The Goofy Gophers

The Goofy Gophers is a 1946 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon released on January 25, 1947. It stars the Goofy Gophers in their debut. After this they would appear in 8 more cartoons.

Info about the film

Allegedly, animator Bob Clampett was working on a film starring these characters, when producer Eddie Selzer fired Clampett. Clampett left the studio to work on Beany and Cecil. Arthur Davis took on the project and it was a success. In response, Davis directed a second film called Two Gophers from Texas in 1948. These films have three things in common:

• Both directed by Davis

• Both sold to Associated Artists Productions or a.a.p.

• Both have not been released on any DVD

Davis' unit dissolved in 1949 when upper management decided there should be only three directors. Robert McKimson, Friz Freleng, and Chuck Jones. McKimson directed a third film starring these characters, A Ham in a Role which is the last film in the 1940s for WB and is the earliest released Goofy Gophers cartoon to have its original opening, credits, and closing titles survive.

It features a cameo by Bugs Bunny at the end (whose voice in this film is sped up).^[1] The WB animators, by this time, were now widely using Robert McKimson's version of Bugs's design.

This is the latest pre-1948 cartoon, the only one produced by Eddie Selzer and not by Leon Schlesinger, and the only one directed by Arthur Davis, to enter the public domain as United Artists, which bought Associated Artists Productions, failed to renew the copyright in 1975 within the 28 year period.

This is one of four Looney Tunes cartoons in the creditless Blue Ribbon, pre-1948 era to keep its original closing. The others are Crowing Pains, What's Brewin Bruin', and Hop, Look and Listen.

Plot

An anthropomorphic dog who is based on John Barrymore is guarding a vegetable garden and falling asleep. The dog then spots two gophers eating carrots. The dog disguises himself as a tomato vine and poses as an actual plant in the garden. The Gophers spot the tomato vine, grab a bunch of vegetables, and throw a pumpkin on the dog before striking him with a shovel. The gags are plenty as the Gophers continue to outwit their canine nemesis. Eventually, they launch the dog, via rocket, into outer space towards the moon. The Gophers, now triumphant, gloat that they will have all the carrots to themselves. But suddenly they hear a familiar "Eh..." and there stands Bugs Bunny who disagrees with their statement and laughs.

References