Rooty Toot Toot

19511951
PassedPassed
7min

The musical tale of a murder trial by a jealous lover.The musical tale of a murder trial by a jealous lover.The musical tale of a murder trial by a jealous lover.

6.8/10

853

Director
- John Hubley
Writers
- John Hubley(story)
- Bill Scott(story)
Stars
- Thurl Ravenscroft(voice)
- Annette Warren(voice)

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total

Thurl Ravenscroft

Annette Warren

Frankieas Frankie
(voice)
…

Director
- John Hubley
Writers
- John Hubley(story)
- Bill Scott(story)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

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The story of Frankie and Johnny: Frankie walks into a bar, where she catches her boyfriend Johnny with the sensuous Nelly Bly and kills him in a fit of jealousy. The story is told in song, during the trial, and the bartender and Nelly both tell essentially the same story; Frankie's lawyer spins a wild tale of Johnny out-running bullets and Frankie trying to return his gun, and the jury buys it! —Jon Reeves <jreeves@imdb.com>

courtroom jealous lover crime of passion murder trial jury 29 more

Taglines
- The Sweetheart of All Cartoons about those sweethearts - Frankie and Johnnie
Genres
Certificate
- Passed
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Frankie's outburst during Nelly Bly's testimony originally went "It's a lie! She's no singer, she's a..." before the judge cuts her off. The executives at Columbia objected to the line "She's a..." because of its unspoken implications, and ordered the line cut. This was the only instance of censorship on an UPA cartoon.

Quotes
Bartender: Frankie and Johnny were sweethearts, and all over town it was known, and then one day he came in without Frankie, but still ain't quite alone. Now Frankie come looking for Johnny, well, I couldn't tell her no lie, so I quitely slipped her the info, "He's out back, with Nelly Bly."
Frankie: Nelly Bly?
[Frankie marches out back, gunshots are heard; fade in back to courtroom]
Bartender: Rooty toot toot.
Judge: Rooty toot toot?
Bartender: Right in the snoot.

Soundtracks
Frankie and Johnny
Lyrics by Allen Alch

Top review

Vintage UPA toon.

It's a long time since UPA's cartoons shocked regular movie goers - an unprecedented break with the Disney tradition, bringing the departures we'd seen in newspaper cartoons, advertising art and strip comics to film. Some of their work looks like thin effort, now that we've seen the limited animation technique they pioneered used and abused in TV.

The seventies London NFT audience already had a short memory and booed the Mr. McGoos an American programmer included.

However ROOTY ROOT TOOT is not just a nostalgia trip. With it's delicate Hubley figures and unreal use of colour and backgrounds this is one of the most stylish things done in cartooning. Throw in clever gags and a great track - who are the vocalists? The dancing lawyer, the "Sordid Bar" sign and the leafy line on white setting for Frankie's back story are still evidence of an imagination which would prove capable of bringing us on going delight.

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