Pecking Holes in Poles

Pecking Holes in Poles is a Woody Woodpecker cartoon that was released in theaters on March 1, 1972. It is one of the last Woody cartoons that Walter Lantz Productions released into theaters.

In addition to Grace Stafford, who provides Woody's voice, Daws Butler guest stars.

Summary

In this cartoon, Woody extols his love for pecking utility poles to the point where they are destroyed. At various times in this cartoon he sings a song about his hobby.

One group of people who are not pleased with Woody's habit is the local telephone company, which has had to pay thousands to dollars to replace the poles Woody has ruined. Phone company employee Floyd Farkle comes across a set of twelve poles Woody has destroyed and radios into headquarters that Woody has struck again. His boss is not amused and orders Farkle to find the woodpecker or he will lose his job.

Hearing Woody pecking nearby, Farkle exits his truck. Meanwhile, Woody pecks the top of a pole so much that it falls off. Farkle then tries to hook Woody with a lasso, only to pull the pole too hard so it crashes on his head. Woody decides to help Farkle by fixing his hard hat, using a stick of dynamite. Woody lights it and tells Farkle to hold his hat over it, and amazingly it works and restores Farkle's hard hat to like new. Of course, since Woody used dynamite to do this the explosion knocks the senses out of Farkle.

Farkle's next attempt uses a hot air balloon to fly up to where Woody is so he can shoot him. However, it backfires on him when Woody is able to spin the balloon around, grab Farkle's shotgun, and shoot the balloon causing it to crash to Earth. Woody then throws the gun back to Farkle, only to have it go off when it hits the ground and nearly shoot off Woody's tail feathers. Farkle then tries using a rocket and a club, but shoots past Woody into the sky and then crashes to the ground once the rocket burns off. Woody then mocks a frustrated Farkle by saying he should join the circus with that performance.

Farkle then goes back into the truck, and Woody sees his next plan: to dress up as a woodpecker himself. Woody plays along and pretends to sleep as Farkle climbs the pole, then pecks him in the rear end as he tries to shoot. Woody then makes small talk with Farkle and allows him to peck the pole with him, but instead pecks the part where Farkle is standing causing him to fall. As Farkle cannot fly, Woody tells him to go practice and pushes him off the pole.

As Farkle climbs the pole again after grabbing his shotgun, Woody goes into the truck and radios to the boss imitating Farkle claiming that he has seen the biggest woodpecker ever. The boss dispatches the telephone company's helicopter to take care of it, and the pilot of the helicopter knocks Farkle unconscious with a hammer and then hooks him, dragging him away. A triumphant Woody finishes his song and pecks one last time.

Credits

Director: Paul J. Smith
Approved MPAA Nº 23173
Animation: Volus Jones, Al Coe, Tom Byrne, Joe Voght
Story: Cal Howard
Layout-Background: Nino Carbe
Music: Walter Greene
Voices: Daws Butler
Woody's Voice: Grace Stafford

"Pecking Holes in Poles" song

Woody sang the song three times during the course of the cartoon— once at the beginning, once after fixing Farkle's hard hat, and the final time at the end of the cartoon. The lyrics are below:

There are some birds I am told
Fly down south when it gets cold
I'll stay here 'til I get old
Pecking holes in poles, yeah
Pecking holes in poles
Some birds like to hop around
Pulling worms from out the ground
It's much better I have found
Pecking holes in poles, yeah
Pecking holes in poles

Birds in cuckoo clocks delight
Calling out the time all night
I just get my kicks alright
Pecking holes in poles, yeah
Pecking holes in poles

Like a bluebird on the wing
I just wanna laugh and sing
I just wanna do my thing
Pecking holes in poles, yeah
Pecking holes in poles!