Happy-Go-Nutty

**Happy-Go-Nutty** is an animated short that was made in 1944 by Tex Avery. It is the second appearance of Screwy Squirrel.

## Plot

Screwy Squirrel makes a clever escape from Moron Manor, an asylum for nut-headed squirrels. After waking up Meathead, the nut catcher, Screwy convinces the dog off a cliff. At the foot, Screwy hands him a newspaper, with the front headline saying, "Sucker!"

While sniffing the trail for Screwy, Meathead's nose separates from his body. Screwy, wielding a hammer, hits the runaway nose. It goes back into Meathead's face afterwards. Later, Meathead paints a bomb red to resemble an apple. He hands it to Screwy, who casually eats it. Meathead attempts to eat what's left after Screwy discards the core, but it explodes in his face, resulting in it being blackened ("Uh oh, he done it again!").

Then, Screwy decoys Meathead by going into a tree and immediately coming out, making the guard dog think he went in there. Unfortunately for Meathead, what was in there was not the squirrel, but a skunk, who, after Meathead runs away, holds up a sign saying "B.O." Screwy then gets a phone call and replies to every sentence with "You don't say!" Afterwards, he gives Meathead a couple aspirin. Meathead tells him that he doesn't have a headache, so Screwy gives him one with a hammer.

Because of this, Meathead bags the squirrel up, only to be met by a duplicate Screwy. He throws the one he bagged up in a trash can labeled, "For Extra Squirrels". At this point, Meathead has had enough ("This picture is screwy enough without *two* of you!"), to which Screwy replies, "Go lay an egg." Meathead comes back a few seconds later with an egg, which ends up in his face. After being chased all over the place, they stop for a "Coo-Coo Cola", then resumes the chase. Once again, Screwy decoys Meathead by going in a tree, but this time, he tries to backstab him with a rubber blade. Then, Screwy passes a "Gypsy Pose" machine and tries to look in, only to be met (and chased) by a rifle-holding Meathead. The two pass by a "The End" card, which Screwy points out. They shake hands and are about to set off when Screwy asks about what the idea of the picture was. Meathead answers by saying that Screwy not the crazy one, but he is. The cartoon ends with Meathead pulling the same looney gags that Screwy pulled in the beginning.

## Censorship

The Turner print of this cartoon has the blackface gag cut. The LaserDisc version and the *Screwball Classics* print have the scene intact.

## Availability

* (1989) VHS - Tex Avery Screwball Classics 2 (unrestored; MGM/UA)
* (1994) LaserDisc - The Compleat Tex Avery: Disc 1 (unrestored; MGM/UA)
* (2007) The Katherine Hepburn Collection: Disc 2 (censored Turner print; Warner Bros.)
* (2021) Blu-ray - *Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 3* (restored; Warner Bros.)

## Gallery

"Uh oh, he done it again!" Cropped screenshot of 2021 restorationScrewy's clever escape"You know, those guys in there think I'm crazy!"
## Notes

* This cartoon is notorious for airing on Cartoon Network for twelve hours straight (nearly 60 times!) on April Fools Day 1997.
* This cartoon was originally planned to be on Tex Avery Screwball Classics Volume 1, but the WB lawyers disapproved twice (probably because of the blackface gag). It was finally allowed on Volume 3 after the third attempt to have it greenlit for restoration.

1. ↑ http://www.whataboutthad.com/mgm-cartoon-filmography-by-production-number/