Louvre Come Back to Me!

Louvre Come Back to Me!
Production company	Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributor	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	August 18, 1962
Starring	Mel Blanc Julie Bennett
Producer(s)	David H. DePatie
Music composed by	Milt Franklyn
Story by	John Dunn
Animation	Bob Bransford Ken Harris Tom Ray Richard Thompson
Director(s)	Chuck Jones Maurice Noble (co-director)
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Title card
Second title card

Louvre Come Back to Me! is the four hundred and twenty-sixth Merrie Melodies theatrical short. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures on August 18, 1962. It was written by John Dunn, produced by David H. DePatie, and directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble.

It is springtime and Pepé finds himself in love with a cat, who he mistakes for a skunk as usual. The skunk amorously chases her at the Louvre, where his foul scent causes sudden changes to art pieces, and the cat's male lover tries to get her back.

Memorable quotes

Pepé: Look, darling. Perhaps I am already old-fashioned, but should we introduce first? I am Pepé Le Pew, and this is my first affair, so please be kind. I'm shy but, uh, I am willing... I am playing it too cool, no?

Pepé: Where are you, my little object of art? I am going to collect you!
Penelope: Le pant... Le pant...
Pepé: Guess who?
Penelope: Le SCRE-E-E-E-ECH!

Pepé: Uh-oh, I know. The jealous lover. Monsieur, I salute you. You wish to risk your life in a duel over this fair one; an affair of honor. I can see it now. Two grim figures, the cold light of dawn, a misty meadow. We select our weapons. Pistols, perhaps. Back to back, we stand, ramrod straight, we are very brave, monsieur.

Pepé: I await your shot like a soldier of France. You draw careful aim, down comes the terrible weapon. BANG! Right through the heart. I am dying. My blood gushes forth... I resume dying... I fall... I expire... Au revior, mon cheri... She runs to my side! She cannot believe it! She beseech me not to go! But it is too late... I am a gone goose... Where is everybody? Oh well, war is fine, but love is better... Right?

Mona Lisa: I can tell you chaps one thing. It's not always easy to hold this smile.

Characters

Legend
Character debut	Speaking debut	Ep. debut	No lines	Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character	Actor
Pepé Le Pew	Mel Blanc
Bluebird	Mel Blanc
Bluebird's girlfriend	N/A
Bearded man	N/A
Red-headed woman	N/A
Male dancer	N/A
Female dancer	N/A
Penelope Pussycat	Julie Bennett
Male cat	N/A

Locations

• Earth
  • France
    • Paris
      • Eiffel Tower
      • Louvre

Objects

• Discobolus
• Venus de Milo
• Le Elephant
• Le Tulip
• Canvas painting of Penelope
• Air Pump
• Knight helmet
• Air conditioner
• The Persistence of Memory
• American Gothic
• The Gleaners
• Two Dancers
• Mona Lisa (Julie Bennett)

Music

The music was composed by Milt Franklyn.

Crew credits

• Backgrounds: Phillip DeGuard, Tom O'Loughlin
• Film editor: Treg Brown

Release

Dates are in order of release:

• United States: August 18, 1962

Behind the scenes

• The title is a play on "Lover, come back to me!" You're welcome.
• The MPPA certificate number is 19859.
• This is one of the seven cartoons (not counting The Jet Cage, as William Lava also did music for that short) that were released after Milt Franklyn's death, alongside Mexican Boarders, Bill of Hare, Zoom at the Top, The Slick Chick, Mother was a Rooster, and Honey's Money.
• This short marks the last appearance of Pepé and Penelope in cartoons of the "classic" Warner Bros. animation age.

Errors

• The title used for the short in The Merrie Melodies Show lacks an exclamation mark.

Legacy

• The short was used as part of Pepé's wish in the film Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island.
• The Louvre appears in later media of the larger Looney Tunes franchise:
  • In Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Bugs, Daffy and the crew visit the Louvre while at Paris, where they are spotted by Elmer, during which he chases the two through multiple paintings.
  • The Louvre appears as part of the Paris region in the Looney Tunes: Back in Action video game.
  • In Looney Tunes #158, the Louvre appears in the story "Louvre It or Leave It (You'd Look Funny Without It)."
  • In The Looney Tunes Show episode "Eligible Bachelors," Bugs and Lola visit the Louvre when the two take on a trip at Paris. Lola mistakes the Louvre for a mall instead of an art gallery.

Home availability

• In the United States:
  • November 1982: Warner Home Media releases The Looney Tunes Video Show: Volume 3 on VHS
  • December 27, 2011: Warner Home Media releases Looney Tunes Super Stars' Pepé Le Pew: Zee Best of Zee Best on DVD
  • August 29, 2023: Warner Archive Collection releases Gay Purr-ee on Blu-ray Disc.