A Ham in a Role
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''A Ham in a Role'' is a 1949 Warner Bros.
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...
starring the Goofy Gophers along with an unnamed dog who is based on stage/film actor John Barrymore. The cartoon was planned by Arthur Davis, but was finished and directed by
Robert McKimson Robert Porter McKimson Sr. (October 13, 1910 – September 29, 1977) was an American animator and illustrator, best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Bros. Cartoons and later DePa ...
. It was released by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 31, 1949, but some sources list the release date as January 1, 1950. The cartoon draws heavily from the works of William Shakespeare, with its gags relying on literal interpretations of lines from '' Hamlet'', ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
'', ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
'', and ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''. ''A Ham in a Role'' was the last cartoon in the
Golden Age of American Animation The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the late 1960s, where theatrical animated shorts began losing popularity to the ...
to star the dog that had opposed the Gophers in their first two appearances. (The dog was recycled for a single short in the 1990s in the
World Premiere Toons ''What a Cartoon!'' (later known as ''The What a Cartoon! Show'' and ''The Cartoon Cartoon Show'') is an American animated anthology series created by Fred Seibert for Cartoon Network. The shorts were produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions; by th ...
series).


Plot

An
anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
dog is tired of appearing in cartoons and goes home to study the works of Shakespeare. Upon arriving back home, the dog finds that his home has been invaded by gophers. Unfazed, the dog then begins reading '' Hamlet''. Upon discovering the Goofy Gophers sleeping in the book, he throws the book out the window. The Goofy Gophers then decide to get back at the dog by literally interpreting lines from Shakespeare's works, including " lending him ears", by rolling a curtain up to annoy him, tormenting him with flames (to his foot), dousing him with "the joy of life" (by dumping a tub of water into the dog), dumping limburger cheese as the dog utters the "that which we call a rose by any other name" line while holding a rose, imitating the exhumed Yorick in a dance (making the dog appear like a Shakespearean coward), using magnets on the floor and ceiling to toss and carry the dog around the room (in armor), with the coup de grâce coming about when the Gophers use a horse to kick the dog out of his house, after he says "A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!" and back to the studio, where the dog decides to finish what he started.


Notes

This cartoon was originally issued as a ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.
'' cartoon with the ''Looney Tunes'' music. When it was re-issued in 1959, the cartoon was re-issued with ''
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 ...
'' credits, but retained the ''Looney Tunes'' music. Arthur Davis was originally slated to direct the short, however the short was left unfinished due to the dissolving of his unit during the shorts production (voice recording took place in November 1947, the same time Davis’ unit was in the process of being dissolved). Bob McKimson was able to finish the short by 1949, as well as inheriting two of Davis’ animators, Bill Melendez and Emery Hawkins. This is either the last Looney Tune of the 40's, or the first Looney Tune of the 50's (sources differ).


Reception

Artist and writer Lia Abbate writes, "''A Ham in a Role'' certainly wins a place among the best of them for the sheer amount of highbrow entertainment and lowbrow slapstick it packs into its short length, and the brilliant way in which these opposing dynamics match up. In the cartoon's standard running time of six minutes, we are treated to a greatest hits of William Shakespeare with no less than ten of his best quotations. And for each spate of speechifying, there is an equal moment — more, really — of inspired physical gags... You don't have to know a word of Shakespeare to enjoy all this great slapstick. Nevertheless, if you do, you'll be delighted to find that ''A Ham in a Role'' truly is an appreciation of what we Shakespeare lovers cherish the most: his words."


References to Shakespeare

*'' Hamlet'' – Act 3, Scene 1 *''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
' – Act 3, Scene 2 *''Hamlet'' – Act 1, Scene 5 *''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' – Act 2, Scene 2 *''Hamlet'' – Act 5, Scene 1 *''Hamlet'' – Act 1, Scene 5 *''Julius Caesar'' – Act 2, Scene 2 *''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
'' – Act 5, Scene 3 *''Richard III'' – Act 5, Scene 4 *''Romeo and Juliet'' – Act 2, Scene 2 *''Hamlet'' – Act 3, Scene 1


Home media

* DVD - '' Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6'', Disc 1 (with original cards) * Blu-ray - '' Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3'', Disc 1 * DVD - ''
My Dream Is Yours ''My Dream Is Yours'' is a 1949 Technicolor musical romantic comedy film starring Jack Carson, Doris Day, and Lee Bowman. Plot The film opens in Los Angeles, where Doug Blake is dumped as a manager by Gary Mitchell. He goes to New York City to f ...
''


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ham In A Role, A 1949 animated films 1949 short films 1949 films Films directed by Robert McKimson Looney Tunes shorts Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Films based on works by William Shakespeare Films scored by Carl Stalling 1940s English-language films Goofy Gophers films