Each Dawn I Crow

This Looney Tunes cartoon title - not the story - is a play-on-words of the 1939 film, "Each Dawn I Die," which starred James Cagney and George Raft.

This is sometimes billed as an "Elmer Fudd cartoon," but it is a bit different in that it is narrated and really stars big "John Rooster." Elmer has a small role in here.

The bird is strutting his stuff until the narrator makes him paranoid about the dangers surrounding him. He points out that "Farmer Fudd" is nearby sharpening his ax which means only one thing: "chicken dinner." Yikes, the rooster panics!

The narrator is like the Devil talking and having his evil laugh as he tries to convince the poor fowl that he's about to become dinner (when he obviously isn't). This guy is really sadistic. I felt sorry for the poor rooster, who turns into a chain smoker and about loses his mind.

The several efforts the rooster made to hold back Sunday morning (literally) and then do his boss in before the reverse supposedly happened all made me laugh out loud. So did his wicked grin.

True, this was a nasty cartoon, but once this story picks up, about a couple of minutes into it, it's hilarious. "John" provided a lot of good laughs.

This cartoon (the title is a play on the film title "Each Dawn I Die") is one of the better Elmer Fudd solos the did. It concerns a rather foolish rooster, the hazards of jumping to conclusions and the danger of inattention. The narration is excellent, visual gags are here in abundance and the payoff is a scream for everyone but John Rooster. It's usually a good idea to be aware of your surroundings. A delightful little short. Well worth looking for. Recommended.