Rooty Toot Toot (1952, John Hubley)

Musical courtroom drama based on the classic song Frankie and Johnny. J has been shot to death in a bar – the bartender and another girl testify they were nearby and that his girlfriend F killed him in a jealous rage. Defense lawyer tells a tale of poor lovely innocent F, and J’s accidental suicide. Jury acquits, F sees her suitor/lawyer dancing with the girl from the bar and shoots him dead in court. Wow.

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/archives/tag/hubley

Rooty Toot Toot

Passed | 7min | Animation, Short, Musical | 1951 (USA)

The story of Frankie and Johnny: Frankie walks into a bar, where she catches her boyfriend Johnny with the sensuous Nelly Bly and kills him in a fit of jealousy. The story is told in song, during the trial, and the bartender and Nelly both tell essentially the same story; Frankie's lawyer spins a wild tale of Johnny out-running bullets and Frankie trying to return his gun, and the jury buys it!

- Written by Jon Reeves

Frankie is on trial, charged with the murder of her boyfriend Johnny. The alleged story is that Frankie, upon walking into the bar where Johnny was hanging out, found out from the bartender that Johnny was cavorting in the back room with singer Nelly Bly. Frankie then allegedly went to the back room and shot Johnny dead. The prosecutor believes he has an open and shut case, with the bartender and Nelly testifying as eye witnesses. Although he doesn't question the witnesses, Frankie's attorney, the flashy Jonathan Bailey, feels he can still get Frankie off on the charges. Bailey mounts an unusual defense. After the jury renders its verdict, an incident in the courtroom leads to the belief that the jury is probably wrong.

- Written by Huggo

Director: John Hubley

Writers: John Hubley (story), Bill Scott (story)

Stars: Thurl Ravenscroft, Annette Warren

Rooty Toot Toot is a 1951 United Productions of America animated short film, directed by John Hubley. In 1994 it was voted #41 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field. It received a nomination for the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 1951, but lost out to Tom and Jerry's 6th award winning cartoon The Two Mouseketeers. Annette Warren provides the voices of both Frankie and Nelly Bly. Thurl Ravenscroft is the voice of Johnny.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooty_Toot_Toot

UPA's Rooty Toot Toot is an entertaining animated short version of the "Frankie and Johnny" song

2 March 2011 | by tavm (Baton Rouge, La.) – See all my reviews

Just watched this UPA Jolly Frolics animated short on YouTube as linked from the Cartoon Brew site. It's the telling of the "Frankie and Johnny" tale as depicted in the courtroom with Frankie on trial for her murder of Johnny because of his adulterous ways especially with one Nelly Bly. Director John Hubley makes his unique line drawings quite fluid as the tale gets told entirety in song. This was nominated for an Oscar but lost to another Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry entry called The Two Mouseketers. Eventually, many UPA efforts would become Academy Award winners while those of other studios, exceptions being those of Warner Bros., would no longer dominate during the '50s. So on that note, Rooty Toot Toot is highly recommended.