Arthur Q. Bryan Movies

One of the most beloved of all Warner Brothers cartoons, What's Opera Doc? re-imagines the Elmer Fudd versus Bugs Bunny conflict as a German opera, complete with expressionist sets, tragic romance, and a majestic chorus of "Kill the wabbit!" Director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese combine the usual wisecrack humor with a real appreciation of the classical form, crafting a loving parody of Wagner's Ring Cycle that manages to condense the massive four-opera work into a single, seven-minute story of a hunter, a rabbit, and a spear and magic helmet. Elmer takes on the Siegfried role, planning to use the magic armor to capture the rabbit. However, Bugs, as always, has countless schemes to foil Elmer -- including posing as his true love, the warrior maiden Brunhilde. When Elmer discovers this deception, however, he uses the full force of his magic to call up the power of the weather -- including winds, hurricanes, and the worst horror of all, smog. But for a few comic asides, all the dialogue is sung. Brilliant voice characterizations, wonderfully designed backgrounds, and smart writing all combine, under Jones' guidance, to create a hilarious classic. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Janitor Daffy Duck seethes with jealousy as movie star Bugs Bunny is showered with attention. Marching into the Warner Bros. executive offices, Daffy demands an opportunity to prove that he has more talent than Bugs--even if it means taking a job as stunt double in the rabbit's latest picture. Donning a Bugs costume, Daffy is subjected to one painful humilation after another at the hands of Yosemite Sam and Elmer Fudd. It all seems to pay off when Daffy is awarded his own starring vehicle--but perhaps the foolhardy Duck should have taken a closer look at the script! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Yankee Dood It is the last (and most propagandistic) of the three Warner Bros. cartoons commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to educate the public on the benefits of a free-market economic system. Alerted to the fact that a wealthy shoemaker is forcing his elf workforce to labor under outmoded conditions, the King of the Industrial Elves (who looks and sounds like Elmer Fudd) decides to pay the benevolent despot a visit. In the cartoon's longest scene, the King attempts to set the shoemaker straight with a prosaic lecture on mass-production capitalism. Trouble is, the King turns into a mouse every time someone says "Jehosaphat"--and it so happens that the shoemaker owns a VERY hungry cat. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The premise of this cartoon is established right at the beginning: "It's a well known psychological fact that people's behavior is strongly affected by the way they dress. Even a change of hats will usually bring certain changes." Sure enough, when peace-loving Elmer Fudd dons a hunter's hat, his first act is to take aim at Bugs Bunny--who, donning an Army Sergeant's hat, orders Elmer to march into a nearby lake. And so it goes, hat after hat, personality change after personality change, until finally a top-hatted Bugs proposes marriage to a modestly veiled Elmer! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After inheriting $3,000,000 from his deceased owner, Sylvester the cat plans to whoop it up with his alley-cat buddies. Alas, Sylvester's spending spree is cut short by the arrival of his new financial advisor Elmer Fudd. Refusing to let Sylvester squander a penny of his inheritance, Elmer tries to convince the spendthrift cat that he should invest his "idle cash" in the American economy, literally putting his money to work for the benefit of everyone. Heir Conditioned is one of three Warner Bros. cartoons underwritten by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to educate the American public in matters of financial responsibility (the other two Sloan-funded entries are By Word of Mouse and Yankee Dood It; fortunately, this rather smug little economics lesson is redeemed by several hilarious sight gags. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This "modern" western stars Rod Cameron as opportunistic Korean war veteran Tully Gibbs. Posing as a friend of the late son of mine owner Kevin Russel (Chill Wills), Tully intends to work the mine for all it's worth and then pull out. By and by, Tully slowly turns honest, but the same cannot be said of rival miner Ben Hodes (John Russell). Coming clean with Russell, Tully takes it upon himself to protect the mine from Hodes' evil schemes. The feminine angle is provided by Joan Leslie as Sarah Moffit, the sweetheart of Russel's deceased son, who eventually finds happiness in Tully's arms. Of interest are two supporting players, Jim Davis and Kristine Miller; both were concurrently starring on the weekly TV series Stories of the Century. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this Western with curiously Shakespearean undertones, Matt Devereaux (Spencer Tracy) is a ranch owner who has tried to raise his sons to carry on the fierce, hard-working spirit that helped make him a success. However, as a consequence, he never learned to show them affection and treats his boys little better than the hired help. Joe (Robert Wagner), is Matt's son by Native American wife Señora (Katy Jurado). Because of Joe's mixed ethnicity, he is treated prejudicially by his three half-brothers, Ben (Richard Widmark), Mike (Hugh O'Brian), and Danny (Earl Holliman) -- all Caucasian sons of Matt's first wife. Joe loves his father and would do nearly anything for him, but his siblings resent Matt's emotional distance. When Matt discovers a nearby copper mine is polluting a stream where he waters his cattle, he becomes furious and leads a raid on the mine that causes the law to visit the ranch; the police have a warrant to arrest whoever was responsible for the attack. To spare his father the agony and humiliation of a stay behind bars, Joe claims responsibility and spends several years in prison. When he's released, he discovers that Ben and his other brothers rebelled against their father with such extremity that the old man suffered a fatal stroke. While Señora tries to persuade Joe not to seek revenge, Ben is more than willing to fight his brother for taking his father's side. Screenwriter Philip Yordan won an Academy Award for his work on Broken Lance, while Katy Jurado received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her performance as Señora. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Ricky (Desi Arnaz) develops laryngitis just when he is slated to stage an elaborate floor show for the reopening of the Trocadero Club. Unable to reach club owner Mr. Chambers (Arthur Q. Bryan) in time to deliver the bad news, Lucy takes the bull by the horns and vows to stage the show herself. To help Lucy out, Fred Mertz (William Frawley) calls in some favors from several of his former vaudeville cronies -- and the result is an "up-to-date" musical review, "Flapper Follies of 1927," featuring the world's oldest chorus line! ~ Rovi

The much loved housekeeper--played first by Ethel Waters and then by Louise Beavers--from the early '50s TV show features a few domestic adventures in this collection of episodes. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi