Wild Wild World is a 1960 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.
Title[]
The title is a parody of the television series known as Wide Wide World, which was hosted by Dave Garroway.
Plot[]
Cave Darroway, (voiced by Daws Butler), presents a recently discovered "film documentary of the Geo-Goshical Year 75,000,000 B.C." In the documentary, as three cavemen try to kill a dinosaur, the discovery of fire, transportations, use of the boomerang, entertainment, a haircut, department stores and the use of its elevator are comically shown. Finally the three cavemen from earlier try to kill a dinosaur again, but it shows them a sign that says "Friday (fish day)". They then decide to fish, but are swallowed by the fish. The documentary ends and Cave Darroway decides to take a coffee break. However, when he gets into an elevator, it turns out that it works like the one shown earlier in the documentary.
Caricatures[]
Availability[]
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 6, Disc Four (unrestored)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 6, Disc 2 (unrestored)
Streaming[]
Notes[]
- Because of the long lead time in producing an animated cartoon, the TV program which inspired this cartoon had already been canceled when this cartoon was released. A similar "outdated references" problem would also occur with "Person to Bunny" the same year; at the time that cartoon was released in theaters, Person to Person's then-previous host Edward R. Murrow was replaced by Charles Collingwood.
- The documentary was filmed in the "Geo-Goshical Year 75,000,000 B.C.", satirizing the International Geophysical Year 1957-'58. "In breathtaking Cromagnonscope" satirizes either Cinemascope, Superscope or Techniscope, or possibly all three.
- This was previously used in the short "Pre-Hysterical Hare".
- Most experts agree that before the creation of modern plastics, the boomerangs that were used for hunting in Australia did not return to the thrower. However, some experts speculate that small returning boomerangs were used in southern Australia to frighten ducks into thinking that a hawk was circling overhead, which would cause them to take flight and be captured by nets.
- The "hard-top convertible with dinosaur-flow transmission" is likely a reference to General Motors' Dynaflow transmission.
- The volcano theater has "Grauman's Vesuvius" written above the entrance. This is a reference to either Grauman's Egyptian Theater or Grauman's Chinese Theater. Vesuvius is the name of an active Volcano in Italy.
- The theater marquee contains a number of references:
- "Rocksy" is a reference to either The Roxy Theater in New York City or The Roxie Theater in San Francisco
- "Cary Granite" is a reference to actor Cary Grant
- "Dinah Saur" is a reference to singer and actress Dinah Shore
- "Petrified Forester" is a reference to the 1934 stage play Petrified Forrest, which Warner Brothers made into a film two years later.
- "The Rock-Ettes" is a reference to the synchronized dance team The Rockettes.
- The song "Hooray for Hollywood", composed by Richard Whiting with lyrics by Johnny Mercer, written for the 1937 movie Hollywood Hotel plays in the background.
- The "Piltdown Tilton Hotel" contains a couple of references:
- Piltdown is likely a reference to the "Piltdown Man", a fraudulent archaeological find by amature archeologist Charles Dawson consiting of skull fragments found in the hamlet of Piltdown, England.
- Tilton is a reference to the Hilton Hotels.
- "Boredway Hollywood" is a reference to the Broadway Hollywood building in Hollywood, California.
- "Sack Dresses" are a reference to feed sack dresses or flour sack dresses. These were first used at the beginning of the 19th century when feed sacks had to be sewn and stitched by hand. The sacks were also made into shirts, towels, quilts and other fabric items. By the release of this cartoon, feed and flour sacks were mostly made of paper and feed sack garments started to fall out of style.
- The slogan written on top of the elevator ,"Good to the last drop", was the same one used by Maxwell House coffee.
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