''A Hound For Trouble'' is a 1951

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

'' cartoon short directed by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

. The cartoon was released on April 28, 1951, and features

Charlie Dog Charlie Dog (also known as Rover, Charlie, and sometimes Charles the Dog) is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Brothers ''Looney Tunes'' series of cartoons. The character was featured in nine cartoons between 1941 and 1958. Development ...

. The film has Charlie attempt to take over a restaurant in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

, while its owner is on a short break. Charlie's behavior drives away a customer. The restaurant's owner eventually seems to accept Charlie as a partner, but he actually uses the dog's newfound trust to fool him.

Plot

After being found on a shipping boat in the coast of Italy, Charlie is found by the ship's owner (who thought he kicked him off earlier) and is kicked off (again). Trying to find a new 'master', Charlie keeps asking people in English, but they keep responding 'no capisce' ("I don't understand"). Charlie eventually spots a restaurant owner opening his shop and makes himself at home (the shop owner actually speaking English) before being kicked out of the restaurant. As he returns, Charlie sees that the owner has gone out for 15 minutes ("15 minootsa") and decides to run the restaurant himself. Charlie first enrages the one customer who comes in. The customer orders "Na Bella Piatta Del Una Cacciatore Di Tetrazzini Cu Ragù Di Marinara Di La Piazza Rigotini Mozzarella Fina". Charlie tells him that they're out of this, so the customer orders the spaghetti instead. Charlie, after feeding him spaghetti from a spool, serves grape juice he presses with his feet in front of the customer, causing the customer to rush out, sickened. When the shop owner returns, Charlie tries to convince the owner that they need a 'floor show' (singing "Atsa Matta for You?"). The owner finally appears to relent and starts walking Charlie home. The owner suddenly yells that the Tower of Pisa (which Charlie, being unfamiliar with the monument, does not realize is perpetually leaning) is "about to fall on that little house!" The owner then has Charlie hold up the tower while he 'calls for help' (instead just going back to his restaurant). Charlie is left 'holding up' the tower, calling out for help and asking "Doesn't anyone around here capice?!"

Voice cast

Mel Blanc Melvin Jerome Blanc (born Blank ; May 30, 1908July 10, 1989) was an American voice actor and radio personality whose career spanned over 60 years. During the Golden Age of Radio, he provided character voices and vocal sound effects for comedy ra ...

as Charlie Dog, Pizzeria Owner *

Michael Maltese Michael Maltese (February 6, 1908 – February 22, 1981) was an American story man for classic animated cartoon shorts. He is best known for working in the 1950s on a series of ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoons with director Chuck Jones, notably "Wha ...

as Customer (uncredited)

References

External links

* * 1951 animated films 1951 short films 1951 films Short films directed by Chuck Jones Merrie Melodies short films Animated films about dogs Films set in Pisa Films set in restaurants 1950s Warner Bros. animated short films Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Films scored by Carl Stalling 1950s English-language films Charlie Dog films {{MerrieMelodies-stub