Russian Rhapsody
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| Russian Rhapsody | |
|---|---|
| Production company | Leon Schlesinger Productions |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date | May 20, 1944 |
| Run time | 7:06 |
| Starring | Mel Blanc Robert C. Bruce Bea Benaderet |
| Music composed by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Story by | Lou Lilly |
| Animation | Rod Scribner |
| Director(s) | Robert Clampett |
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Russian Rhapsody is the two hundred and forty-third Merrie Melodies theatrical short. It was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Vitaphone Corporation on May 20, 1944. It was written by Lou Lilly, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and directed by Bob Clampett.
In the midst of World War II and Nazi Germany's failure to bomb Moscow, Adolf Hitler announces to appoint himself to the mission. On his way, a group of gremlins from the Kremlin sneak onto his plane and start dismantling it in tune to Russian songs.
Detailed summary
Memorable quotes
Adolf: Stoupnegel hamburger, mit der frankfurter und der sauerkrauten, mit der zoot suit, mit der reet pleat, zoot! Schtunk Friz Freleng, mit der Heinrich Binder, und der What's Cookin', Doc? Pumpernickel mit sauerkrauten from der delicatessen, mit liverwurst, hasenpfeffer, und der Chattanoga Choo-Choo! Gesundheit! We will bomben der Moskau, bomben Schtalin, bomben that Irish general Tim O'Shenko! (cries) That O'Shenko... To bomb Moscow, I will send the best pilot in the R-r-reich-ch-ch! The greatest superman of all times!
Man in crowd: Who's that? You, Fuhrer?
Adolf: Nyeh, who else?
Adolf: Ach! A gremlin from the Kremlin!
Gremlin: How do you do?
Adolf: Nazis is the craziest peoples! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
Characters
Characters
In order of appearance: | ||||||||||||||
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Organizations
Locations
Objects
- Mallets
- Pickaxes
- Torch gun
- Handsaw
- "Termiteskis" box
- "C" card
- "A" card
- Electric plug
- Knife
- Joseph Stalin mask
Vehicles
- German bomber plane
Production
Development
Music
The music was composed by Carl W. Stalling.
Songs
Release
Dates are in order of release:
- United States: May 20, 1944
Behind the scenes
- The MPAA certificate number is 9231.
- Among the subjects Hitler mentioned in his speech include animator Friz Freleng and producer Henry Binder (whom Hitler refers to as "Heinrich Binder"), the Bugs Bunny short What's Cookin' Doc, the song "Chattanooga Choo Choo," and Soviet military commander Semyon Timoshenko ("that Irish general Tim O'Shenko").
- The other miscellaneous subjects Hitler mentioned are a hamburger, frankfurter, a zoot suit and reet pleat, sauerkraut, delicatessen (also known as deli), and hasenpfeffer (braised rabbit stew).
- For unknown reasons, an abrupt cut occurs between a scene of the gremlins scaring Hitler with a Stalin mask and said gremlins cutting the plane's floor to drop Hitler.
- Due to the shorts heavy use of World War II themes, including its depiction of Hitler, this short is almost excluded on U.S. television, although it did air as part of Cartoon Network's The Bob Clampett Show, a two-hour weekend installment of The Acme Hour programming block, and on the ToonHeads special "The Wartime Cartoons."
Legacy
- The cartoon was compiled as part of the Bugs & Daffy: The Wartime Cartoons documentary program and the aforementioned ToonHeads special "The Wartime Cartoons."
- The gremlins of this short later appear in The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries episode "Moscow Side Story."
Critical Reception
Home availability
- In the United States:
- October 21, 2008: Warner Home Video releases Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6 on DVD.
- October 16, 2012: Warner Home Video releases Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 on Blu-ray Disc.
- October 16, 2012: Warner Home Video releases Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2 on DVD.
