Honey's Money
| Honey's Money | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies (Yosemite Sam) series | |
| Directed by | Friz Freleng |
| Story by | John W. Dunn |
| Voices by |
Mel Blanc June Foray Billy Booth |
| Music by | Milt Franklyn |
| Animation by |
Gerry Chiniquy Lee Halpern Art Leonardi Bob Matz Virgil Ross |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 1, 1962 (USA premiere) |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 6 min (one reel) |
| Language | English |
Honey's Money is a 1962 Merrie Melodies animated short starring Yosemite Sam. Honey's Money is a remake of the 1950s shorts "His Bitter Half" and "Hare Trimmed." In The Bitter Half short, Daffy married a woman duck for money, but is thrown for a loop when the wife (who in Honey's Money is merely known as The Wealthy Widow) immediately becomes a nag and forces him to spend quality time with a son she didn't previously reveal. The same basic situation appears in Honey's Money, with Yosemite Sam in Daffy's place, a different design for the son, Wentworth, and some different gags. Additionally, the personalities of the two Wentworths—the innocent, dim-witted hulk of a child in "Honey's Money," vs. the brat featured in "His Bitter Half"—are different, which results in different executions of both cartoons. In addition some of the features from "Hare Trimmed" are added but without Bugs Bunny.
Summary
Sam learns that a local widow has inherited $5 million and plans to marry her, after which he plans to kick his wife out, close the orphanage and get rid of the police department (just like he tried to do in Hare Trimmed). Sam finds out that the woman is an ugly hag and tries to run, but when the woman says now has someone to help spend her money, he agrees to marry her. Sam is quickly turned into a maid, forced to do backbreaking housechores.
It is at this point where the woman calls her enormous, yet still childlike, son, Wentworth, to meet his new daddy. Sam objects when he is asked to play horsie with his stepson, but agrees when he is shown her bank book. The two get into a huge shouting match a short time later when Sam is asked to take Wentworth to the park, leading Wentworth to make the innocent observation, "My mommy and daddy are fighting." At the park, Sam decides that to keep the money for himself, he has to get rid of Wentworth. He first tries to throw a ball into the street but his wife catches on to what he is up to and makes him retrieve it, causing Sam to get run over (his wife is never seen again after that). When he later takes Wentworth swimming, Sam herds several alligators into the pool, but when Wentworth dives in, he makes such a huge splash that the alligators all land on top of Sam.
In the closing scene, Sam has packed his bags, muttering, "It's just money. What's a million bucks?" He then realizes his life of torture is worth all that money and goes running back to the old woman's home.
Home Media
This cartoon has been released on Blu Ray, on, the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Vol. 3. on August 12, 2014 and on DVD on November the 4th 2014.
Notes
- The cartoon is unique in that, with the exception of 1947's Along Came Daffy, it is the only time in the original theatrical cartoons that Sam isn't paired with long-time rival Bugs Bunny. This is Sam's first cartoon that only he stars in.
- The same premise would be used again in a 1970 Roland and Rattfink short: "A Taste of Money".
- Milt Franklyn provided the music for the short, though he was deceased since April 1962. This means the short was completed before his death. This would be the case with two more shorts in late 1962, before replacement composer Bill Lava's name finally started appearing in the opening credits in November with Good Noose.