''Who Killed Who?'' is a 1943

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

animated short Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

directed by

Tex Avery Frederick Bean "Tex" Avery (; February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, animation director, director, and voice actor. He was known for directing and producing animated cartoons during the golden age of America ...

. The cartoon is a parody of

whodunit A ''whodunit'' (less commonly spelled as ''whodunnit''; a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an criminal ...

stories and employs many clichés of the genre for humor; for example, the score is performed not by the MGM orchestra but by a solo organ, imitating the style of many radio dramas of the era.

Plot

A live-action host (

Robert Emmett O'Connor Robert O'Connor, also known professionally as Robert Emmett O'Connor and Robert E. O'Connor (March 18, 1885 – September 4, 1962) was an Irish-American actor. He had a lengthy career as a stage actor on Broadway and in vaudeville from 190 ...

) opens with a disclaimer about the nature of the cartoon, namely, that the short is meant to "prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that crime does not pay" (a direct reference to MGM's concurrent "Crime Does Not Pay" short subject series, which also opened with an actor pretending to be a law enforcement officer). The story begins on a dark and stormy night as the victim (voiced by

Kent Rogers Kent Byron Rogers (July 31, 1923 – July 9, 1944) was an American actor who appeared in several live-action features and shorts, and a voice actor for Warner Bros. Cartoons and Walter Lantz Productions. Career For Warner Bros. Cartoons, Roger ...

doing an impression of

Richard Haydn Richard Haydn (10 March 1905 – 25 April 1985) was a British comedian. Early life George Richard Haydon was born in 1905 in Camberwell, in the London Borough of Southwark. After working as a music hall entertainer and overseer of a Jamaica, J ...

), presumably the master of the very large "Gruesome Gables" mansion, is reading a book based on the cartoon in which he appears. Frightened, he muses that, according to the book, he is about to be " bumped off". Someone throws a dagger with a letter attached, telling the master that he will die at 11:30. When he objects, another letter informs him that the time has been moved to midnight. True to form, on the final stroke of midnight a mysterious killer in a heavy black cloak and hood shoots him dead with a rather large pistol (''how'' dead he is, though, is a matter of question), and a police detective (voiced by

Billy Bletcher William Bletcher (September 24, 1894 – January 5, 1979) was an American actor. He was known for voice roles for various classic animated characters, most notably Pete in Walt Disney's ''Mickey Mouse'' short films and the Big Bad Wolf in Di ...

, modeled on characters portrayed in film by

Fred Kelsey Frederick Alvin Kelsey (August 20, 1884 – September 2, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Kelsey directed one- and two-reel films for Universal Film Manufacturing Company. He appeared in more than 400 films betw ...

) and demanding to know "Who done it?!", immediately begins to investigate. After checking out the premises and the suspicious "

red herring A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important question. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences toward a false conclusion. A red herring may be used intentiona ...

" servants, the officer gives a lengthy chase of the real killer. The mansion is filled with surreal pitfalls, strange characters—including a red skeleton (a parody of

Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...

) and a ghost that is terrified of mice—and

booby trap A booby trap is a device or setup that is intended to kill, harm or surprise a human or an animal. It is triggered by the presence or actions of the victim and sometimes has some form of bait designed to lure the victim towards it. The trap may b ...

s that slow and obstruct the detective. Behind a closed door marked "Do Not Open Until Xmas", he finds an angry

Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

. The detective eventually traps the killer and unmasks him, revealing him to be the opening-sequence host, who confesses "I dood it"—one of Skelton's catchphrases—before bursting out crying.

Credits

* Directed By:

* Story: Rich Hogan * Animation: Ed Love, Ray Abrams,

Preston Blair Preston Erwin Blair (October 24, 1908 – April 19, 1995) was an American character animation, character animator, best remembered for his work at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio. ...

Cast

Voice cast

as Police Officer, Ghost (uncredited) *

Sara Berner Sara Berner (born Lillian Ann Herdan; January 12, 1912 – December 19, 1969) was an American actress. Known for her expertise in dialect and characterization, she began her career as a performer in vaudeville before becoming a voice actress for ...

as Cuckoo Clock Bird, Maid (uncredited) *

as victim with an impression of

, Red Skeleton, Falling Body, and

(uncredited)

Live-action cast

as Host (uncredited)

Availability

* '' Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 1'' Blu-ray (restored)

References

External links

* {{Tex Avery 1943 crime films 1943 mystery films 1943 films 1940s parody films 1940s American animated films 1940s ghost films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films Films directed by Tex Avery American films with live action and animation Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Self-reflexive films Films scored by Scott Bradley Films with screenplays by Henry Wilson Allen Films set in country houses Murder mystery films Santa Claus in film Films produced by Fred Quimby Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films Film noir cartoons 1943 animated short films