Fast and Furry-ous

Fast and Furry-ous is a 1949 Looney Tunes short directed by Charles M. Jones.

Title[]

The title is a pun on the phrase "fast and furious", dating back to a 1915 silent comedy short of the same name.

Plot[]

Road signs displaying the short's title and credits are uprooted by a burst of speed. Each subsequent sign is accompanied in the confusion by the previous one. Ultimately, Road Runner is running on a road through a desert. Suddenly, he freezes and the words "Road Runner (Accelleratii incredibus)" appear. He continues in slow motion, and gives his signature "Beep, beep" before he speeds up and runs away. He continues to dash along several roads. To the right, Wile E. Coyote looks down at Road Runner with binoculars. He freezes as he licks his lips and the words "Coyote (Carnivorous Vulgaris)" appear. He then runs off behind a rock, where he digs out a napkin, which he ties around his neck, a fork, and a knife.

Coyote runs down the hill and catches up to Road Runner. He takes several stabs at the bird with his fork and knife but misses. Road Runner turns his head, sticks out his tongue, and runs off, giving another "Beep, beep." Coyote slows down and drops his knife and fork. His chin lowers down to the ground in amazement. He picks his chin back up and paces, thinking. He gets an idea, picks up his utensils, and runs off.

1. Road Runner runs along the road. He gives another "Beep, beep." To the left, the coyote holds a cloche, waiting in ambush. As he hears Road Runner coming, he sticks out the cloche. Road Runner comes running, but instantly stops only a few inches away from it. Coyote is amazed there was no crash and lowers it to see what happened. Road Runner sticks out his tongue, then runs off with another "Beep, beep." In frustration, Coyote throws down the cloche and gets ready to pursue, but Road Runner comes back, picks it up, and holds it in front of Coyote, who instantly runs into it. Road Runner runs off with another "Beep, beep" as Wile E. shudders and shakes all around.
2. A box is lying against a rock with the words "One Genuine Boomerang Guaranteed to return" written on it. Coyote is holding the boomerang. He throws the boomerang off-screen, but is instantly hit by another one. To the right, Road Runner has a box that says "Another Genuine Boomerang Guaranteed to Return." He gives a "Beep, beep," and runs off. As Coyote prepares to follow, he is hit by his own boomerang.
3. Coyote paints two parallel lines on the road with white paint and puts up a sign that says, "Slow School Crossing." He then dresses like a schoolgirl and merrily skips along the road. He is instantly hit by the Road Runner and is sent to the ground. Road Runner comes back in a woman's wig. He holds a sign that says, "Road Runners can't read." After sticking out his tongue, Road Runner runs off with yet another "Beep, beep."
4. Road Runner is running up a hill. The coyote is strapped to an abstrusely designed rocket. Coyote lights a match and sets the rocket's ignition fuse on fire. Coyote gives a sinister grin as the rocket ignites. But then, the rocket suddenly explodes, but it doesn't take off after the Road Runner. It instead launches upwards, crashing into an overhanging cliff with Wile E. stuck head first through the cliff.
5. A string with a plumb bob at the end is hanging over the road. Coyote is on a cliff, standing next to a huge boulder. Coyote runs to a piece of paper, which appears to be a blueprint for his plan. It reads, "1. Pull out key stone. 2. Rock falls. 3. Road Runner (with an arrow pointing to a roughly drawn Road Runner as he runs along the road). 4. Road Runner crushed! (Ha Ha!)" Running off yet again, Coyote looks through a telescope to see Road Runner coming. He then rushes to the boulder. Pulling out the string, he stands and watches with glee as the rock starts to fall towards the road. Suddenly, the boulder reverses its direction and lands on top of Coyote.
6. The coyote paints a white line along the middle of the road. He turns to the left, still painting, and makes his way towards a cavern wall. He then paints the wall so it looks like a tunnel. He hides behind a rock as the Road Runner comes. Giving several beeps, Road Runner runs straight through the painting, as if it was real. Coyote is amazed and also tries to run through it, but instead bangs into the wall. Road Runner comes back and runs over Coyote as he gives a "Beep, beep."
7. Road Runner is running along the road once again. A stick of dynamite is hidden under rock and is connected to a TNT box. Coyote stands behind the box. Hearing the "beep"s of Road Runner, he presses down on the box, which explodes as Road Runner stands watching by the stick of dynamite. Giving some beeps, he runs off.
8. An open box with a lid that says "ACME Super Outfit" is seen lying on the ground. Coyote is seen wearing an outfit that consists of a blue shirt and pants and a red cape. He starts to jog, then speeds up into a run. He runs off of a cliff with his hand stretched out as he attempts to fly, but he fails to defy gravity and instead drops to the ground.
9. An open wooden box has the word "Refrigerator" printed on its side. To its left is a metal box with the words "Ace Electric Motor", then another wooden box with the words "Meat Grinder" printed on its side. Next to the wooden box is yet another box that reads "One Pair Skis." To the left of them, Coyote is wearing skis, with a refrigerator tied on his back. Turning on his contraption, the refrigerator starts to spew out ice cubes, which go through the meat grinder and onto the ground, forming snow. Hearing the beeps of Road Runner, he takes off. As he is about to hit the bird, Road Runner suddenly stops, right behind Coyote's path. Coyote runs off a nearby cliff, but is still skiing on ice. The refrigerator stops spewing ice just as Coyote is about to reach another cliff. He drops down to the ground in a cloud of smoke. He is crushed by the refrigerator, which starts spewing ice once more. Christmas music plays, and Coyote holds up a sign that reads, "Merry Xmas."
10. Another box bears the words "Fleet-foot Jet Propelled Tennis Shoes." A tennis shoe is next to this box. Strapping the shoe to his foot, Coyote starts to jog in place, then takes off at an amazing speed, stopping in the near distance. He then comes back at an equally fast pace. He runs off several more times, but eventually comes back to where he started. Just as he is about to take off once more, Road Runner appears in front of him. Sticking out his tongue and beeping, Road Runner takes off once more in a cloud of smoke. Coyote follows after him, but when the smoke clears, Road Runner is standing still. Coyote realizes he is chasing nothing and turns back around to stop a few inches in front of the Road Runner. Road Runner beeps twice and takes off in a cloud of smoke once more, as does Coyote. When the smoke clears, Coyote is standing still, expecting Road Runner to have done the same. But instead, Road Runner is nowhere to be found. Coyote chases after him. They come to a complex circle of roads, and they each take different routes, occasionally stopping to see where the other went. Coyote cannot find Road Runner, and stands scratching his chin, but he is promptly run over by the bird. He angrily pursues the bird. His shoes, however, gives out a couple sparks and sputters, and Coyote comes to a stop by a sign that reads "Short Cut" and points to the left. He runs down this path.

After taking said detour, Wile E. Coyote, holding an axe, is standing behind a tall billboard. Hearing the beeps of Road Runner he stands in the middle of the road and prepares to swing the axe. Instead of seeing Road Runner, he is run over by a bus. Road Runner is riding in the back of the bus. As he gives two more beeps, he pulls down a curtain that reads, "The End."

Availability[]

(1984) VHS
The Looney Tunes Video Show, Volume 18

(1985) VHS
Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote: The Classic Chase

(1985) Beta
Road Runner vs. Wile E. Coyote: The Classic Chase

(1994) LaserDisc
Road Runner Vs. Wile E. Coyote: If at First You Don't Succeed...

(1996) VHS
Stars of Space Jam: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

(1996) VHS
Looney Tunes Collection Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner

(1996) VHS
Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 3)

(1997) VHS
Special Bumper Collection (Vol. 5)

(1997) LaserDisc
Japanese Looney Tunes LaserDiscs Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote

(2003) DVD
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc Three (restored without DVNR)

(2003) DVD
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1

(2004) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 1

(2004) DVD
Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volumes 1 & 2, Disc 1

(2005) Mini-DVD
Looney Tunes Collection Mini Volume 1

(2010) DVD
3 Spooky DVD Treats

(2011) Blu-ray
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One (restored with DVNR)

(2012) DVD
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc One (restored with DVNR)

(2012) Blu-Ray
Looney Tunes Showcase: Volume 1

(2014) DVD
Looney Tunes Center Stage Volume 1

(2015) DVD
Looney Tunes Center Stage

(2016) DVD
Looney Tunes Triple Feature

(2018) DVD
Stars of Space Jam: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote (restored with DVNR)

(2018) DVD
Stars of Space Jam Collection Volume 1

(2018) DVD
Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 1-3 Repack

Streaming[]

Boomerang App ( - 2024) (restored with DVNR)

HBO Max (2020 - 2023) (restored with DVNR)

Max (2023 - ) (restored with DVNR)

iTunes ( - ) (restored with DVNR)

Censorship[]

• The version shown on ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show cut the part where Wile E. Coyote plants dynamite in the road and gets blown up when he presses the detonator.^[4]

Goofs[]

• At the beginning of the cartoon, Wile E. ties a napkin around his neck before he runs down the hill to chase the Road Runner. However, when the scene cuts to him after the Road Runner puts on a burst of speed to escape, he is no longer wearing it.
• When Wile E. Coyote is about to throw the boomerang, his tail disappears each time he throws the boomerang in the air. It also disappears when the Road Runner first shows up to him while Wile E.'s wearing his jet-propelled tennis shoes.

Notes[]

• This marks the debut of both Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.
• The ACME Super Outfit Gag was used in The Bugs Bunny Road-Runner Movie.
• According to the ToonHeads episode "Before They Were Stars", in this cartoon both Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner look slightly different from the later cartoons to follow: in this one both characters look shorter and scruffier. In later cartoons, both characters would be redesigned to be taller and thinner to accentuate their speed.
  • Wile E. Coyote's character design in Looney Tunes Cartoons is based off his design from this short.
• In this cartoon and "Beep, Beep", the scenery looks quite realistic with blue skies and lush greens, in contrast to the more abstract scenery it would become a few years later as the series progresses.
• Like most post-1948 shorts shown on Cartoon Network or Boomerang, this one also plays in PAL audio.
• Was featured in the 1993 film Last Action Hero and the 2011 remake of Arthur.
• While most of the newer restorations of Looney Tunes cartoons on the Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Blu-ray/DVD releases often do correct the problem of DVNR (Digital Video Noise Reduction) which earlier restorations from the late-1990s/early-2000s had, this cartoon however unusually has this case subverted for it's respective Golden Collection Volume 1 DVD and Platinum Collection Volume 1 Blu-ray restorations; the earlier 2003 restoration for Golden Collection Volume 1 DVD did not have any DVNR, while the newer 2011 restoration for Platinum Collection Volume 1 Blu-ray (which also appears on the 2018 Stars of Space Jam: Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote DVD and on Boomerang Streaming Service) however was incoherently riddled with DVNR as pictured on the page.^[5][6][7][8]
• Originally, Chuck Jones intended this to be a one-shot cartoon, but he eventually changed his mind in response to the short's popularity with the moviegoing public at the time, resulting in both Wile. E Coyote and Road Runner being brought back in their next cartoon "Beep, Beep" three years later, though Wile E. returned alongside Bugs Bunny earlier that same year in "Operation: Rabbit". Jones was especially persuaded by a letter from a naval aviator captain, claiming that his pilots were imitating the Road Runner's "beep beep" call while doing maneuvers.
• This cartoon was reissued twice, and is the one of the only two cartoons to be reissued twice after 1956, the other being "Gift Wrapped". However, due to low budgets from Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, the second reissue from 1969 uses the same titles from the first reissue from 1957.
• Near the ending of the short, Wile E. Coyote stands behind a billboard advertising the Jones Motel, a nod to director Chuck Jones.

Gallery[]

Lobby card

Lobby card (preliminary sketch)

Lobby card

Version used on Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1

Version used on Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1 (DVNR artifacts)

Model sheet

References[]

External links[]

• "Fast and Furry-ous" at the SFX Resource Wiki