BRAIN for March 19
Plato
Bunches of References Accumulated In a Nutshell (a.k.a - BRAIN)
The official Cultural Reference Guide for Pinky and the Brain
Version 1.0 -- Release date October-6-1997
Edited and Compiled by Brian Norman (acme...@access1.net)
http://members.aol.com/acmelabs1/BRAIN.html
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Episode: 25
"Leave it to Beavers" --
+ The title is a reference to the 1950-60's program "Leave it to Beaver"
starring Jerry Mathers. The similarity ends at the title though, as
nothing else in the episode refers to "Leave it to Beaver". (BN)
- NIT: Electrons are fired from a cathode-ray tube, not photons. (CSa)
+ Brain's comment: "I shall return," is the famous quote spoken by U.S.
General Douglas MacArthur. (BN)
"Cinebrainia" --
+ The title is a reference to "Cinemania", a computer CD-ROM reference of
films, actors\actresses and the movie industry which is published yearly
by Microsoft Corporation. (BN)
- There's a bit of a historical gap between Edison's invention (and in turn,
what appears to be meant as a clip from "The Great Train Robbery" (1979))
to 1920s-style comedy. (It's certainly post-1918, since Pinky refers to a
comeback by Kaiser Wilhem, who abidcated his position as emperor of
Germany in November, 1918 -- though Wilhelm spent the rest of his life in
Holland, and unlike his fellow Kaiser Karl Hapsburg, did not attempt a
comeback.) (EOC)
+ "The Great Train Robbery" is known for the legend that people ran out of
the theater when the train appeared on the screen. (JK)
+ Brain's Mountie bit spoofs the Perils of Pauline, a silent film series
that led to the invention of cliffhangers in films. (JK)
+ "Hal Slug" == Hal Roach, independent producer of short & feature-length
comedies. His most famous stars were Laurel and Hardy (parodied here by
Pinky and the Brain), who worked for him from the twenties through the
early forties. He also produced the long running "Little Rascals" series
until he sold it to MGM in 1938. (JJW, ME)
+ Bathing beauties were a trademark of Mack Sennett, the silent-era
archrival to Hal Roach. (EOC)
+ The kid coming in as the mice are leaving is Carl Switzer who played
Alfalfa, one of the more famous members of the "Our Gang"/"Little Rascals"
series. According to a "Little Rascals" FAQ, he was killed after pulling
a knife on a man who owed him money and the man then shot him in
self-defense. (ME)
+ Clarence Birdseye figured out how to freeze food so that it could be sold
in grocery stores. (ME)
- DYN: The title card for "Get Squished" lists Russel Calabrese as the
director. Russel Calabrese directed the both segments of today's episode.
(ME)
+ A reference to the infamous Jerry Lewis film "The Day the Clown Cried" can
be seen on one movie poster. It was a film about a clown that entertains
kids in a Nazi concentration camp which was never released. (EOC, JK)
- This is the second time that film has been referenced in a WBA cartoon;
the first, of course, was "The Wretched Clown" in Animaniacs' "Hearts of
Twilight" -- episode 20. (JJW)
+ Norma Talmadge started what we now know as the "Hollywood Walk of Fame"
when she accidently stepped into wet cement in front of Graumann's Chinese
Theater in 1927. (ME)
- "The Emperor Brain" is probably a reference to "The Emperor Jones" (see
the Paul Robeson version, 1933). (EOC)
- The scene with Brain in the desert is probably a reference to Rudolph
Valentino's performance in the 1921 silent film "The Sheik". (JK, BN)
+ The remaing person in the audience appears to be Walt Disney who gets the
idea for Mickey Mouse's ears from Brain's shadow. Notice the music
vaguely resembles "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's "Pinocchio"
(1940). (ME)
+ "I'm ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille" refers to Norma Desmond's famous
quote from "Sunset Boulevard", a 1950 movie about a silent screen actress
attempting a comeback. (ME)
+ Hollywoodland was a real estate development of the 1920s that either Roach
or Sennett (I think the former) was involved in. The venture failed, but
was the source of the famous "Hollywood" sign, which was shortened from
"Hollywoodland" in 1949. (EOC, ME)
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John W Kennedy
> + "The Great Train Robbery" is known for the legend that people ran out of
> the theater when the train appeared on the screen. (JK)
The legend is much older than "The Great Train Robbery". I think it
dates back to Melies or even the Lumiere brothers.
> + "Hal Slug" == Hal Roach, independent producer of short & feature-length
> comedies. His most famous stars were Laurel and Hardy (parodied here by
> Pinky and the Brain), who worked for him from the twenties through the
> early forties. He also produced the long running "Little Rascals" series
> until he sold it to MGM in 1938. (JJW, ME)
"Little Rascals" was, I believe, a retitling for 50's TV. The original
was "Our Gang", of which there were two separate series, one silent, one
sound.
> + Clarence Birdseye figured out how to freeze food so that it could be sold
> in grocery stores. (ME)
He invented _quick_ freezing. Frozen food was around before him, but it
was yucky, because slow ice-crystal buildup pureed the food from the
inside.
> + Norma Talmadge started what we now know as the "Hollywood Walk of Fame"
> when she accidently stepped into wet cement in front of Graumann's Chinese
> Theater in 1927. (ME)
I believe the "walk of fame" and Graumann's famous sidewalk are two
different things.
--
-John W. Kennedy
-rri...@ibm.net
Compact is becoming contract
Man only earns and pays. -- Charles Williams
Plato
>> + Norma Talmadge started what we now know as the "Hollywood Walk of Fame"
>> when she accidently stepped into wet cement in front of Graumann's Chinese
>> Theater in 1927. (ME)
>I believe the "walk of fame" and Graumann's famous sidewalk are two
>different things.
Oh, of course, you're right -- the Hollywood Walk of Fame was started in 1960
by the Chamber of Commerce (I think). It's the sidewalk with all the stars'
names in stars.
>>"Leave it to Beavers" --
This may be one of those references that was mentioned and then lost, but
when Brain says, "The tingling means its working", he's quoting a commercial
for dandruff shampoo.
I recognised the beavers' theme as being from Rossini, and a mere two
years later, I finally sat down and figured out that it's from the
overture to "The Thieving Magpie" and not the overture to "The Barber
of Seville". Thing is, both pieces have a similar flavour, especially
the bit in "Beavers" and the bit of "Barber" that's used for the
Platypus Brothers from "Tazmania". At first I thought it was the same
theme, beavers and platypodes being related (catoonishly, if not
biologically).
So the question is, is it mere co-incidence that the music used is
similar? Perhaps because the beavers were interested in shiny things
as are magpies? Or is there a connection? And in any case, why was
that refrain from "the Barber of Seville" used for the Platypus Brothers
in the first place? I won't be able to sleep until I know!!
- David "'course, being an insomniac, I won't anyway..." Green