Bugged by a Bee
Bugged by a Bee is a 1969 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Robert McKimson.[1] It starred Cool Cat, and was the final cartoon from the 1930-1969 era to bear the Looney Tunes name, and the last from that era to be widely released.[2] One more cartoon, Injun Trouble, would follow Bugged by a Bee, but it was in the Merrie Melodies series.
| Bugged by a Bee | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert McKimson |
| Produced by | William L. Hendricks |
| Story by | Cal Howard |
| Starring | Larry Storch |
| Music by | William Lava |
| Animation by | Ted Bonnicksen LaVerne Harding Jim Davis Ed Solomon |
| Layouts by | Bob Givens Jaime Diaz |
| Backgrounds by | Bob Abrams |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros.-Seven Arts The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date | July 26, 1969 |
Running time | 6:21 min |
| Language | English |
This cartoon was the last Looney Tunes short until 1987's The Duxorcist.
Synopsis
Cool Cat is a student at Disco Tech, and sings an opening song about how he's "workin' through college, to gain a lotta knowledge." During this song a bee disturbs him, and he swats the bee to the ground with his guitar. As the angry bee sharpens its stinger, Cool Cat checks out the college's sports programs, and decides to try out pole vaulting to impress the female students. His first attempt goes horribly wrong when his pole gets stuck in a chipmunk's hole, and when he goes to try again the bee stings him just as he begins his run-up. The pain of the sting gives Cool Cat enough power in his run-up to set a record-breaking vault over the pole, and the college's baseball coach is impressed enough to let him try out for the team.
In his first baseball match, Cool Cat wastes his time trying to swat the bee instead of hitting the ball, and records two strikes. On the crucial third ball however, Cool Cat manages to hit a home run, which he manages to complete with a little help from the bee's sting. The bee also helps him to triumphs in rowing and hurdling as well. Finally, in an all-important football match which has somehow ended up 0-0 right until the final few minutes, Cool Cat gets stung just as he's handling the ball, causing him to swallow the ball and dart around the stadium, while the other players ask each other who has got the ball. Cool Cat eventually flops down on the touchline, and gets stung again, which causes him to spit the ball out into his hands and scores the winning touchdown.
Afterwards, the college holds a ceremony in honor of Cool Cat's achievements, which have propelled Disco Tech to the top of all the sports leagues. To Cool Cat's chagrin however, the person being awarded at the ceremony is actually the bee, not himself.
See also
References
- Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 367. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 69. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.