130. Let It Be Me (1936)

Release date: May 2nd, 1936

Series: Merrie Melodies

Director: Friz Freleng

Starring: Berneice Hansell (Emily), Billy Paye (Bingo), Jack Carr (Clem), Gil Warren (Announcer), Jeane Cowan (Hen)

This has an interesting backstory. Bing Crosby has actually sued Warner Bros. over 2 cartoons. It’s common knowledge that he’s at least sued over one cartoon, which is Bingo Crosbyana, also released in 1936. However, he also sued over this one too—and lost both. You’ll see why, but he sued over unflattering depictions of him. Bing would be a common celebrity featured in many a cartoon, as well as fellow crooner Frank Sinatra. If I remember correctly, I had heard that he didn’t like his portrayal in Frank Tashlin’s iconic Swooner Crooner, the only Porky cartoon to get nominated for an academy award. So, with that! Crooner Bingo has won the hearts of millions, including country bumpkin Emily. Emily’s husband isn’t too enthused when Bingo and Emily start hanging out with each other and get too close for comfort.

A gaggle of lovestruck hens crowd around the outside of a radio station, all trying to listen to the warbly strains of Bingo Crosby’s (as he’s not so subtly named in this cartoon) voice. Sure enough, Mr. Bingo is recording the title song “Let It Be Me”, cozying up to the microphone and putting on his shtick.

No hen is immune to Bingo’s charming voice. A flock of adoring hens crowd around a radio, complete with a framed photograph of Bingo on top, as if the radio is some sort of shrine to a feathery, crooner god. One hen in particular struggles to join in with the crowd, almost like a kitten trying to squeeze in with the rest of its litter to get some of its mothers milk.

Elsewhere, a scene reused from I Wish I Had Wings (and would again be tailored in Wise Quacks to fit daffy and his wife) has an adoring hen embracing her own personal photo of Bingo while listening to the radio. Her husband walks in, and quickly she hides the photo behind her back. The husband demands to see what it is she’s hiding, turning off the radio so she can give him her full attention. She eventually gives up and peeks out of her hands in giddy embarrassment as the husband ogles at the photo. To say the least, he isn’t too pleased—he throws the picture on the ground and stomps all over it for good measure, leaving her in tears. The plight that is Bing Crosby! 

Bingo wraps up his recording session, and struts outside of the radio shack, parting the waters that is his adoring fans. He tips his hat and tugs on his bow tie, bidding them a sly “Good morning, girls.” The hens giggle and guffaw and blush in response, as if every single movement he makes is the funniest thing in the world. Bingo meanders along his way, accompanied by a lovely underscore of “I Wanna Woo”. Bingo, ever the charmer, coyly tosses his boutonnière to his fans, and a cock fight ensues as the hens tackle each other for the flower. An oldie but goodie for sure.

Some nice juxtaposition: we fade out on the calm, cool, and collected Bingo Crosby and fade in on a hayseed, dopey farmer who is clearly the opposite in every which way of the former. He merrily struts along with a bouquet of handpicked flowers. He knocks on the door of a rural house, and out comes a quaint little country bumpkin hen. A precursor to the dopey voice Kent Rogers and Mel Blanc would perform in their cartoons, the rooster guffaws “Ah-I-I bought you some posies, Emily,” dragging his feet around as he giggles while Emily smells the bouquet. Emily squeaks out a “Thank you!” as the two yokels flirt together.

There’s a lovely undershot of a long, fancy, quite frankly intimidating orange car rolling down the dirt road. It’s none other than Bingo, honking his many horns (each imitating his voice, giving a “booboobooboo”—a favorite to use amongst all WB directors with their interpretations of Bing) to mark his arrival. Emily cries “Ooh, there’s mister Bingo!” and drops her flowers as she rushes over to the end of the driveway, her husband obviously hurt.

Bingo screeches to a halt at the front of their driveway. Emily is tickled pink to see him, and her husband... not so much. Bingo tips his hat and croons “Good morning, my pretty maid.” She giggles and covers her face as Bingo checks her out for a prolonged amount of time, evidently to his liking. A great visual as Emily’s husband (i guess more so boyfriend) literally turns green with envy, kicking the ground in aggravation. 

“How’d you like to go for a ride, baby, and I’ll show you the sights of the city?” A country bumpkin going out into the city—joy! Emily eagerly accepts bingo’s invitation and hops right in his car. With that, the two speed off and the poor rooster is left to his own devices.

A very creative transition: fade out on the bewildered rooster. Soon enough, the black screen is showered with balloons, confetti, and noise. Fade in to a nightclub filled with rowdy patrons. Emily and Bingo are situated in the back, eagerly surveying their surroundings. Bingo offers Emily a glass of wine, but she refuses, shaking her head no. Instead, Bingo resorts to charming Emily with a few “booboobooboo”s, and she’s wooed enough to take a sip. Regardless of Bingo’s intentions, Emily coughs and sputters after just one sip.

Enter a curvaceous, beautiful turkey with an impressive fan. She launches into “I’ve Got My Eye On You”, and Bingo is immediately taken with her. She approaches Bingo and they flirt together, much to the chagrin of a neglected Emily. She gives Bingo’s sleeve a few haughty shakes, to which Bingo motions at her to buzz off. Thusly, Emily breaks down into tears, Bingo summoning a waiter to kick her out. What a charmer! 

Let It Be Me (1936), left, and He Was Her Man (1937), right.

Indeed, Emily is booted onto the streets, bearing an imprint of a foot on her behind. In a scenario that would be reused not even a year later in Freleng's He Was Her Man, a time card declares TIME STAGGERS ON before we’re transported to the wintry city streets. Emily attempts to peddle some violets in the midst of the harsh storm, but receives no takers.

Meanwhile, her hayseed rooster husband paces around in his home anxiously. He sighs longingly at a framed portrait of Emily, unable to discern what she sees in that stupid crooner. His thoughts are echoed as the radio broadcasts the vocals of Mr. Bingo himself, once again warbling “Let It Be Me”. The rooster is furious and slams the radio to the ground, the radio giving a few last dying “booboobooboo”s.

Time to take action. The rooster courageously wraps a scarf around his neck and prepares to brave the storm as he opens the door. However, the storm is much stronger than the rooster’s determination, the wind blowing him back through several doors in the household and out of the back door. Instead, the rooster marches out into the streets from the back of his house. His march grows only more hurried and vitriolic as visions of Bingo dance in his head—visions of wringing him by his spindly little neck.

The radio shack pops up in sight, and the rooster storms right in. Bingo’s croons are put to a halt and are replaced by the sounds of offscreen, comical violence as the rooster pummels him behind closed doors. I wonder why on earth Bing tried to sue them. The rooster takes care of his duty, but is hardly fulfilled. He treks glumly along in the snow, still longing for his dear Emily.

He can only sulk as he treads on, ignoring the squeaky voice of some random woman selling violets on the street. He halts. Sure enough, it’s his beloved Emily, freezing her feathers off. He bellows “Emily!” with outstretched arms, and Emily happily responds “Clem!” (Foreshadowing to Red Skelton's Clem Kadiddlehopper?) as the lovebirds embrace.

Time marches on, and our heroes now have a happy family. Clem reads by the fire while Emily knits, both watching adoringly as their chicks playfully cheep and chase each other, a fitting underscore of “Home Sweet Home” furthering the coziness of the scene. Relaxation is disturbed when one of the chicks begins to sing, sounding awfully similar to a familiar crooner as the chick gives out a few “booboobooboo”s. He’s quickly shut up as an offscreen book is hurled at his head. Iris out.

I enjoyed this cartoon! Friz’s cartoons are getting better and better, and this one made me smile. Just knowing that Bing tried to sue WB for this cartoon definitely adds to the appeal. It seems he wasn’t too great of a guy himself (which is a shame, I love his music), so this is almost cathartic. Berneice Hansell does a great job of voicing Emily (like always), and whoever did the voices for Bingo and Clem also deserve recognition. Lots of funny gags, such as Clem turning green with envy and the bastard child at the end. I’d say go watch it! If anything, it’s worth watching knowing it sparked a lawsuit.

Link!