Fair and Worm-er
Encyclopedia
Fair and Worm-er is a 1946 cartoon short created by Warner Brothers. The cartoon was directed by Chuck Jones
and featured what might be a brief cameo by Pepe Le Pew
. The cartoon is considered one of Warner Brothers' greatest chase sequence shorts, done largely in silent slapstick
Only a few of the characters actually speak. Some have "title cards" appearing above their heads to represent their thought patterns. This cartoon is considered one of the possible inspirations for the Road Runner vs. Coyote
series of shorts produced in the 1950s and beyond .
is attempting to dine on a large delicious apple
when he is attacked by a hungry black crow
. The crow pursues the worm until he is suddenly attacked by a hungry cat
. The cat chases the crow, only to be attacked by a vicious dog
. The dog harasses the cat until he is suddenly set upon by the local dog catcher. The cartoon follows a rigorous chase between all the protagonists, with each generation of characters helping some while hindering others. (For example, the crow reasons: Dogs chase cats... Cats chase birds... I'm a bird... Therefore, I gotta help the dog...) Intermixed in the action are also the dog catcher's wife (armed with a rolling pin
) who professes the she is afraid of neither man nor beast, and a tiny mouse (who informs her that HE is a beast - sending her in to a screaming fit). Also, there is a brief cameo by a skunk
who may or may not be Pepé Le Pew
.
At the conclusion of the cartoon, an unseen narrator
asks the worm if he must go through this routine every day just to get something to eat. It is then that we are informed that the worm does not wish to eat the apple, but rather move into it, as it is the last furnished apartment in town. Iris out...
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
and featured what might be a brief cameo by Pepe Le Pew
Pepé Le Pew
Pepé Le Pew is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, first introduced in 1945. A French skunk that always strolls around in Paris in the springtime, when everyone's thoughts are of "love", Pepé is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own...
. The cartoon is considered one of Warner Brothers' greatest chase sequence shorts, done largely in silent slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
Only a few of the characters actually speak. Some have "title cards" appearing above their heads to represent their thought patterns. This cartoon is considered one of the possible inspirations for the Road Runner vs. Coyote
Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
series of shorts produced in the 1950s and beyond .
Plot summary
A small wormWorm
The term worm refers to an obsolete taxon used by Carolus Linnaeus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck for all non-arthropod invertebrate animals, and stems from the Old English word wyrm. Currently it is used to describe many different distantly-related animals that typically have a long cylindrical...
is attempting to dine on a large delicious apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
when he is attacked by a hungry black crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
. The crow pursues the worm until he is suddenly attacked by a hungry cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
. The cat chases the crow, only to be attacked by a vicious dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
. The dog harasses the cat until he is suddenly set upon by the local dog catcher. The cartoon follows a rigorous chase between all the protagonists, with each generation of characters helping some while hindering others. (For example, the crow reasons: Dogs chase cats... Cats chase birds... I'm a bird... Therefore, I gotta help the dog...) Intermixed in the action are also the dog catcher's wife (armed with a rolling pin
Rolling pin
thumb|A wooden "roller" type rolling pinA rolling pin is a cylindrical food preparation utensil used to shape and flatten dough. Two styles of rolling pins are found; roller and rods. Roller types consists of a thick cylindrical roller with small handles at each end; rod type rolling pins are...
) who professes the she is afraid of neither man nor beast, and a tiny mouse (who informs her that HE is a beast - sending her in to a screaming fit). Also, there is a brief cameo by a skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
who may or may not be Pepé Le Pew
Pepé Le Pew
Pepé Le Pew is a fictional character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, first introduced in 1945. A French skunk that always strolls around in Paris in the springtime, when everyone's thoughts are of "love", Pepé is constantly seeking "l'amour" of his own...
.
At the conclusion of the cartoon, an unseen narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
asks the worm if he must go through this routine every day just to get something to eat. It is then that we are informed that the worm does not wish to eat the apple, but rather move into it, as it is the last furnished apartment in town. Iris out...