The Draft Horse
The Draft Horse is a Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[1] The short was released on May 9, 1942.[2]
| The Draft Horse | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Charles M. Jones |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Story by | Tedd Pierce |
| Starring | Mel Blanc (uncredited) |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Robert Cannon Ken Harris (uncredited) Rudy Larriva (uncredited) Ben Washam (uncredited) Bob Givens (character designer, uncredited) |
| Layouts by | John McGrew (uncredited) |
| Backgrounds by | Gene Fleury (uncredited) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date | May 9, 1942 |
Running time | 7:39 |
| Language | English |
The title is a pun on draft horse and the draft (conscription).
Plot
A farm horse sees a poster that says the U.S. Army needs horses. The horse goes to the recruiting station and tries to volunteer, but is eventually rejected, labeled "44-F". Leaving the station dejected, he wanders into a wargames situation, and the flying bullets frighten him so much he makes a dash for home. At the end, he is serving the war effort in another way, knitting "V for Victory" sweaters for the boys overseas.
Analysis
The short uses multiple music cues for several scenes. This includes:
- We Did It Before (and We Can Do It Again) - Played during the opening credits and at the end. Also played when the sergeant looks down the horse's throat
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush - Sung by Horse as "This Is the Way We Plow the Field".
- Light Cavalry Overture - Played when the horse sees the army billboard.
- Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean - Played when the horse kisses the farmer goodbye.
- William Tell Overture - Played when the horse runs off to enlist. Also played during the sham battle. Also played when the horse races home.
- Battle Music No. 9 - Played when the horse play-acts battle scenes in the recruiting office. Played again when the horse play-acts battle scenes a second time.
- Taps - Hummed by the horse, causing the sergeant to cry.
- It Had to Be You - Played when the horse performs the striptease.
- The Old Grey Mare - Played when the horse removes his harness and gets brushed.
- You're in the Army Now - Played during the eye test.
The Draft Horse is the first short Jones directed that’s considered his turning point in direction, with this and later shorts focusing on faster pacing and more funny jokes. Before hand, producer Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. demand Jones to abandon his old style of directing, which was heavily inspired by the Walt Disney Cartoons at the time, which focused more on story and animation gags.
One amusing bit that highlights the Warner cartoonists' penchant for going to the edge of general public taste without quite crossing over, is this "eye chart test", underscored by the music connected with You're in the Army Now,:
- You're in the Army now [normal size letters]
- You're not behind the plow [smaller letters]
- You'll never get rich [very small letters]
- By diggin' a ditch [letters too small to read]
- YOU'RE IN THE ARMY NOW! [huge letters]
The missing line can either be rendered "You son-of-a-bitch" or "By diggin' a ditch", depending on the audience. A similar gag was employed by Tex Avery in MGM's 1942 cartoon, Blitz Wolf.
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. 128. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 104-106. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.