Tabasco Road

Tabasco Road is a 1957 Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Title ==
The title is a play on the 1932 novel, 1933 play, and 1941 film Tobacco Road.
== Plot ==
At a Mexican nightclub, Speedy Gonzales and his mice friends are socializing at a bar in a mouse hole. Speedy is dancing around a sombrero while two of his friends, Pablo and Fernando, drink until they are "muy loaded." At three in the morning, the two friends exit the bar into an alley, which has a large macho alley cat. The inebriated friends try to fight with the cat while Speedy tries to desperately find them. However, the two mice are easily captured and only saved by Speedy, who smashes the cat's tail with the butt of an axe. Speedy tries to hide Pablo and Fernando in a sardine can, but the two are still drunkenly singing and confuse Speedy for the cat. Speedy takes Fernando back home, but Pablo is caught and eaten. Speedy saves Pablo again by smashing the cat's foot with a hammer, and when the cat screams, Speedy grabs Pablo from his mouth and replaces him with a lit firecracker.
Fernando has left his house to also find Pablo. He falls for a trap in the cat's mouth, and Speedy repeats the hammer and firecracker tactic again. The cat is now scared of fighting Speedy and runs away past the city limits. As Speedy laughs after the cat, he sees Pablo and Fernando still wanting to fight other alley cats while intoxicated. Speedy asides, "Grab your sombreros, amigos. Here we go again."
== Television ==
* Warner Bros. Syndicated Package (1964–1990)
* Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon (1988–1995)
* The Looney Tunes Show [Cartoon Network] (2002–2004)
* Looney Tunes on Boomerang (2003–2005)
== Availability ==
W UK10550 LooneyTunesVideoShowNo15The.jpg|(1984) VHS The Looney Tunes Video Show Volume 15
Lt sgff.jpg|(1985) VHS Speedy Gonzales' Fast Funnies
Speedy Gonzales (1990) (UK VHS).jpeg|(1990) VHS Speedy Gonzales (1990)
Bumper03.jpg|(1996) VHS Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 3)
Ags4h4sertyj5t.jpg|(1996) VHS Looney Tunes Collection - Speedy Gonzales
lt ccmns.jpg|(1997) VHS Looney Tunes Classic Collection (Marks and Spencer UK VHS)
LTCE VOL 1 ALL-STARS.jpg|(1999) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition, Vol. 1: All-Stars
4A898C28-3AD1-4E03-A946-C5E6DBB8EB11.jpeg|(2003) VHS Speedy Gonzales (2003)
Wile E. Coyote & Road Runner Speedy Gonzales UK VHS.jpg|(2003) VHS Wile E Coyote & Road Runner Speedy Gonzales
LTGC Vol.4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc Three
lt tsosl.jpg|(2006) DVD The Spirit of St. Louis
Lt academy award animation collection.jpg|(2008) DVD Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection, Disc 3
lt bbot sg.jpg|(2011) DVD Speedy Gonzales
LTPC VOL 2 Blu Ray.jpg|(2012) Blu-ray Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc One
LTPC VOL 2 DVD.jpg|(2012) DVD Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 2, Disc One
=== Streaming ===
Lt itunes.jpg|iTunes ( - ) (restored)
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max Latin America / Brazil (2021 - 2024)
lt max.jpg|Max Latin America / Brazil (2024 - )
== Notes ==
* It is the final Speedy Gonzales cartoon to receive a Blue Ribbon reissue, replacing the large orange Looney Tunes titles and rings with "A Vitaphone Release".
* This cartoon was nominated for the 30th Academy Awards for "Best Short Subject (Cartoon)", but it lost to "Birds Anonymous". Both shorts were reissued as Blue Ribbon Merrie Melodies cartoons.https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1958
* In September 2021, a 35mm print sold on eBay had the original opening and closing titles.
** Though the original opening and closing titles are known to exist, it was restored with the Blue Ribbon titles.
== Gallery ==
210929456.png|Original opening title (from a 35mm print)
210929457.png
TabascoRoadCredits1.png
TabascoRoadCredits2.png
Tabasco800.jpg|Lobby card
TabascoRoadProductionDrawing1.jpg|Production drawing
TabascoRoadProductionDrawing2.jpg|Production drawing
TabascoRoadAnimatorDraft-600.jpg|Animation draft
== References ==
== External links ==
* Baxter's Breakdowns
Category:Speedy Gonzales Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Academy Award nominees
Category:Shorts
Category:Looney Tunes Shorts
Category:1957
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons written by Tedd Pierce
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Cartoons animated by Ted Bonnicksen
Category:Cartoons animated by George Grandpré
Category:Cartoons animated by Warren Batchelder
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Robert Gribbroek
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by William Butler
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist