The "Real" Hit Or Miss Of The Month: Wacky Worm

[Marty26]

This month's Hit or Miss will be for an obscure WB character named Wacky Worm. For those in the not-know, Wacky Worm was an Irish-accented worm based on Jerry Collona (whom I'm admittedly not really familiar with). He starred in two cartoons: The Wacky Worm and Greetings Bait. The latter was nominated for an Oscar. The two cartoons are on Youtube:

YouTube - Merrie Melodies - The Wacky Worm (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuS2DqmzuwY)

YouTube - Merrie Melodies - Greetings Bait (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gvSuwMPmBs&feature=related)

I can't really decide, quite frankly. On the one hand, he starred in two pretty solid cartoons. But his actual character is rather one-dimensional. And I'm not sure his name really suits him either (there isn't really anything "wacky" about him - at least, not in a Tex Avery sense). I'll vote "Hit", but more for his actual cartoons than for his character.

[Glowworm]

Miss on the worm. Truthfully it's a mixed feeling-"Greetings Bait" is a decent cartoon-not wonderful but not horrible either-in other words it's watchable.

However I'm still not wanting to watch or go near "The Wacky Worm" on the other hand because it frightened me as a child.I had a color changing phobia as a child-I hated watching cartoon characters' faces change multiple colors such as when Giovani Jones' face changes many colors in "The Long Haired Hare"

I'm over the color changing phobia-but I have a feeling that in general I also hated the cartoon before the ending. The ending has the worm hide in an apple-the crow insists that he'll find the worm even if he has to eat every one of those apples. At one point, the crow is getting nauseous and turns bright green from eating so many apples-it freaked me out as a child(I honestly only saw this short completely once yet somehow vividly remember this although I saw the ending part again much later)The worm himself I found somewhat annoying truthfully.

In other words-not a fond character-and ironically I prefer the Mexican garbage man from "Daffy's Diner" to him.:D

[Glowworm]

Alright-I finally watched the "Wacky Worm"-not so horrible now-as I'm over my "color phobia" but still not fond of it. It's somewhat bland compared to "Greetings Bait" in which the worm does some brilliant gags in order to lure the fish to the fisherman. I did like the part where the worm got drunk though! "You're inebriated!" "Aah yes,disgusting,isn't it?" I also liked the crow's "theme music".

Truthfully-I still find the worm to be annoying-I know that he's a caricature of Jerry Collona but I've found smaller roles with him carictured in cartoons (such as the "cowpuncher" in "Detouring America" and the jury in "Daffy Doodles" in that were much funnier. Wacky Worm is still a miss for me.


Also-is it just me or is the worm's voice slightly higher pitched in "Greetings Bait?"

[Marty26]

However I'm still not wanting to watch or go near "The Wacky Worm" on the other hand because it frightened me as a child.I had a color changing phobia as a child-I hated watching cartoon characters' faces change multiple colors such as when Giovani Jones' face changes many colors in "The Long Haired Hare"

I actually found the hair-color change after Giovanni crawled out of the ruins of the Hollywood Bowl to be more frightening as a child. Now, I know the color change was supposed to represent the dust/dirt that got on him from the HB. But back then, I remember thinking it was supposed to be blood staining. :o

[Marty26]

Alright-I finally watched the "Wacky Worm"-not so horrible now-as I'm over my "color phobia" but still not fond of it. It's somewhat bland compared to "Greetings Bait" in which the worm does some brilliant gags in order to lure the fish to the fisherman. I did like the part where the worm got drunk though! "You're inebriated!" "Aah yes,disgusting,isn't it?" I also liked the crow's "theme music".

Truthfully-I still find the worm to be annoying-I know that he's a caricature of Jerry Collona but I've found smaller roles with him carictured in cartoons (such as the "cowpuncher" in "Detouring America" and the jury in "Daffy Doodles" in that were much funnier. Wacky Worm is still a miss for me.


Also-is it just me or is the worm's voice slightly higher pitched in "Greetings Bait?"

In some scenes, it is. And in some it isn't. Out of curiosity, was that fisherman supposed to be the "real" Jerry Collona?

[Sean Gaffney]

I enjoy the Wacky Worm cartoons, but I think it really depends on how much you like (or know) Jerry Colonna. I listened to a lot of old Bob Hope and Fred Allen as a kid. :)

[Glowworm]

In some scenes, it is. And in some it isn't. Out of curiosity, was that fisherman supposed to be the "real" Jerry Collona?

Yes, the fisherman in the end that the worm works for is suppose to be a cariculture of the "real" Jerry Collona.

[J Lee]

The most interesting thing about "The Wacky Worm" is that Friz took the crow he had created over at MGM for "The Bookworm" and moved him over to Warners. Not quite a reverse Bosko move, but one of the rare cases of a character design and (Mel Blanc) voice moving from one studio to another.

As for the cartoon itself, it falls into that group of 1940-41 cartoons that almost are hits, but are done in by their slow pacing. That's probably why Friz tried again with the Colona worm two years later, when the studio's timing was much faster and better.

[cartoonfan4ever]

I voted "hit," he's cute and I enjoy Greatings Bait. The Wacky Worm is alright but slow moving. And I do agree that "Wacky Worm" is not a suitable name for him.