Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!
| Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! | |
|---|---|
Title card | |
| Directed by | Rudolf Ising (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Hugh Harman Rudolf Ising Leon Schlesinger |
| Starring | Rudolf Ising (uncredited) |
| Music by | Frank Marsales Abe Lyman |
| Animation by | Isadore Freleng Max Maxwell |
| Color process | Black-and-white |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 6:59 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! is a 1931 American animated comedy film. It is the third title in the Merrie Melodies series featuring Foxy.[2][3] It was released as early as August 15, 1931.[1][a] It is directed by Rudolf Ising.[4]
This is one of only three Merrie Melodies cartoons to star Foxy; the other two being Lady, Play Your Mandolin! and One More Time. Its plot resembles that of Trolley Troubles, a short featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit which Harman helped animate for Walt Disney.
A gag suggested by animator Bob Clampett for the film has characters from the trolley's parody advertising posters (Smith Brothers and others) humorously come to life and perform business. This joke would become a running gag across Merrie Melodies films, especially those with involvement from Clampett.[5]
Plot
Foxy drives a trolley while singing the titular song. A rock disrupts the track as the trolley is launched and falls but miraculously is able to be fixed upon landing. A female hippo turned out to be too obese to board the trolley, flattening Foxy as a result. Foxy mockingly pops her with a needle, causing her to deflate and undress, humiliating her as she leaves furiously.
The trolley disassembles itself upon the journey's resumption, though Foxy successfully catches up to the wheels. Roxy boards the trolley and sings the titular song with Foxy. Advertisements on the trolley come to life upon hearing the song, humorously interacting with each other alongside the song's lyrics. The trolley comes upon a stubborn grazing cow, who angers Foxy after spitting on the trolley. Meanwhile, some animals and a chicken they were boiling are amused by the situation and sing along to the titular song. Foxy winds back the trolley and passes by under the cow, causing it to leave furiously.
The trolley travels on a tightrope into a tunnel, leaving Foxy behind as he falls out. Horrified, he finds Roxy and the trolley tumbling down a very steep slope. Foxy tries to pull her in with a lasso tied to a tree to no avail, falling back into the trolley. They travel through multiple tunnels and fall off a cliff. Foxy wakes up, revealing the events of the short to be a nightmare while his radio plays the titular song. He destroys the radio in amusement.
Song
In 1931, English bandleader Billy Cotton covered the song.[6]
It was used twice in Robert Zemeckis' 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit: first when Eddie Valiant arrives in Toontown; and then during the film's finale. Both times, it was sung by the toons present in the film. Warner Bros. Entertainment licensed the song alongside their characters to Disney alongside other studios due to its diverse inclusion of animated characters.
In 2013, actor Christoph Waltz sang "Smile, Damn You, Smile" during his hosting duties on Saturday Night Live.[7]
Colorization
In 1973 and 1992, colorized versions were respectively commissioned by Fred Ladd and Ted Turner. Due to the technological limitations of the time, the colorization process was done by tracing the original animation and then coloring it in. The colorization was completed in South Korea.[8]
Home media
The film was released on DVD as part of Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6. It was available for streaming on HBO Max.
Notes
- ^ Archived from an August 16 article, this is based on the fact that new cartoon shorts would premiere in theaters on Saturdays.
References
- ^ a b "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! - Earliest Known Date". Johnson City Chronicle. August 16, 1931. p. 10. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 83. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Hugh Harman, Rudolf Ising (1931). "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! (1931)" – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 5. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Schneider, Steve (1988). That's All, Folks! : The Art of Warner Bros. Animation. Henry Holt and Co. p. 40. ISBN 0-8050-0889-6.
- ^ Billy Cotton And His Orchestra (1931). "Smile Darn Ya, Smile". Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Slezak, Michael (February 17, 2013). "Christoph Waltz Hosts Saturday Night Live: Watch Video of the Best and Worst Sketches". TVLine. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ Beck, Jerry (January 20, 2012). ""Smile Darn Ya, Smile": To Color Or Not To Color a Classic". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved February 15, 2023.