The Woody Woodpecker Polka is the 37th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on October 29, 1951, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.
Plot[]
The story opens with various couples going into a barn to attend a barn dance. All of them sway to the rhythm of the music. Wally Walrus is the doorman who collects the tickets as they enter. Admission to the dance is $1, which entitles each purchaser to a ticket to "Free Eats." Woody Woodpecker is in a haystack sleepily watching the dancers go by. He sees by his watch that it's dinnertime, and he realizes that he's hungry. His glance falls on the "Free Eats" sign, so he proceeds to follow the crowd into the barn. He hands a rubber dollar bill to Wally, who discovers it after Woody has entered the barn. Woody's hungrily standing by a table laden with food, and just as he's about to really feast, Wally ejects him from the barn. Woody then dresses up as a femme fatale and vamps Wally into letting him enter the barn dance. Woody's main object is to get food; Wally's, to dance with this new gal who has really excited him. Thus, we see a struggle on the one hand for food; on the other, the enjoyment of dancing. Woody finally gets to the food-laden table and ultimately obtains more than his share of the food, storing the excess in his dress in spite of Wally's efforts to keep him dancing. Wally finally discovers that his exciting gal is really Woody in disguise, and realizing that a fool he has made of himself, he violently kicks himself.
Characters[]
- Woody Woodpecker
- Wally Walrus
- Andy Panda (cameo)
- Miranda Panda (cameo)
- Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (cameo)
- Charlie Chicken (cameo)
Notes[]
- While Walter Lantz himself claimed to have directed this film, there is no director's credit to support this.
- The title song was written by Warren Foster, Tedd Pierce and Billy May, and performed by The Starlighters. The polka replaces the usual "Woody Woodpecker Song" in the opening credits, and is prominently featured later in the film as well.
- Mel Blanc's version of Woody's trademark laugh is utilized for the final time here.
- Andy Panda, Miranda Panda, Charlie Chicken and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit have cameos in this cartoon.
- Other than the singers, there is no dialogue in this film.
- On the Woody Woodpecker Screwball Collection print, the Universal Pictures logo Plasters the International logo, along with cutting off part of the “Woody Woodpecker Polka” opening. However, the Classic Cartoon Collection set doesn't use the Pictures logo since it wasn't used in the 1950s.
Censorship[]
- All the scenes that the characters sing were cut on airings on Rede Globo, Television Network from Brazil (possibly due to licensing issues)
- The scene of the lollipop written "SUCKER" on the head of Wally Walrus was censored on Rede Globo
Gallery[]
