Count Me Out

Count Me Out is a 1938 Merrie Melodies short directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton.

Title[]

The title is a pun on "count me in".

Plot[]

Egghead reads a newspaper advertisement that asks if he is a man or a mouse and says that he should purchase ten boxing lessons for one dollar. Realizing that he wants to be a man, he sends in his check through air mail and has it quickly sent to him. Egghead opens up the ACME School of Boxing kit and begins his training.

The first thing in Egghead's training is to strike a proper striking pose. The record appears to be capable of interacting with Egghead's actions, such as telling Egghead that there are people looking at him when he is panting, telling him to get up when Egghead is bopped by his own punching bag, Eventually, the first lessons end with the punching bag still swinging, causing the record narrator to tell Egghead to "stop punching that bag," prompting Egghead to shoot the punching bag with a rifle. In the fourth lesson, Egghead practices on a mechanical boxing machine and dodges all of the attacks and punches at the machine, causing Egghead to get his diploma. As Egghead leaves, he accidentally presses the button to start the boxing machine and is bopped in the head.

That night, Egghead chooses to take on world-champion boxer Biff Stew. As the champion is introduced, the wrestling referee laughs at Egghead, seeing how much of a wimp he still is after all of the training. As the match starts, Egghead uses the recorder to help Egghead out, but Biff easily beats up Egghead like no tomorrow ("It's unbelievable!"). However, an accident caused by Egghead bouncing off the rope on the ring after being punched by Biff Stew causes the champion to get knocked out and fall through the floor. However, Egghead is not really fighting Biff Stew; the whole fight was a daydream after Egghead accidentally pressed the button earlier. Egghead decides to quit boxing, but mistakenly steps on the same button again and gets knocked out by practice equipment.

Caricatures[]

• Joe Penner - "It's unbelievable!"
• Charlie McCarthy - "Imagine meeting you here. Small world after all, isn't it?"
• Jim Jordan

Availability[]

(1992) LaserDisc
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 3, Side 8: The Evolution of Egghead

(2010) DVD
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (USA 1995 Turner dubbed print)

(2024) Blu-ray
Sweethearts (restored)

Streaming[]

HBO Max (2020 - 2023) (restored)

Max (2023 - ) (restored)

Notes[]

• The phrase Egghead says upon receiving the boxing kit, "...all sorts of things and stuff!", is a variation of a phrase Fibber McGee, from the then-popular radio show Fibber McGee and Molly, would say after listing off various items, "...and all sorts of stuff like that there."
• One of the highlights in this cartoon is the jovial, laughing referee, voiced by Tex Avery.
  • This idea was later emulated in 1943 by Chuck Jones in "To Duck .... or Not to Duck", which featured a duck referee with a similar physique and personality. The referee in that cartoon was voiced by Mel Blanc due to Avery's departure from the studio at the time that cartoon was made.
• This is the final classic cartoon to star Egghead.
• The European transfer of the "dubbed version" uses the 1948 ending card, whereas the American transfer uses the 1938 ending card.

Gallery[]

Poster

Lobby card

References[]

External links[]

• Original ending