The Stupid Cupid

The Stupid Cupid
Directed by	Frank Tashlin
Produced by	Edward Selzer (uncredited)
Story by	Warren Foster
Starring	Mel Blanc; Frank Graham; Dave Barry (all uncredited)
Music by	Carl W. Stalling
Animation by	I. Ellis; Uncredited animators:; Arthur Davis; Cal Dalton; Richard Bickenbach; George Cannata[1]; A.C. Gamer (effects animation)
Layouts by	Dave Hilberman
Backgrounds by	Richard H. Thomas
Color process	Technicolor
Production; company	Warner Bros. Cartoons
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures; The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date	November 25, 1944[2];
Running time	6 minutes
Language	English

The Stupid Cupid is a 1944 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Frank Tashlin.[3] The cartoon was released on November 25, 1944, and stars Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd.[4]

Plot

Elmer Fudd plays Cupid (still wearing his trademark hat) laughing and shooting arrows at male animals so they fall in love with the next female they see, even if of a different species (e.g., a dog falls in love with a cat he is chasing, making the cat commit suicide using a gun, after which all of his nine lives die). This cartoon features Daffy singing the 1944 Lawrence Welk hit song "Don't Sweetheart Me". Elmer tries to shoot Daffy Duck while bathing in a water trough. Daffy complains of the last time he was shot, which ended with him being forced into marriage and the father of many ducklings (including Siamese twins), producing photos of them. Daffy stuffs Elmer into his own hat and shoots him away with his own bow. As Elmer recovers, he again laughs, only far more ominously.

Later, Elmer, still laughing dementedly and determined to avenge his mistreatment by Daffy, shoots a giant arrow to Daffy, crashing through several hen houses and causing Daffy to fall in love with a married hen. Her rooster husband furiously confronts Daffy, who declares it a mishap, claiming to be a family man himself (briefly appearing with a jalopy full of the previously mentioned ducklings). The rooster lets Daffy go, but Elmer shoots him yet again, starting the whole process all over again.

Notes

Voice acting

Elmer is ordinarily voiced by Arthur Q. Bryan, but since the character has no dialogue in this cartoon, Frank Graham provides Elmer's laugh.

Elmer reprises his role as Cupid in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode "Spring in Acme Acres" (originally aired Nov. 6 1990). In the segment "Love Among the Toons", he tricks dullard Concord Condor into temporarily taking over his job, with predictably chaotic results.

Lost ending

When this cartoon was reissued, a "Blue Ribbon" title card was added to the opening sequence, and an ending scene is believed to have been removed. Theories speculate the cartoon originally had the special ending theme before the Blue Ribbon reissue rather than a fade out. This can only be proven with an original print.[5]

According to historian Greg Ford, the original ending involved Daffy, stuck between a hen and a rooster kissing. Daffy is turned to face the rooster, who he is kissing. Daffy then faces the audience, saying "If you haven't tried it, don't knock it."[6]

Reception

Animation historian Martin Goodman writes, "Though this farcical short contains some shoddy animation, Frank Tashlin's imaginative direction and Warren Foster's hilarious dialogue lift The Stupid Cupid above its shortcomings and into the realm of unforgettable comedy. As usual, Tashlin approaches his cartoon as a cinematic tableau in which wildly distorted characters experience exaggerated emotions... Outstanding timing, gags, and dialogue dominate the entire short."[7]

Availability

VHS - Daffy Duck Cartoon Festival featuring "Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur"
Laserdisc - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Vol. 2
DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc 2

References

"Animation Breakdowns #24". Retrieved 9 December 2020.
McCall, Douglas L. (1998). Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 203. ISBN 9780786405848.
Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 156. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 70–72. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
Javier Vera (2002). "Iris Out Variations". Archived from the original on February 26, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2018.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
"The CENSORED Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide". Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2018.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.

External links

The Stupid Cupid at IMDb

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[1] "Animation Breakdowns #24". Retrieved 9 December 2020.

[2] McCall, Douglas L. (1998). Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animated Features and Shorts. McFarland. p. 203. ISBN 9780786405848.

[Beck-3] Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 156. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.

[4] Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 70–72. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.

[5] Javier Vera (2002). "Iris Out Variations". Archived from the original on February 26, 2007. Retrieved March 7, 2018.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[6] "The CENSORED Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Guide". Archived from the original on September 29, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2018.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

[7] Beck, Jerry, ed. (2020). The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons. Insight Editions. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-64722-137-9.