Misguided Missile
| Misguided Missile | |
|---|---|
| Woody Woodpecker series | |
 | |
| Directed by | Paul J. Smith |
| Produced by | Walter Lantz |
| Story by | Michael Maltese |
| Voices by |
Grace Stafford Dal McKennon |
| Music by | Clarence Wheeler |
| Animation by |
Robert Bentley Les Kline |
| Studio | Walter Lantz Productions |
| Distributed by | Universal International |
| Release date(s) | January 27, 1958 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 6' 03" |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Fodder and Son |
| Followed by | Watch the Birdie |
Misguided Missile is the 82nd animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on January 27, 1958, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.
Plot
As Woody pecks for crumbs in the park, an activity he thinks is "for the birds," he sees the newspaper classified ads and decides to go after the easiest job he can find: selling insurance door to door. He is assigned to cover the city's low-rent district, where he runs afoul of Dapper Denver Dooley, who insists that he does not need a policy. Only after several of the accidents covered by it (being hit by a safe, falling into a printing press, etc.) happen to Dooley does he agree to sign up; however, he throws Woody out of the house without paying.
Woody advises Dooley to read the policy's fine print, which says that he is not covered if hit by a guided missile, and proceeds to launch one after setting it to "Deadbeat." The missile chases Dooley all over the city, its clockwork ticking loudly enough to announce its arrival, and eventually blows him up. In the hospital, he calls for his breakfast and a nurse puts some bread into the toaster for him; thinking that its ticking noise is another missile, he dives out the window. On the way down, he signs up for a new policy offered by Woody, but bursts into tears after reading the fine print and learning that he is not covered for what he has just done.
Notes
Grace Stafford received onscreen credit as Woody's voice for the first time.
References
- Cooke, Jon, Komorowski, Thad, Shakarian, Pietro, and Tatay, Jack. "1958". The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia.