An Itch in Time
| An Itch in Time | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Robert Clampett |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Story by | Warren Foster |
| Voices by |
Sara Berner Mel Blanc Arthur Q. Bryan |
| Music by |
Carl W. Stalling Treg Brown (editing) |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 8 minutes |
| Country | United States |
An Itch in Time is a 1943 Warner Bros. cartoon in the Merrie Melodies series, directed by Bob Clampett and starring Elmer Fudd and a dog and cat that look very similar to, if not modified versions of Willoughby the Dog and Claude Cat. It is in the public domain.
The voice of A. Flea is uncredited and was provided by Sara Berner, except for the character screaming "T-Bone!" which was done by Mel Blanc. Blanc also performs the voice of the dog and the cat. As usual, Arthur Q. Bryan is the voice of Elmer.
A. Flea would make another appearance in 1947's A Horse Fly Fleas, directed by Robert McKimson, in which the "A" in the flea's name is revealed to stand for "Anthony".
Plot synopsis
Elmer Fudd is laughing while lounging in his easy chair and reading his comic book (which is later revealed to have Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig on its cover), his dog nearby, sleeping comfortably in front of the fireplace. All is peaceful until a flea comes bouncing by, dressed in a farmer's-type outfit with a big straw hat, and carrying a satchel inscribed "Anthony Flea" also known as A. Flea. Pulling out his telescope and spotting the dog, he whistles and screams in excitement before beginning to sing "Food Around the Corner", which become a recurring theme throughout the cartoon. The flea then begins to find a suitable portion of the dog for him to eat or work on, which in turn causes the dog to scratch and bite the flea. Elmer soon notices this and threatens to give the dog a bath if he witnesses him scratching again, which the dog promises not to do. Although the dog keeps his promise, at one point he enlists help from the cat, but they are both caught by a stern-looking Elmer and retreat in shame.
The flea continues searching for meat and uses pickaxes, jackhammers and even explosives while the dog tries to withstand the suffering pain, but finally yelps and runs around, He stops and says to viewers (Hey, I better cut this out. I may get to like it.), Then continues yelping and running around. Elmer then advances on the dog, grasps him, and carries him to the bathroom. However, the flea manages to get on Elmer, causing him to scratch, and the dog proceeds to carry Elmer and give him a bath. He promptly slips on a soap bar on the floor and lands in the kitchen sink. The flea soon carries the two away on a plate, labelled as a "Blue Plate special". Upon witnessing A. Flea carrying Willoughby and Elmer out of the house, Elmer's cat remarks "Well, now I've seen everything.", then commits suicide by shooting himself in the head with a pistol (although the shooting is cut from all modern airings).
Credits
- Supervision: Robert Clampett
- Story: Warren Foster
- Animation: Bob McKimson
- Music: Carl W. Stalling
Cast
Sara Berner as A. Flea
Mel Blanc as Dog, Cat and A. Flea (Screaming)