| A Corny Concerto | |
| Director: | Robert Clampett |
| Story: | Frank Tashlin |
| Producer: | Leon Schlesinger[1] |
| Studio: | Leon Schlesinger Studios[2] |
| Distributor: | Warner Bros. |
| Color Process: | Technicolor |
| Language: | English |
A Corny Concerto is a 1943 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies directed by Bob Clampett.[3] The short was released on September 25, 1943, and stars Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck.[4]
They perform a parody of Walt Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon series and specifically his 1940 feature Fantasia.[5] The film uses two of Johann Strauss's best known waltzes, "Tales from the Vienna Woods" and "The Blue Danube".
Pyotr Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 is heard over the opening credits, featuring Carnegie Hall parody "Corny-gie Hall". Afterwards, a musicologist, played by Elmer Fudd appears in an ill-fitting tailcoat, unshaven and in glasses, parodying Deems Taylor in Fantasia.
The first of the two musical segments is set to Johann Strauss's waltz "Tales from the Vienna Woods". Porky Pig plays Elmer Fudd's usual role of hunter, accompanied by Laramore, his hunting dog. Porky explains what he is doing via a sign reading, "I'm hunting that @!!*@ rabbit!!", which turns out to be Bugs Bunny. A series of visual gags ensue, culminating with all three characters believing that they have been shot by an angry squirrel who manages to get a hold of Porky's hunting rifle. After Porky and the dog realize that they are unharmed, they attempt to give first aid to the apparently fatally wounded Bugs while the dog bawls in tune with the music. When Porky finally pries Bugs' clenched hands off the supposed gunshot wound in his chest, Bugs is revealed to have a baby blue colored bra underneath. Emitting a scream of modesty, Bugs covers the bra with his left hand and slaps Porky's face with his right hand three times and caps the bra cups over the bewildered hunters' heads and then, wearing a tutu and pointe shoes, gracefully dances off into the distance, falling over at the music's climax.
Fudd returns briefly to introduce the second segment, Strauss's "The Blue Danube" waltz. Young Daffy Duck attempts to join three cygnets (baby swans) who follow their mother swan, all gracefully paddling around in waltz time; the mother consistently violently rebuffs the "ugly duckling" because he looks and sounds so different from her own brood. Meanwhile, a large buzzard with a "hep cat" hairdo spots the troupe and goes "Out To Brunch" by swooping down and sprinkling salt and pepper on the cygnets. He plucks each out of the water (the last youngster is revealed to be fitted with a tiny outboard motor), then grabs Daffy, but immediately puts him back with a sign reading "Rejected 4F" (unfit for military service); much to the duck's annoyance. Upon realizing her children are gone, the mother swan faints and Daffy becomes shocked and tries to revive her. Upon seeing the Buzzard making off with the cygnets, Daffy gets angry and takes off to rescue them (on the aspect of a Curtiss P-40 fighter aircraft), and buzzes the Buzzard, who literally turns yellow, drops the cygnets (who parachute safely back to the water) and flees. Daffy stuns the Buzzard, then hands him a drum of TNT, which blows him sky high upon impact on the ground. The buzzard is last seen gliding towards heaven (via an attached balloon) in angel garb, strumming a harp. The cartoon ends with the grateful swan family and Daffy merrily quacking "The Blue Danube" as they glide across the water together. They wave goodbye to the audience as the cartoon ends.
In 1994, A Corny Concerto was voted No. 47 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.[6]
The short is available on disc 4 of the DVD set and also appears in the documentary . It can also be found on The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Vol. 1 laserdisc, the Looney Tunes Collectors Edition: Musical Masterpieces VHS, and Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 2.
Since most of this cartoon has fallen into public domain[7] [8] [9] (with the exception of the brief quotation of "The Music Goes Round and Round"), it has made frequent appearances on many gray-market VHS and DVD cartoon releases.