Country Boy

Country Boy is a 1935 Merrie Melodies short directed by Isadore Freleng.
== Plot ==
One morning, a rabbit mother is getting her children ready for school. However, she can't find one of her children, Peter Cottontail, and calls him to see him hiding in a chicken barn. Peter is given his books and is spanked by the feather duster he used to disguise himself as a chicken. On his way, he reluctantly kicks a can of tomato paste until he stubs his foot. He sees a farmer's garden of vegetables and tries to sneak inside, but his three siblings catches him and yells repeatedly that they will tell on Peter to his mother and teacher. They remind Peter that if he enters the garden, he will be beaten to a pulp, but Peter believes that he can easily pummel the farmer. However, the school bell rings, and Peter and the three children hurriedly head to school, but Peter turns back and sneaks into the garden.
Peter firstly finds some carrots and devours them whole, then slices through some green beans to eat them, which happen to be jumping beans, causing Peter to uncontrollably jump. He tries to pick up a beet, but is unable to, so he uses a well to reel the beet, which draws an entire string of beets and the cow that was going to eat it. The cow falls into the well, causing a massive splash that catches the attention of the farmer, who was mowing the grass. Peter realizes he has been caught and escapes via lawnmower, haphazardly driving through most of the farmer's plants and crops. He ends up being drenched into buckets of maple syrup and runs into a chicken coop, being completely feathered. He jumps up to the nearest post and crows like a rooster.
== Availability ==
Golden-Age-of-Looney-Tunes-5-F.jpg|(1997) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 5, Side 5, Pesky Pets (1995 Turner dubbed version)
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023) (restored)
lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - ) (restored)
== Notes ==
* This short is loosely based on The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.
* This is the first short to change the color of the curtain titles from red to green, which would be used until "Billboard Frolics".
** The jester's voice was originally a unique, low-pitched voice, as seen in Associated Artists Productions prints of the short.https://youtu.be/Pxq7JsBaL5g?feature=shared However, it was replaced with the same voice from "I Haven't Got a Hat" on its 1995 dubbed version, which was retained on its 2020 restoration on HBO Max.
* Despite already being in color and a copyrighted short, this short was unofficially redrawn in color in the 1970s by Radio & Television Packagers. The cartoon was retitled "Country Boy Rabbit". This version is sourced from an incomplete black-and-white print that ends during the middle of the climax.
== Gallery ==
CountryBoyRESTORED.jpeg|Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration
Screenshot 2021-04-20 at 19.49.23.png|Lobby card
CBMS.jpg|Model sheet
CBPA.jpg|Production drawing
== References ==
Category:1935
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Berneice Hansell
Category:Cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Bernard B. Brown
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Norman Spencer
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package
Category:One-Shot Cartoons