Boulder Wham!

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Boulder Wham!

Directed By: Rudy Larriva Produced By: David H. DePatie Friz Freleng Released: October 23, 1965 Series: Merrie Melodies Story: Len Janson Animation: Virgil Ross Bob Bransford Hank Smith Layouts: Erni Nordli Backgrounds: Anthony Rizzo Film Editor: Lee Gunther Voiced By: Paul Julian Music: Bill Lava Starring: Wile E. Coyote Road Runner Preceded By: Tired and Feathered Succeeded By: Chili Corn Corny Boulder Wham! (Better Color Correction)

Boulder Wham! is a 1965 Merrie Melodies short directed by Rudy Larriva.

Plot

Wile E. Coyote is chasing Road Runner, who moves fast enough to easily clear a canyon. With Wile E. unable to get up the speed necessary to clear it as easily, he uses a series of devices to try and get across to the waiting roadrunner.

1. First Wile E. lassos a boulder on the other side and ties it to a rock to make a tightrope. As he walks towards Road Runner, the boulder wobbles and Wile E. falls. Luckily, his balance pole wedges between the walls of the canyon, saving him from hitting bottom. Then the boulder rolls off the edge and swings toward the coyote. First it smashes the pole, then it hits Wile E. As he holds on to the boulder the rope breaks, and Wile E. and the boulder fall to the ground.
2. While Road Runner is still standing here, Wile E. reads a information book called Pole Vaulting Made Easy. He puts on cleats, grabs a pole, and runs toward the edge. He plants his pole in a convenient hole, but it's far too deep and the pole sinks all the way into it, vaulting Wile E. right down into the canyon again.
3. While Wile E. stares at Road Runner, he hatches a new plan. From the ACME Mail Order Catalog, he orders an ACME Deluxe Hi-Bounce Trampoline Kit. He assembles it at the bottom of the canyon. Road Runner watches as Wile E. tests the trampoline, then climbs a nearby pillar of rocks. When he jumps on the trampoline, the top boulder slides of and bounces too. Then the boulder and Wile E. fall to the ground.
4. Next Wile E. reads Hypnotism for Beginners. He starts swinging a pocketwatch as he holds up a sign that says "Follow the Watch". Road Runner seems to be hypnotized. Wile E.'s next sign says, "You Are Under My Power", while the watch continues to swing. Wile E. motions for Road Runner to walk toward the edge and fall, but as he looks down, he sees the watch and hypnotizes himself. Road Runner holds up his own sign that says, "Walk". Wile E. drops the watch and walks past the edge of the cliff. Road Runner holds up a sign that says, "Stop", and Wile E. stops in midair. Then roadrunner holds up another sign that says, "'Bye". Wile E. waves bye-bye and he falls.
5. Finally Wile E. reads a book about karate and judo techniques. He karate chops bricks and breaks them. He toots a horn that sounds like the roadrunner. Road Runner rushes across the gap to see who is beeping. Wile E. attacks, sending up a cloud of dust. When it clears Wile E. realizes he's standing in midair, while Road Runner stands safely on the cliff. He holds up a sign saying "That's all Folks!", then falls to the bottom once more, while Road Runner hops and beeps.

Availability

• (2011) DVD - Looney Tunes Super Stars' Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote: Supergenius Hijinks
• Streaming - Boomerang App

Censorship

• When this cartoon aired on ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, the entire sequence of Wile E. Coyote using hypnotism to brainwash the Road Runner into capturing him, only for Wile E. to get brainwashed and walk across the cliff into the thin air was cut.

Notes

• This is the only cartoon in the DePatie-Freleng era to mention the standard Looney Tunes sign-off phrase "That's all Folks!" at the end, considering that all the cartoons from both the DePatie-Freleng and Seven-Arts eras have phased out the "That's all, Folks!" phrase in the ending cards, and would not be used again until 1980.
  • Here, Wile E. Coyote holds up a sign saying "That's all, Folks!" to the audience before falling down the cliff one last time.
  • Unusually in this sequence involving picket signs, the "That's all, Folks!" line appears near the end of the cartoon. In contrast to other cartoons from the classic era such as "Ready.. Set.. Zoom!" (1955) for example, similar ending sequences would've usually have the sign written as "THE END", before fading to black/irising-out to the That's all Folks! ending card.
• Like most Road Runner shorts at the time, "Boulder Wham!" was produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises and the animation was done by Format Films.
  • In addition, due to extremely low budgets they all use the exact same stock music cues by William Lava as previously heard in "Tired and Feathered" (1965).

Gallery

Lobby Cards

Lobby Card