The Shell Shocked Egg (1948)

A mother turtle, naming her four eggs Tom, Dick, Harry, and Clem, buries the eggs while she obtains a sunlamp to heat her offspring into hatching, and Clem hatches prematurely and only ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert McKimson

Writer:

Warren Foster (story)

Stars:

Mel Blanc

Cast

Uncredited cast:
Mel Blanc	...	Mama Turtle, Tom, Dick, Harry, Clem, Dog (voice) (uncredited)

Storyline

A mother turtle, naming her four eggs Tom, Dick, Harry, and Clem, buries the eggs while she obtains a sunlamp to heat her offspring into hatching, and Clem hatches prematurely and only partially while his mother is away. Unable to see in his search for a warm body to fully hatch him from his eggshell, Clem wanders into a barnyard and briefly cozies with a cow, which "golfs" him into a barn, and a male dog. The dog thinks he has laid an egg and envisions fame and fortune. He chases the partly-hatched Clem and comes into conflict with a chicken and rooster, who believe Clem to be their offspring. Finally, Clem's mother and her three other boy turtles, who sing in perfect coordination, find Clem. Clem is fully hatched by his mother, then complains about still being in a shell.

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Plot Keywords:

egg | turtle | dog | rooster | barn | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Music

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1948 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

7 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The unnamed rooster in this cartoon has the exact same figure and shape as Foghorn Leghorn, created two years earlier in 1946. The only difference between the two are the colors of their feathers. This rooster has two shades of brown, while the feathers of Foghorn Leghorn are solid white, except his tail and head. Both roosters are very tall.

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Soundtracks

"Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?"
Music from German folk song

User Reviews

Looney Tunes meets "Traffic" and "Syriana"

What I mean when I associate "The Shell Shocked Egg" with movies like "Traffic" and "Syriana" takes some explaining. Robert McKimson's cartoon - stripped of its opening credits in the Blue Ribbon reissue - portrays two stories, linked by something, and they eventually collide. The aforementioned movies each depict several different stories occurring, all with a common bond. Other such films include "Crash", "Babel" and "Even Money". Needless to say, these movies approach the idea much grimmer.

OK, I probably went too far in my analysis. I'm sure that McKimson intended the cartoon as pure entertainment, and it certainly entertains. While the plot is very similar to Frank Tashlin's "Booby Hatched", there's still some pretty funny stuff here. Especially the singing brothers! I recommend it, and I can't understand what some reviewers have against Robert McKimson.