LaVerne Harding. Lovy and Harding both worked at Walter Lantz.
- MeTV aired a previously unreleased restored print of this short on Saturday Morning Cartoons.
- However, even though the cartoon's original ending has the "A VITAPHONE RELEASE" byline, this restored version incorrectly has the "A VITAGRAPH RELEASE" byline instead.
- It was originally released in theaters with Up the Down Staircase.
Gallery[]
TV Title Cards[]
Speedy Gonzales Cartoons | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
1953 | Cat-Tails for Two | |||
1955 | Speedy Gonzales | |||
1957 | Tabasco Road • Gonzales' Tamales | |||
1958 | Tortilla Flaps | |||
1959 | Mexicali Shmoes • Here Today, Gone Tamale | |||
1960 | West of the Pesos | |||
1961 | Cannery Woe • The Pied Piper of Guadalupe | |||
1962 | Mexican Boarders | |||
1963 | Mexican Cat Dance • Chili Weather | |||
1964 | A Message to Gracias • Nuts and Volts • Pancho's Hideaway • Road to Andalay | |||
1965 | It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the House • Cats and Bruises • The Wild Chase • Moby Duck • Assault and Peppered • Well Worn Daffy • Chili Corn Corny • Go Go Amigo | |||
1966 | The Astroduck • Mucho Locos • Mexican Mousepiece • Daffy Rents • A-Haunting We Will Go • Snow Excuse • A Squeak in the Deep • Feather Finger • Swing Ding Amigo • A Taste of Catnip | |||
1967 | Daffy's Diner • Quacker Tracker • The Music Mice-Tro • The Spy Swatter • Speedy Ghost to Town • Rodent to Stardom • Go Away Stowaway • Fiesta Fiasco | |||
1968 | Skyscraper Caper • See Ya Later Gladiator | |||
1979 | Fright Before Christmas | |||
1980 | The Chocolate Chase |