The Barber of Seville (animation)



Voted No. 43 on The 50 Greatest Cartoons List, "The Barber of Seville" is a 1944 Walter Lantz cartoon directed by Shamus Culhane, starring Woody Woodpecker, as he stumbles across an abandoned barber shop in which he takes over for a time, much to the mistreatment of his customers. Hilarity Ensues.

This was also the first Woody Woodpecker cartoon to use Woody's iconic, streamlined design.

Not to be confused with Rabbit of Seville.


 * Art Evolution: Under previous director Alex Lovy, the Lantz studio's cartoons were both badly animated and hideous to look at. With Shamus Culhane's arrival, the animation only improved slightly, but this somewhat mitigated by the fact that the character and background designs were way better than what we saw before.
 * Circling Birdies: Er, chirping little birdies chirping and circling around the dazed Native American's head, to the beat of a classic NA tune.
 * Comes Great Insanity: Don't give Woody the position of a barber if you value your life. Granted, he actually does a fairly good job on the workman -- doesn't get a scratch on the guy -- he's just so rough about it.
 * Poirot Speak: The Italian-American workman tells Woody, "I want you for to give me the whole works, Figaro."
 * Screwy Squirrel: Woody, of course. Unfortunately, he does tend to stray from being a simple Screwy Squirrel into an outright Jerkass at times, a problem that would remain throughout the entire Culhane era.
 * Shout-Out: When Woody combs his "hair" over his face, he remarks, "Looks like Harmonica Lake" -- a reference to actress Veronica Lake, famous for her "peekaboo" hairstyle. Later, when Woody calls out, "Figaro! Figaro!" the workman replies, "Coming, Mother!" -- a Catch Phrase of the popular radio comedy, The Aldrich Family ("Hen-RY! Henry Aldrich!" "Coming, Mother!").
 * Toothy Bird: "Maybe I can cut my own hair. I cut my own teeth!"
 * Visual Pun: Woody puts a steaming hot towel on the chief's headdress, which shrinks it down into a badminton bird. "You give chief the bird, me give you scalp treatment!"
 * Wartime Cartoon: It's implied that the owner of the barber shop has been drafted.
 * You No Take Candle: The Chief talks this way.