| The Tree Medic | |
|---|---|
| Woody Woodpecker series | |
| Directed by | Alex Lovy |
| Produced by | Walter Lantz |
| Story by | Homer Brightman |
| Voices by | Grace Stafford Daws Butler |
| Music by | Clarence Wheeler |
| Animation by | Ray Abrams Don Patterson Laverne Harding |
| Backgrounds by | Raymond Jacobs |
| Studio | Walter Lantz Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal International |
| Release date(s) | December 19, 1955 (U.S.) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 5' 45" |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Bunco Busters |
| Followed by | After the Ball |
The Tree Medic is the 65th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on December 19, 1955, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.
Contents |
A tree surgeon halts his car in front of a hollow tree in the forest and hangs up a sign saying, "Doctor Is In." He commences to operate. The tree, however, is Woody Woodpecker's home, and he's rudely awakened by the noisy surgeon's drill. Determined to protect his home, Woody jams a cake pan over the drill, which the surgeon tugs at furiously, to no avail. But when Woody removes the pan, the doctor stumbles backward onto a tree stump and into the jaws of an irate squirrel. The doctor proceeds to treat the tree with repeated intervention from Woody, who proceeds to have his revenge in classic cartoon style. Woody kicks the doctor into a bird's nest after ruining a root-reflex test. Woody blows up his stethoscope tube with a bellows. Woody accuses the doctor of being a "peeping Tom" after the doctor's tree-photograph proves to be one of glamour gal Marilyn Monroe (woo-woo!). When the doctor takes a pot shot at Woody, he hits a passing duck instead, and Woody drives up in a sheriff's car to bonk him for hunting out of season. Woody also treats the tree surgeon to a falling anvil and egg in the face (twice!). After an unsuccessful attempt to lasso Woody, the doctor tries to saw the tree down, only to saw his own ladder in half, from which he crashes to the ground. Woody reverses his sign to read, "Doctor Is Out," and he goes back to sleep.
The Tree Medic marked one final change to Woody's look; his eyes were now simple black dots, having eliminated the usual light brown/green/light blue pigmentation around his eyes. The diminutive woodpecker also shrunk in size even more, making him more stylized. It was this simple version of Woody that became his official look for the remainder of the series.
The Tree Medic marked Alex Lovy's return at directing a Woody Woodpecker cartoon since 1943's The Dizzy Acrobat. He would continue directing shorts in the series until 1960's Ballyhooey.