Early to Bet

Early to Bet is a 1951 Merrie Melodies short directed by Robert McKimson.
== Title ==
The title is a play on "early to bed."
== Plot ==
A narrator shows the Gambling Bug in its natural habitat and the consequences of what a bite from the bug can do:
* A man has eaten dinner and been presented with the bill. However, he wants to bet the waiter Luigi "double or nothing" on a coin flip for the bill. Luigi begs him to just pay the bill and leave.
* Two men are sitting at a bar watching a fly buzz around their beer mugs. One fellow bets the other five dollars that the fly will land on his beer mug first, to which the other guy says "It's a bet!"
* A man puts a coin in a casino slot machine. He watches the wheels spin around until three oranges appear. He jumps for joy until the payout from the machine is actually three oranges instead of the jackpot. He gets enraged and starts punching the slot machine.
The narrator states to watch out for the Gambling Bug and he'll catch victims when they least expect it. The bug goes on vacation to a farmyard hoping to leave his victims alone today. Suddenly, he sees a bulldog asking the Supreme Cat if he'd like to play Gin Rummy for a spin on the penalty wheel. The cat disagrees and says he's through playing cards with the dog, knowing that the dog intentionally cheats to force the cat into several punishments. However, the Gambling Bug can not overpower his instincts and decides to bite the cat's ear. All of a sudden, Supreme goes berserk and asks the dog to do a game. Supreme promptly loses, and after realizing he has been suckered, the cat spins the Wheel of Penalties, and his penalty is Penalty #14: "The Gesundheit". He is forced to blow bubble gum as the talking dog puts sneezing powder in his nose, causing him to sneeze and the bubblegum covers him as the dog says "Gesundheit" after the cat is in the sticky mess. "Ooh! I hate that!"
Supreme abstains from playing cards again, but the bug is not giving up, so he bites the cat's ear once more. The cat loses yet again, and gets penalty #75 on the wheel: "William Tell". The punishment is that the dog shoots a toilet plunger into the cat's face. This time, Supreme swears off gambling for sure, but the bug bites him again, thinking he can't lose all the time. Unsurprisingly, the cat loses, and receives penalty #36 on the wheel. Supreme repeatedly strains as the dog prepares the next punishment: "Roll out the Barrel". The cat is set to roll out a barrel of gunpowder, while the dog puts a quick lit match on the gunpowder and the cat blows up and flies back right next to the dog.
While influenced with yet another bite, Supreme is in bandages from all the injuries and asks to go again. The dog refuses, saying, "You're too unlucky, cat. I'm quitting before you kills yerself!" The bug comes in and agrees to play one with the cat. He decides to cut for the highest card with the cat. Supreme cuts a three of hearts, to which the gambling bug says, "Not so good, cat. Watch!" Proud of having a good chance at winning, he draws a two of diamonds. Supreme wins and determines the punishment, the Post newspaper whack.
== Availability ==
Lt cheese chasers vcd.jpg|(1999) VCD Cheese Chasers
LT Golden Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc Four (low-pitch, restored with DVNR)
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection 1.jpg|(2003) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc 2
Lt cas2.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 2
Lt cas12.jpg|(2004) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 2
LooneyTunes CenterStageV2.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 2
Lt spotlight v1-3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 Repack
=== Streaming ===
Lt hbo max.jpg|(2020 - 2022) HBO Max (low-pitch, restored without DVNR)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - ) (low-pitch, restored without DVNR)
== Notes ==
* Due to similar gags of the Talking Bulldog tormenting the Supreme Cat with weird punishments, "Early to Bet" is considered a sequel to "It's Hummer Time".
** It is also the final cartoon where McKimson's talking bulldog character appears.
== Gallery ==
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EarlyToBetCredits2.png
Layout-drawing-Gambling-Bug-600.jpg|Layout drawing
EarlyToBetLeadSheet1.jpg
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EarlyToBetLeadSheet3.jpg
== References ==
 
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Robert McKimson
Category:1951
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist
Category:Cartoons written by Warren Foster
Category:Cartoons animated by Emery Hawkins
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Cornett Wood
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Richard H. Thomas
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons that contain excerpts from "Powerhouse"
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer