Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name
| Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies (Buddy) series | |
| Directed by | Isadore Freleng |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Music by |
Bernard Brown Norman Spencer |
| Animation by |
Ben Clopton Cal Dalton Bob Clampett (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | January 19, 1935 |
| Color process | 2-strip Technicolor |
| Running time | 7 minutes |
| Language | English |
Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name is a 1935 animated Merrie Melodies cartoon, starring Buddy and Cookie (as two mer-kids), and is noted to be the only Buddy cartoon in Technicolor. This is directed by Friz Freleng.
Plot
Mermaids sing to the audience about mermaids and fishes at play; they and some other sea creatures dance to the song. A young merman who resembles Buddy plays tag with a mermaid resembling Cookie, but she is offended when he "tags" her a bit too hard. Buddy looks inside a sunken ship and drags Cookie to it. She gleefully adorns herself with jewelry she finds in a treasure chest. Meanwhile, Buddy finds some props in another truck and does an imitation of Charlie Chaplin.
Cookie finds a piano and plays the title song. The noise draws an octopus, who grabs her and swims off, with Buddy in pursuit. The octopus drops Cookie to fight Buddy, and does do so with some success until Buddy lures it into a pipe and ties the octopus's tentacles to a flange, then starts bashing the octopus with a battering ram. Cookie kisses Buddy; he blushes, then gets hit by the battering ram into her arms.
Identity of the protagonists
The two mer-characters who find a treasure trove resemble Buddy and Cookie, but are not actually named. This may be Buddy's first color appearance, but whether it was intended as an official part of his sub-series is in doubt. It is frequently stated that Buddy was featured in 23 animated films. They would be 24 if Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name is included.