The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos

The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos
Title card
Directed byFrank Tashlin
Story byMelvin Millar
Produced byLeon Schlesinger
StarringMel Blanc
Danny Webb
Cliff Nazarro
Tedd Pierce
Eloise Spann[1]
Music byCarl W. Stalling
Animation byRobert Bentley
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Productions
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • December 4, 1937 (1937-12-04)
Running time
7 min
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Woods Are Full of Cuckoos is a 1937 American animated comedy short film directed by Frank Tashlin.[2] The short was released on December 4, 1937. It is the 86th film in the Merrie Melodies series.[3][4]

Plot

An owl caricature of Alexander Woollcott presents a radio show alongside caricatures of Ben Bernie and Walter Winchell, who return from The CooCoo Nut Grove.

A squirrel caricature of Milton Berle introduces a caricature of Wendell Hall, who guides the live audience to sing, but he confuses them with the required songbook page to the point he is pelted with them. Caricatures of Billy Jones and Ernie Hare lead the crowd to sing the titular song. A white rabbit caricature of Portland Hoffa informs a fox caricature of Fred Allen that he is singing the wrong song. Caricatures of Eddie Cantor, Sophie Tucker, W. C. Fields, Dick Powell, Fats Waller, Deanna Durbin, Irvin S. Cobb, Fred MacMurray, Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler and Lanny Ross join in in their own ways. Caricatures of Grace Moore and Lily Pons sing notes higher than each other while their neck stretches, eventually harmonizing and bow their heads in exhaustion.

More caricatures, including Haven McQuarrie, Joe Penner and Martha Raye sing. Tizzy Fish makes a waffle on air. A possum caricature of Louella Parsons presents caricatures of Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone and Andy Devine before Woollcott bids the audience goodnight.

Home media

The short was released on disc 2 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD set.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voices from the Golden Age, 1930-70. BearManor Media. p. 26. ISBN 979-8-88771-010-5.
  2. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 65. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  3. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7.
  4. ↑ Parten, James (March 31, 2020). "Merrie Melodies 1937-38: More Old Friends". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on July 4, 2026. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Looney Tunes Golden Collection - Volume 3 - The Internet Animation Database". www.intanibase.com. Retrieved July 15, 2026.
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