Good Night Elmer is a 1940 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles Jones.
Plot[]
The grandfather clock in Elmer Fudd's living room rings, prompting Elmer to retire for the night. He lights up a candle and heads to his bedroom. As he tries to take off his jacket, the hand holding the candle blocks the way for him to take it off fully. He tries to place the candle on the window, but the wind blows it out. After some struggling with his hat and getting the handle unstuck to his hand, Elmer is able to put the candle on a nightstand.
Elmer blows out the candle and prepares for sleep. However, the candle flame lights back up every single time Elmer tries to blow it out. Eventually, the flame becomes sentient and extinguishes itself when Elmer looks at it, but lights back up when he isn't. Elmer tries to cover the flame with a book, but the flame simply burns it. Next, Elmer covers the side of the candle with books, but the flame grows more intense and manages to light up the other side. Elmer breaks the candle in two, but both sticks now light up. Having enough, Elmer grabs an axe and smashes not only the candles, but the entirety of his bedroom. Just as soon as Elmer lies down, the sun comes up, causing Elmer to precipitate tears in a nervous breakdown.
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Notes[]
- Arthur Q. Bryan did not voice Elmer in this short, as Elmer did not have any dialogue. Mel Blanc provided the weeping and bawling in the final scene.
- This short has a special opening rendition of the "Merrily We Roll Along" theme.
- The credits on the title card are the same as "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" and "Porky's Ant". Coincidentally, all three were directed by Chuck Jones.
- The final shot of this short (Elmer crying) is similar to the final shot of 1935's "The Merry Old Soul".
- In some shots of Elmer wrecking the candle with an axe near the end of the short, his bare bottom is exposed under his nightshirt.
- This short marks the first time where Elmer's character design has been finalized, using the design basis from "A Wild Hare" released earlier in the year, minus the red nose. However, this design was not yet finalized among the Warners' directors until "The Hare-Brained Hypnotist" (1942), as from "Wabbit Twouble" (1941) to "Fresh Hare" (1942), Elmer was temporarily redesigned by Bob Clampett to look chubby.
- Because the short has no dialogue, both American and European dubbed versions keep the original ending card, unlike most dubbed version cartoons, although non-dialogue shorts such as "Rhapsody in Rivets" (1941) and "Double Chaser" (1942) got dubbed ending cards. In addition, the original ending music is also kept.