Speaking of the Weather is a 1937 Merrie Melodies short directed by Frank Tashlin.
Plot[]
It's midnight at a drug store, and suddenly the characters from the books and magazines inside come to life and get together for a musical. However, a thug from a magazine entitled The Gang Magazine attempts to rob a bank, using girls as a distraction, but he gets caught and sentenced to LIFE. Luckily, there's a magazine detailing the secrets of "Alacarazz", which he uses to get out of prison. Walter Snitchell oversees this and then alerts police, leading to a feud between the thug and the other magazines. The thug is arrested by Charlie Chan.
Caricatures[]
- Comedian Bob Burns appears at the beginning as "Bob Boins", playing his "bazooka", which he famously called his trombones.
- Musician Ted Lewis also appears at the beginning saying his catchphrase, "Is everybody happy?"
- Ned Sparks grouchily replies, "No!"
- Hugh Herbert appears throughout the cartoon giggling; the magazine he appears in also mentions him as having appeared in "The CooCoo Nut Grove".
- Leopold Stokowski conducts "The Storm" in the rain.
- The Boswell Sisters sing the title song.
- Lydia Pinkham as Lydia Punkham ogles Clark Gable.
- Clark Gable appears on the cover of Woman's Home Companion.
- Greta Garbo rocks on her humongous curved feet.
- Walter Winchell as Walter Snitchell says one of his catchphrases, "Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. North America!"
- Johnny Weissmuller does his Tarzan yell.
- William Powell investigates as The Thin Man with Asta.
Availability[]
(1991) LaserDisc
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 1, Side 1: 1930s Musicals
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 1, Side 1: 1930s Musicals
(1991) VHS
Ths Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 1: 1930s Musicals
Ths Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 1: 1930s Musicals
(2005) DVD
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc 2 (original titles restored - ending uses wrong soundtrack)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc 2 (original titles restored - ending uses wrong soundtrack)
(2006) DVD
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Gold Diggers of 1937 (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Streaming[]
HBO Max (2020 - 2020)
Censorship[]
- Cartoon Network and Boomerang airings of this cartoon delete the short scenes containing Zulu natives running towards the camera and throwing spears, although their hollering still plays in the background when the thug bounces on the spears thrown at him.[1]
Notes[]
- The book by Warden Flaws is a reference to noted Warden Lewis E. Lawes.
- This cartoon is the first color cartoon Frank Tashlin directed (as well as the first Merrie Melodie he directed).
- This cartoon was re-released into the Blue Ribbon Merrie Melodies program on July 21, 1945.
- This cartoon, in terms of Blue Ribbon reissues, was the last release to have the WB shield appear before the copyright and "WARNER BROS. PICTURES INC." fade in. After this reissue, "WARNER BROS. PICTURES INC." and the copyright will appear before the shield appears.
- The original opening, credits, and ending titles were found and restored on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3 DVD.
- However, because the audio from the 1995 "dubbed version" was used, the ending music is mistakenly a rendition used from 1941 to 1955. [2]
- The PAL Dubbed Version audiotrack of this short (Castilian Spanish), however, has its original ending music cue left intact.[3]
Gallery[]
"The CooCoo Nut Grove" mentioned in a magazine
Faded Blue Ribbon release title card
Production cell
Animation Drawing
References[]