The Shooting Of Dan McGoo
Encyclopedia
The Shooting of Dan McGoo is a cartoon directed by Tex Avery
. It starred Frank Graham as the Wolf. Both Avery and Bill Thompson
voiced the lead character Droopy. Bea Benaderet
did the speaking voice of Lou, while her singing was provided by Imogene Lynn. The cartoon was edited for a 1951 re-release, removing two cigarette-related gags from the film (as well as the original opening titles).
's poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew
, complete with a literal depiction of a man with one foot in the grave, but when Dan McGoo turns out to be Droopy, it turns into another Droopy-versus-the Wolf/Wolf-goes-ape-for-the-girl gagfest.
The story begins in Coldernell, Alaska - Population 320 and getting smaller—a wild, rough town where gold is king and gambling, drinking and shooting each other are the major activities. Droopy is Dangerous Dan McGoo, a lone gambler, whose only love is the girl they call "Lou", played by Red (from Red Hot Riding Hood
).
The wolf drags himself into the Malamute Saloon from the 50-below cold and immediately pays for "drinks on the house", a sight gag that will be reused many years later by Jim Henson
in The Muppet Movie
.
In a gag, the wolf wants a drink of whiskey (Old Panther). After he chugs it down, the film shows his stomach being blasted from the drink. His eyes go red, and smoke comes out of his ears. He flies around the room and comes back to the bar. Leaning over to the bartender, he complains, "This stuff's been cut!"
As always, the wolf falls for Lou and tries to drag her off, when "The lights went out! A woman screamed and two guns blazed in the dark!" And when the lights go back up, Droopy is victorious, which makes one wonder why the picture is called The Shooting of Dan McGoo since he isn't the one getting shot!
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
. It starred Frank Graham as the Wolf. Both Avery and Bill Thompson
Bill Thompson (voice actor)
Bill Thompson was an American radio actor and voice actor whose career stretched from the 1930s until his death.-Early career:...
voiced the lead character Droopy. Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet was an American actress born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. She is best remembered for her wide variety of television work, which included a starring role in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction and Green Acres as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate...
did the speaking voice of Lou, while her singing was provided by Imogene Lynn. The cartoon was edited for a 1951 re-release, removing two cigarette-related gags from the film (as well as the original opening titles).
Plot
This starts off as an adaptation of Robert W. ServiceRobert W. Service
Robert William Service was a poet and writer who has often been called "the Bard of the Yukon".Service is best known for his poems "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee", from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough...
's poem The Shooting of Dan McGrew
The Shooting of Dan McGrew
"The Shooting of Dan McGrew" is a narrative poem by Robert W. Service, first published in The Songs of a Sourdough in 1907 in Canada.The tale takes place in a Yukon saloon during the Yukon Gold Rush of the late 1890s...
, complete with a literal depiction of a man with one foot in the grave, but when Dan McGoo turns out to be Droopy, it turns into another Droopy-versus-the Wolf/Wolf-goes-ape-for-the-girl gagfest.
The story begins in Coldernell, Alaska - Population 320 and getting smaller—a wild, rough town where gold is king and gambling, drinking and shooting each other are the major activities. Droopy is Dangerous Dan McGoo, a lone gambler, whose only love is the girl they call "Lou", played by Red (from Red Hot Riding Hood
Red Hot Riding Hood
Red Hot Riding Hood is an animated cartoon short subject, directed by Tex Avery and released on May 8, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1994 it was voted #7 of The 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field...
).
The wolf drags himself into the Malamute Saloon from the 50-below cold and immediately pays for "drinks on the house", a sight gag that will be reused many years later by Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
in The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
.
In a gag, the wolf wants a drink of whiskey (Old Panther). After he chugs it down, the film shows his stomach being blasted from the drink. His eyes go red, and smoke comes out of his ears. He flies around the room and comes back to the bar. Leaning over to the bartender, he complains, "This stuff's been cut!"
As always, the wolf falls for Lou and tries to drag her off, when "The lights went out! A woman screamed and two guns blazed in the dark!" And when the lights go back up, Droopy is victorious, which makes one wonder why the picture is called The Shooting of Dan McGoo since he isn't the one getting shot!
Cultural references
- Wolf's line, "'T'ain't funny, McGoo" is a reference to the catchphrase "'T'ain't funny, McGee" from the radio show Fibber McGee and MollyFibber McGee and MollyFibber McGee and Molly was an American radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. It premiered on NBC in 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture.-Husband and wife in real...
. - The name of the mortician, Rig R. Mortis, is a punPunThe pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
on rigor mortisRigor mortisRigor mortis is one of the recognizable signs of death that is caused by a chemical change in the muscles after death, causing the limbs of the corpse to become stiff and difficult to move or manipulate...
. - The name of the village can be seen on a sign that reads "Coldernell", a play on the words "colder than hell."