A Feud There Was
| A Feud There Was | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies series | |
| Directed by | Tex Avery |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Voices by |
Arthur Q. Bryan Mel Blanc Billy Bletcher |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by |
Virgil Ross Irven Spence (uncredited) Sid Sutherland (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) |
September 24, 1938 September 11, 1943 (first reissue) September 13, 1952 (second and current reissue) |
| Color process | Technicolor (3-hue) |
| Running time | 7:40 |
| Language | English |
A Feud There Was is a 1938 Warner Bros. cartoon short in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Tex Avery and written by Melvin Millar, and notable for being the first cartoon in which the name Elmer Fudd was used, seen inscribed on the side of a scooter he is driving.
The character's singing voice was provided by Roy Rogers and additional vocals in the cartoon were done by the Sons of the Pioneers.
Synopsis
The short begins with an establishing shot of a family stereotypical hillbillies, the Weavers, whose members are all lazy to the point of absurdity. The only thing that awakens the Weavers from their perpetual sloth is the opportunity to feud with their neighbors, the McCoys. After a musical number (then a staple of Merrie Melodies shorts) accompanied by a radio commercial (ostensibly over KFWB), the two families begin feuding, firing at each other with various semi-automatic weapons. At one point, a McCoy asks if there are any Weavers in the movie audience. One man, shown as a silhouette against the screen, answers in the affirmative and fires a shot at the McCoy.
In the midst of the fray, a yodeling, bulbous-nosed, domestic peace activist who is accompanied by church organ music each time he speaks, enters the feud zone on a motorscooter bearing the words "Elmer Fudd, Peace Maker", and goes to each side preaching peace and an end to the bloodshed, only to get shot in the back (non-fatally) by each family as he departs. When Fudd attempts once more to preach peace to both families from the boundary line, both sides get furious at him and open fire on the would-be peace maker together. When the smoke clears, only Elmer is left standing. He gives a final yodel and says "Good night, all!", and the Weaver in the movie audience yells "Good night!," taking one more shot at the star.