The Screwball
Encyclopedia
The Screwball is the seventh animated cartoon
short subject
in the Woody Woodpecker
series. Released theatrically on February 15, 1943, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures
. The film is set at a baseball park
. It features Kent Rogers
as the voice of Woody Woodpecker and Harold Peary
as the voice of the policeman. Both men are uncredited in the title card for their voice roles. It would also the last onscreen credit for director/animator Alex Lovy
on a Woody cartoon for 12 years. (He would however direct one more short, uncredited, before leaving the studio: The Dizzy Acrobat
.)
Woody tries to watch the game but the policeman finds him. He escapes by shaking a soda pop bottle and spraying it into his adversary's face, adding "No stopper, Copper!"
Woody joins the game as the pitcher for the Drips. When he is up to bat, he causes so much trouble that the entire team chases him along the baselines while the policeman waits for him at home plate
. He escapes by pecking his way through a barrage of baseball bat
s. However, Woody ends up not getting away with murder, being assaulted with a barrage of baseballs as soon as he pops out of the park's scoreboard.
" can be heard in the background score during the establishing shot of the baseball park. The music is used sporadically throughout the film.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
in the Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
series. Released theatrically on February 15, 1943, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
. The film is set at a baseball park
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
. It features Kent Rogers
Kent Rogers
Kent Rogers was a Hollywood impressionist who appeared in several live-action shorts and features and a voice actor for Warner Bros..-Career:...
as the voice of Woody Woodpecker and Harold Peary
Harold Peary
Harold Peary was an American actor, comedian and singer in radio, film, television and animation remembered best as Throckmorton P...
as the voice of the policeman. Both men are uncredited in the title card for their voice roles. It would also the last onscreen credit for director/animator Alex Lovy
Alex Lovy
Alex Lovy was an American animator, who spent the majority of his career as an animator and director at Walter Lantz Productions, later being a producer at Hanna-Barbera, and also supervising the cartoon unit at Warner Bros...
on a Woody cartoon for 12 years. (He would however direct one more short, uncredited, before leaving the studio: The Dizzy Acrobat
The Dizzy Acrobat
The Dizzy Acrobat is the eighth animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on May 21, 1943, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.-Plot:...
.)
Plot
A huge crowd gathers at a baseball park for a game between the Droops and the Drips. A lone policeman stands at the park gate discouraging spectators who have not paid to see the game. Woody notices that kids returning baseballs can get in for free, so he tosses the policeman a cannonball and enters the park.Woody tries to watch the game but the policeman finds him. He escapes by shaking a soda pop bottle and spraying it into his adversary's face, adding "No stopper, Copper!"
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
. He escapes by pecking his way through a barrage of baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
s. However, Woody ends up not getting away with murder, being assaulted with a barrage of baseballs as soon as he pops out of the park's scoreboard.
Cultural references
"Take Me Out to the Ball GameTake Me Out to the Ball Game
"Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song. The song is traditionally sung during the seventh-inning stretch of...
" can be heard in the background score during the establishing shot of the baseball park. The music is used sporadically throughout the film.