Ration Bored
Ration Bored is the ninth animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on July 26, 1943, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures.[1]
| Ration Bored | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Emery Hawkins Milt Schaffer |
| Produced by | Walter Lantz |
| Story by | Ben Hardaway |
| Music by | Darrell Calker |
| Animation by | Bob Bentley |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 6' 49" |
| Language | English |
Plot
While driving his car, Woody sees a sign that reads: "Conserve gas & tires. Is this trip really necessary?" Woody refers to himself as a "necessary evil" while changing his appearance briefly into a devilish version of itself with deranged eyes and speeds down the road after changing back again. While cresting a hill, he runs out of gas and rolls to the gas station below.
The gas attendant asks to see Woody's "ABC" book (see below), and Woody hands him an alphabet book. Insulted, the attendant grabs a hammer and knocks Woody's car into a salvage yard. Woody decides to steal gasoline from the wrecked vehicles in the lot. He unknowingly siphons gas from a parked police car.
A cop chases Woody around the salvage yard. They get caught up in stacks of tires, and Woody ends up riding the cop like an automobile out of the yard and end up crashing into a large storage unit of gasoline which explodes, killing them both.
In Heaven, the cop leaves the "Wing Rationing Board" with a small pair of wings. He starts chasing Woody again when he realizes that the wings Woody has received are much larger.
Woody's appearance
Walter Lantz had been criticized from the start that Woody's garish appearance was detrimental to the appeal of the burgeoning star. The addition of white gloves on Woody's hands (like those of cartoon counterparts Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny) marked the first notable attempt at giving the woodpecker a more streamlined character design. By the following film, The Barber of Seville, Woody's appearance would get a complete makeover, making Ration Bored the last Woody Woodpecker film featuring the original manic design.
Production notes
- This is the only Woody Woodpecker entry to be directed by storyman Milt Schaffer and animator Emery Hawkins. They filled in for the previous series directors Walter Lantz and Alex Lovy; Lantz had stopped directing films for several years and Lovy had left the studio after working on The Dizzy Acrobat to serve in the war. With the next entry, The Barber of Seville, they would be replaced by veteran animator James "Shamus" Culhane as series director.[2]
- This is also the final time Kent Rogers would voice Woody before his death in a World War II plane crash on July 9, 1944.
Cultural references
Ration Bored is a spoof on army rationing. During World War II United States citizens were asked to conserve gasoline and rubber, as well as other items and food supplies. Decisions on rationing were made by a Ration Board, hence the punning title.
The gas station attendant refers to a ration book as an "ABC book". During the 1940s war ration, American automobiles were classified as either A, B, C, T, or X.
The ending title card asks viewers to buy war bonds.