Beep, Beep (cartoon)

Infobox Film
name = Beep, Beep


image_size =
caption = Title card of Beep, Beep
director = Chuck Jones
producer = Edward Selzer
writer = Michael Maltese
narrator =
starring = Paul Julian (uncredited)
music = Carl Stalling
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures
released = Start date|1952|5|24
runtime = 6:45 minutes
country =
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:146190
imdb_id = 0044404

Beep, Beep is a 1952 Warner Bros. cartoon in the "Merrie Melodies" series featuring Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. It was later reissued as a Blue Ribbon Merrie Melodies cartoon.

Plot

The Road Runner flips the title cards by passing across.

The chase begins as normal, and is then paused for the Road Runner: "Accelerati Incredibilus". The camera zooms back to the Coyote: "Carnivorous Vulgaris". The camera then zooms back to the Road Runner and the chase resumes. The camera now zooms out as Wile chases after the Road Runner with a knife and fork. The coyote strikes - and misses, sticking the utensils into the road as the Road Runner moves into superspeed.

Wile, left posing in the road, lets go of the knife and scratches his head, only to hit it on the ground. He slumps on the ground and soon comes up with a new plan.

The Coyote attaches a spring-activated boxing glove to a large rock and hides behind it, hoping to punch the Road Runner to feathers. However, the tension in the spring causes the rock and Wile to be launched backwards instead of the glove forwards. The glove then retracts backwards and punches the Coyote in the face.

Wile's next plan is to traverse a tightrope and drop an anvil on the Road Runner, resulting in a "Road Runner Burger" as his drawing puts it. Obviously, the anvil is too heavy for the tightwire to handle, and Wile is stretched all the way to the ground and can be seen by the Road Runner, who taunts him and dashes off. Wile drops the anvil and is thus slung up into the air.

Eventually after a while, he reverses direction. Wile points expectantly at his backpack and pulls out a cord. However, the force of gravity opens the backpack and removes all the items from it. Wile's expression darkens, and he pulls out some aspirin, grabs one out of the air, and waves at the camera as he takes the plunge of doom.

The Coyote tries a new plan: He sets up two signs. "LAST WATER FOR 300 MILES" and "FREE DRINK OF WATER". Of course, nothing provided by Wile E. Coyote is free. It comes with "strings attached", that is, a string to a TNT device, which should hopefully eliminate the pesky Road Runner.

Wile hides as he hears the approaching Road Runner, who stops at the water stand, sticks out his tongue, and speeds behind the hiding coyote with a sign that reads "ROAD RUNNERS CAN'T READ AND DON'T DRINK". The coyote's expression turns from smug to incredulous to outraged in a matter of seconds. He chases the Road Runner into an "old cactus mine", but soon realizes he has no helmet or flashlight. He returns to the cap rack and dons a cap; then the Road Runner provokes a chase through the mine.

They chase in a straight line until the Road Runner loads himself into an elevator and speeds to safety.

For this section of the cartoon, the camera cuts alternately to an actual-size view inside the mine and a Pac-Man style view. For the latter, Road Runner = GREEN. Wile E. Coyote = RED.

"Real time:" The Coyote brakes before falling into the shaft and gets into another lift to the left.

"Pac-Man:" The Coyote's lift descends until he spots the Road Runner in another shaft to the right, and follows him through it. The Road Runner ascends a level, flies over a gap, and causes the coyote to pause, then to jump and hold onto...

"Real time:"...the edge of this tunnel, and then to disappear through that tunnel.

"Pac-Man:" The Road Runner continues running down a level and then back up the same way he came.

"Real time:" Wile E. Coyote is momentarily stalled by having to climb a ladder up the main shaft.

"Pac-Man:" The chase continues circling in this way and gets faster and faster until the Road Runner edges into the right shaft. The Coyote continues circling until he hears the "Beep-beep", which alerts him to continue the chase. Past this shaft is a zigzag shaft that goes up and down repeatedly. The Coyote and Road Runner follow this pattern until the shaft changes into a straight tunnel to the right and one to the northeast. The Road Runner moves into the northeast tunnel, while the Coyote continues moving in the same pattern, bumping himself many times upon the ceiling and floor of the east shaft. Eventually, he knocks out his headlight.

"Real time:" Wile lights a match for light, but happens to be in an explosive-laden tunnel.

The camera now cuts to above the surface. The explosion warps the cactuses into the word "YIPE!".

Back on the surface, Wile has loaded himself on a springboard in order to sling himself towards the passing Road Runner. When he cuts the rope holding him back, he is planted directly on the ground and the spring unfurls like a Slinky.

The Coyote is now waiting for the Road Runner to make a fatal turn so that he can chase him with an abstrusely designed rocket. He lights the fuse with perfect timing, but unfortunately, the rocket fires directly "up" into the sky and explodes into an EAT AT JOE'S sign.

Now, Wile uses ACME rocket-powered roller skates to prepare for the chase, which the Road Runner promptly begins by pulling up to the Coyote. The rocket thrust almost unseats the Coyote, but he manages to lift his midsection to normal height and begin a very promising chase. When the road takes a turn, however, the Coyote is catapulted off the end, his rear is bumped against several buttes, and he then climbs and perches on top of a high plateau. The skates are still functioning, and the jet blasts eventually join forces and continue to rush the Coyote forward.

Wile E. Coyote is then thrown up into the sky, where the skates fail. The coyote, knowing about the adverse effects of gravity on him, pulls out a "R.I.P" wreath as he falls into the ground. Wile climbs out exhausted, and soon spots his "FREE DRINK OF WATER" trap set earlier in the cartoon. Since he is thirsty, he lifts the glass and gets suckered.

The Coyote, fully recovered, places a small railroad track, two bushes, himself, and a "R.R. STOP" sign in the middle of the road. This fails to stop the Road Runner, who mows down the Coyote and leaves him spread-eagled on the track to be flattened again by a passing train. The Road Runner relaxes on the balcony of the caboose, with "THE END" sign attached to the back of the caboose.

Censorship

*The Nickelodeon version of this cartoon cut the brief shot of Wile E. Coyote (after pulling on his parachute pack, which was revealed to be a knapsack filled with camping gear) producing a pack of Acme aspirin and swallowing the pills before waving pathetically as he falls.

ee also

*Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies filmography (1950-1959)
*Beep, beep (sound)