''Gorilla My Dreams'' is a

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 ...

'' Looney Tunes'' theatrical animated short directed by Robert McKimson and written by

Warren Foster Warren Foster (October 24, 1904 – December 13, 1971) was an American writer, cartoonist and composer for the animation division of Warner Brothers and later with Hanna-Barbera. Early life He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Marion B. Fos ...

. The short was released on January 3, 1948, and stars

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Warner Bros. Cartoons, Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and Voice acting, voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring role ...

. The story is a

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

of the many jungle films that were prominent in the 1930s and 1940s which often featured

gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...

s extensively (though not always behaviorally accurately), most notably the

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

films. The title is a play on the expression "Girl o' My Dreams". The short featured Gruesome Gorilla, who reappeared in '' Hurdy-Gurdy Hare'' and as a boss in ''

Bugs Bunny and Taz Time Busters ''Bugs Bunny & Taz: Time Busters'' is a Looney Tunes platform video game released for the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Windows in 2000, and is an indirect sequel to the 1999 game '' Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time''. It also came on a Twin Pack CD bun ...

''. The cartoon was remade in 1959 as ''

Apes of Wrath ''Apes of Wrath'' is a 1959 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' animated short directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on April 18, 1959, and stars Bugs Bunny. This cartoon recycles the plot from the 1948 cartoon '' Gorilla My Dreams''. Th ...

''. The Gorillas later make their appearance in '' Looney Tunes Cartoons Valentine’s Extwavaganza!'', only this time in their most substantial role to date where they are voiced by

Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy in various DC ...

while still being anthropomorphic as usual.

Plot

"Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart" plays briefly under the title card, and the cartoon opens with a trail of carrot tops floating on the seas. Bugs is stranded in a barrel in the middle of the ocean, but he does not seem to mind; he is reading ''Esquire'' magazine (considered an "adults only" magazine at that time) and singing the song "Down Where the

Trade Winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisp ...

Play" (a song made popular by Bing Crosby). On the island of 'Bingzi-Bangzi – Land of the Ferocious Apes', the population is made up of

s that act like humans - they read the newspaper and books such as "

The Apes of Wrath ''Garth Marenghi's Darkplace'' is a British horror parody television series created by Richard Ayoade and Matthew Holness for Channel 4. The show focuses on fictional horror author Garth Marenghi (played by Holness) and his publisher Dean Le ...

", have families, live in huts and speak American English (in the underscore, one of Stalling's orchestrations of

Raymond Scott Raymond Scott (born Harry Warnow; September 10, 1908 – February 8, 1994) was an American composer, band leader, pianist, record producer, and inventor of electronic instruments. Though Scott never scored cartoon soundtracks, his music is ...

's jungle themes is heard, its official title being "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals"). One of the apes, Mrs. Gruesome Gorilla, is sad that she does not have any children, whereas her husband (voiced by Mel Blanc) could not care less. Mrs. Gruesome (also voiced by Blanc, using a falsetto), crying, walks toward the water and says, "I'm going to ..." (the implication is she is going to jump in), but then spots Bugs floating by. Her mood instantly changes and, using vines as a mode of travel, she takes the barrel and Bugs to a tree-top (at one point, yielding the right-of-way to a man wearing just a leopard skin loincloth that looks strikingly like

). Just as Mrs. Gruesome picked up the barrel, Bugs had finished "Trade Winds" and had seguéd into a full verse of "

Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" is a song written by Leon René, Otis René and Emerson Scott in 1941. It was recorded in 1941 by The Ink Spots (Decca 4045), Erskine Hawkins (Bluebird B-11277), "Hutch" Leslie Hutchinson with Orchestra (HMV B.D. ...

". He wraps that tune up just after they arrive and he becomes aware of the situation he is in. Clutching him, Mrs. Gruesome swings down to the ground where she makes it evident she sees Bugs as a baby gorilla. He explains he is a rabbit but she begins to cry, saying, "My baby doesn't love me." Bugs shares with the audience: "That's my soft spot—dames crying". - and figures he can "go along with a gag" to be her baby. Mrs. Gruesome then presents Bugs to Mr. Gruesome—who is none too happy about having a baby in the house. Bugs tries to fit in, playing like a 'monkey'. Mr. Gruesome takes Bugs out for 'a walk', while Mrs. Gruesome makes dinner (she is not seen again for the rest of the cartoon). "Daddy" is careless and rough with his "child" and Bugs, in typical fashion, gets back at Mr. Gruesome by hitting him over the head with a shovel. This enrages the gorilla. At first, Bugs goes toe-to-toe with him, posturing and roaring; but when he brings a coconut down on Mr. Gruesome's head, a long chase ensues (accompanied by a frenetic version of Stalling's jungle theme). In due course, Bugs finds himself trapped on the edge of a cliff. He gives up and allows Mr. Gruesome to catch him. However, after tossing and slamming Bugs around, the gorilla is exhausted. A mere puff of breath from Bugs causes him to collapse. Emerging as the 'victor', Bugs jumps up and catches a hanging branch, again playing 'monkey' (another short clip of the jungle theme is heard in the underscore, along with the time-honored "jungle" sound of a

kookaburra Kookaburras are terrestrial tree kingfishers of the genus ''Dacelo'' native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between in length and weigh around . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri ''guuguubarra'', onomatopoeic of its call. The ...

) at iris-out.

Reception

Animation historian Mike Mallory writes, "Bugs Bunny is at his brashest and most fearless in ''Gorilla My Dreams'', a drivingly funny romp staged with breathless energy and flawless timing by director Robert McKimson. This cartoon also pits the rabbit against one of his most formidable opponents... The ensuing grudge match between the roaring, angry would-be father and his recalcitrant, long-eared 'baby', set to the raucously jazzy music of Carl Stalling and Raymond Scott, is prime Warner Bros. cartooning."

Music

* "Down Where the Trade Winds Play", uncredited, by

Cliff Friend Cliff Friend (October 1, 1893 – June 27, 1974) was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Friend co-wrote several hits including " Lovesick Blues", "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and " The Merry-Go-Round Broke Do ...

, lyrics by Charles Tobias * "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals", uncredited, by

* "

", uncredited, by

Leon René Leon René (February 6, 1902 – May 30, 1982) was an American music composer of pop, R&B and rock and roll songs and a record producer in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He sometimes used the songwriting pseudonym Jimmy Thomas or Jimmie Thom ...

, Otis René and Emerson Scott * "Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart", uncredited, by

Ray Noble Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...

* "Congo", uncredited, by M.K. Jerome * "Goombay Drum", uncredited, by Charles Lofthouse, Schuyler Knowlton and Stanley Adams * "Ahí, viene la conga", uncredited, by Raúl Valdespí * "Hey, Doc", uncredited, music by Edgar M. Sampson * "Valurile Dunarii (Danube Waves)", uncredited, music by

Iosif Ivanovici Ion Ivanovici ( sr-cyr, Јован Ивановић) (alternatively: Jovan Ivanović, Iosif Ivanovici, Josef Ivanovich) (1845 – ) was a Romanian military band conductor and composer of Banat Serbian origin, best remembered today for his wal ...

Home media

''Gorilla My Dreams'' is available, uncut and restored, on '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2'' (Disc 1). ''Gorilla My Dreams'' is available on '' Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3'' (Disc 1).

References

External links