Drag-a-Long Droopy

Drag-A-Long Droopy
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Released:	February 20, 1954
Runtime:	7 min. 34 sec.
Series:	Droopy
MPAA Number:	16113
Production Number:	271
Copyright Renewed:	January 6, 1982
Starring:	Droopy
Crew
Voice Characterizations:	Tex Avery (uncredited) Bill Thompson (uncredited)
Director:	Tex Avery
Written By:	Heck Allen
Producer:	Fred Quimby
Animated By:	Grant Simmons Michael Lah Ray Patterson Robert Bentley Walter Clinton
Character Design:	Ed Benedict (uncredited)
Layout Artist:	Ed Benedict (uncredited)
Background Artist:	John Didrik Johnsen
Film Editor:	Jim Faris (uncredited)
Camera Operator:	Jack Stevens (uncredited)
Sound Effects:	Jim Faris (uncredited)
Musician:	Scott Bradley

Drag-a-Long Droopy is the 14th Droopy cartoon directed by Tex Avery and was released in 1954.

Plot

This starts with a forward announces that this is an absolutely authentic account of the grazing land battles of the early West, then adds: “We know this story to be true. It was told to us by – A TEXAN.” As Droopy and his burro commence in the morning to get the flock “moseying along”, the sheep line up in a single row, forming a wide line across the prairie, and open their mouths in unison, at the ready to begin the devouring. Droopy snaps a whip, and the sheep set to work, as if a living lawn-mower cutting a swath across the land. The sheep cross a stream, not only laying the banks bare, but performing a “parting of the red sea” by making the stream water disappear as if sliced away. Passing over an Indian teepee, the covering canvas is devoured, revealing inside a group of Indians stacked one atop another so as to form the identical conical shape of the teepee itself. The flock approaches a boundary sign, reading, “Cattle Country. Sheep keep out. (This means ewe.)” The sign does nothing to deter them, as the flock passes on through, devouring the base of the post holding up the sign, leaving the sign miraculously erect in mid-air with nothing supporting it. Avery slips one past the censors, as the scene shifts to the adjacent “Bear Butte Ranch”. This Ponderosa-like spread is covered from end to end by a non-stop population of Texas steers – so prominent, that they are even seen on the porch and in the ranch house of the ranch boss (Avery’s nameless wolf), who, in a masterpiece of understatement after this display, addresses the audience with “Y’know, I raise cattle.” A bull charges up to the ranch house, attempting his best to communicate a warning to the wolf, with repeated calls of “Moo Moo Moo. Baa Baa Baa.” The wolf interrupts. “What’cha all mean, Baa Baa Baa?”, demonstrating that he can in fact speak perfect English, the bull shouts, “SHEEP, YA DURNED FOOL!” The alarmed wolf leaps upon his horse (with some difficulty), and charges toward Droopy’s advancing line, warning them to “Stay plum where y’are”. But the sheep, without the slightest hesitation, pass the wolf and his horse with the sound of a saw blade, leaving both of them with bare legs up past the knees.

After several classic escapades, including an epic shooting contest, between the wolf and Droopy to determine who stays and who doesn’t, the wolf returns to his home base to rally his cattle troops. Appearing on the porch in a cavalry commander’s outfit, the wolf announces, “Attention! We’ll stampede the cussed varmints. Wipe ‘em clean out. We attack at dawn.” The scene fades, resuming at just before sunrise. Droopy sleeps quietly near his wagon, a thought cloud revealing his dream of counting sheep jumping over a fence. The camera pans to the sheep flock, who are dreaming of Droopys jumping over the same fence. Then comes the sunrise. Along the crest of a ridge appears the wolf astride his horse, a moment later accompanied by a line of cattle extending to the horizon. The camera shifts view to the a ridge on the opposite side of the valley, where Droopy and his burro similarly appear, followed by his endless row of sheep. “CHARGE!”, commands the wolf, as the herd descends into the valley. In a voice that could be called anything but commanding, Droopy quietly utters, “Forward, men” to his flock. Camera cutting rapidly interchanges between the stampeding cattle line, and the chewing frenzy of the advancing sheep, until the two lines are nearly head to head. A final focus closes in upon the wolf and his troops. With a repeat of the “buzz-saw” sound effect heard earlier, the sheep, rather than being crushed underfoot, neatly pass over the wolf and his bovines, leaving the lot of them in a state of total nudity, wearing nothing but stubble. Droopy and his burro gallop over to the end of the sheep line closest to the camera for a parting thought to the audience – but come to a stop a little too close to the end of the sheep row. The sheep pass again, with the same buzz-saw sound heard against Droopy’s rear. Droopy and the burro look briefly back at what has occurred, then, with mild embarrassment, Droopy utters his curtain line – “You know what? The hero always comes out in the end.” The Burro turns to carry Droopy away in a tail-away shot – with the reddened butt cheeks of both of them laid bare to the camera, for the iris out.

Notes

• The wolf and the bull were voiced by director Tex Avery, while Droopy was voiced by Bill Thompson.

Gallery

Lobby cards