Dumb-Hounded

Last updated

Dumb-Hounded
Dumb hounded.jpg
Poster
Directed by Tex Avery
Written byRich Hogan
Produced by Fred Quimby
Starring Bill Thompson
Frank Graham
(both uncredited)
Music by Scott Bradley
Animation by
Layouts byIrvin Levine
Bernard Wolf
(both uncredited)
Backgrounds byJohn Didrik Johnsen (uncredited)
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • March 20, 1943 (1943-03-20)
Running time
8:00
CountryUnited States
Language English

Dumb-Hounded is a 1943 American animated short film directed by Tex Avery and written by Rich Hogan. It was the first cartoon to feature Droopy. [1] The film was released on March 20, 1943 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [2]

Contents

Plot

When an imprisoned killer (played by Tex Avery's Big Bad Wolf character) escapes from Swing Swing Prison (a parody of Sing Sing Prison), numerous bloodhounds are released to track him down, including Droopy, who lags far behind the rest. He greets the audience and announces himself as the story's hero. Initially moving slowly, Droopy still manages to quickly locate the Wolf, who spends the entire story trying to escape from him. At one point, the Wolf even attempts to flee from Droopy by boarding a taxi, train, ship, and aircraft in succession. [3] However, no matter where the Wolf flees, Droopy appears and greets him sarcastically. When the Wolf asks Droopy how he manages to keep up, Droopy laconically responds “Let’s not get nosy, bub.”

Ultimately, Droopy ends the futile chase by dropping a massive boulder onto the Wolf from above a rooftop to crush him (commenting to the audience that it is indeed gruesome), resulting in the Wolf's capture. Droopy receives his cash reward from the town mayor, upon which he jumps about cheering loudly in complete enthusiasm, before pausing, and, once again in his signature slow, deadpan characterization, informing the audience, "I'm happy".

Voice cast

Crew

Legacy

References

  1. "Dumb-Hounded". IMDB. March 20, 1943. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  2. Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 76–77. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. "Dumb-Hounded". Doing Their Bit: Wartime American Animated Short Films, 1939–1945. McFarland. 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Scott, Keith. ""Hello All You Happy Tax Payers": Tex Avery's Voice Stock Company". Cartoon Research. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voices: of the Golden Age, 1930-1970 - Volume Two: Selected Filmographies with Voice Credits. Orlando: BearManor Media. p. 126. ISBN   979-8-88771-010-5 . Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Place-Verghnes, Floriane (2006). Tex Avery : a unique legacy, 1942-1955. Internet Archive. Eastleigh, UK : John Libbey Pub. ISBN   978-0-86196-919-7.