Screwball Squirrel is a 1944 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short directed by Tex Avery for MGM.
Plot[]
The cartoon begins in a nice, peaceful, and beautiful forest. Birds sing as they chase each other through the air. Sammy Squirrel exits his tree home and skips through the woods, placing fallen nuts into his wicker basket. Sammy runs into Screwy Squirrel who asks Sammy what kind of cartoon is this supposed to be? Sammy explains that the cartoon is all about him and his cute little furry friends in the forest. Disgusted by this, Screwy takes Sammy behind a tree where he knocks Sammy out. He turns to the audience, assuring them that they wouldn't have liked Sammy's story and that the real fun would start a soon as the phone rings.
A random phonebooth appears with a phone ringing. Screwy answers it and talks to Meathead Dog on the other end, asking if he chases squirrels. Meathead explains that he only chases birds to which Screwy taunts him. From there, the cartoon becomes a chase through the woods with comical gags and slapstick. Finally believing that he's gotten rid of Meathead once and for all, Screwy cockily explains that the way he tricked Meathead all through the cartoon was because he had a secret twin. Suddenly, Meathead and his own secret twin appear and finally capture the two Screwys. Sammy Squirrel suddenly appears again and argues that his cartoon would have been cuter. Screwy, Meathead, and their twins respond by beating Sammy up.
Voices[]
- Wally Maher - Screwy Squirrel, Sammy Squirrel
- Cal Howard - Meathead Dog
- William Hannah - Screwy Squirrel (Scream)
Trivia[]
- This is the first cartoon that Heck Allen wrote for Tex Avery after Rich Hogan left to serve in the army.
- Barney Bear is mentioned by Sammy Squirrel.
- A voice clip of Wally Maher as Screwy from this short was recycled for the character of Dweezil the cat in the 1992 video game Putty.