Rhapsody in Rivets

Rhapsody in Rivets
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Airdate:	6 December 1941 Blue Ribbon reissue: 16 August 1947 11 September 1954
Runtime:	7 min. 34 sec. (2nd reissue)
Series:	Merrie Melodies
MPAA Number:	7707
Production Number:	MM-2-11 1365 (reissue)
Copyright Renewed:	22 April 1969
Crew
Director:	I. Freleng
Written By:	Michael Maltese
Producer:	Leon Schlesinger
Animated By:	Gil Turner
Character Design:	Bob Givens (uncredited)
Film Editor:	Treg Brown (uncredited)
Musician:	Carl W. Stalling

Rhapsody in Rivets is a 1941 Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng.

Title

The title is a play on the George Gershwin piece, "Rhapsody in Rivets," also called "Second Rhapsody." "Rivets" also refers to a kind of screw, tying into the short's construction site setting.

Plot

The "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" by Franz Liszt is "performed" by a team of animals constructing a skyscraper. The construction foreman, a lion, conducts their efforts.

Availability

(1991) LaserDisc
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1, Side 6: Friz Freleng

(1991) VHS
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 6: Friz Freleng

(1992) LaserDisc
Rhapsody in Blue

(1999) VHS
Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 5: Musical Masterpieces (1995 Turner dubbed version)

(2007) DVD
The Bride Came C.O.D. (1995 Turner dubbed version)

(2008) DVD
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection, Disc 2

(2014) DVD
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc Two

(2014) Blu-ray
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 3, Disc Two

(2015) DVD
Looney Tunes Musical Masterpieces

(2016) DVD
Music Triple Feature

Streaming

HBO Max (2020 - 2023)

Max (2023 - )

Notes

• In 1942, this cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoon), alongside "Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt". However, it lost to the Disney cartoon "Lend a Paw".
• This short features no dialogue.
• It was reissued two times; once in 1947 (evident of the closing card) and again in 1955.
• This short was one of two that originally credited Schlesinger that was reissued in the 1954-55 season, the other being "The Trial of Mr. Wolf".
  • This also marks the first blue ribbon short to use the newer-style "bullet" sequences (1954-1964)
• Although this short has no dialogue, the Blue Ribbon ending card is still replaced by the 1947-48 Turner "dubbed" card in the 1995 American and European Turner prints. Furthermore, the European Turner print opening has red borders, while the American Turner prints have none.
• A cel of the original title card and credits card was revealed on Facebook in 2021.
• This cartoon was released one day before the Japanese military waged the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the most influential turning points in the history of World War II.
• Vitaphone release number: 175

Gallery

Original title cel

Original credits

Model sheet by Robert Givens

Production background

Production background

Production background