| Director: | Chuck Jones Maurice Noble |
| Producer: | David H. DePatie (Uncredited) |
| Story: | John Dunn Chuck Jones |
| Starring: | Paul Julian |
| Music: | Milt Franklyn |
| Animator: | Bob Bransford Tom Ray Ken Harris Richard Thompson Harry Love |
| Background Artist: | Philip DeGuard |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributor: | Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Color Process: | Technicolor |
| Runtime: | 6:03 |
| Country: | United States |
Beep Prepared is a 1961 Warner Brothers Merrie Melodies American theatrical cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones and designer Maurice Noble.[1] The short was released on November 11, 1961, and stars Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.[2] The title is a play on the Boy Scouts of America motto "Be Prepared".
In the pursuit of the elusive Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote encounters a series of mishaps and failed attempts to capture his swift quarry. Following a momentary suspension in mid-air, Wile E. plummets to the canyon floor.
Undeterred by this setback, Wile E. endeavors to ensnare the Road Runner by deploying a trip mechanism using his own foot, only to suffer the consequence of being flattened by a passing delivery truck.
Employing higher ground and a bow and arrow, he aims to immobilize the bird, yet inadvertently inflicts injury upon himself when the bow recoils. Further endeavors involve futile attempts to ensnare the Road Runner within a manhole, which the bird effortlessly circumvents using a portable hole, leading to Wile E.'s descent to a riverbank below.
Subsequent efforts include the utilization of a malfunctioning rocket-powered flying suit, an ill-fated box of ACME Iron Bird Seed, and a misguided utilization of magnetism, which culminates in a collision with an oncoming train. Additional endeavors, such as a spring-loaded pavement block and a pair of malfunctioning machine guns, yield similar outcomes of misfortune and injury for Wile E.
Concluding his pursuit with an ACME Rocket-Sled Kit, Wile E. is propelled into the cosmos prematurely, resulting in an explosive demise as he transforms into a colossal firework.
Beep Prepared was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, the only Coyote/Road Runner installment to achieve this recognition.