Sawdust and Toonsil is the 31st episode of Tiny Toon Adventures. It was written by Gordon Bressack and Charles M. Howell, IV, and directed by Rich Arons.
Plot
Buster, Babs, and Plucky are riding their bikes with Gogo Dodo across Wackyland. When they reach the entrance to Wackyland from Acme Acres, Babs thanks Gogo for a wonderful time. Buster notices a train passing by, with box cars that have the sign, "Silas Wonder's Wonderful Circus of Wonderment." Scared, Gogo takes the bridge to Wackyland and rolls it up. Plucky is excited, as he wants to be a star in the circus. They meet the ringmaster, Silas Wonder, who tells them that his circus includes only the most wondrous wonders in the world. Gogo spies on his friends from Wackyland and rushes over.
Silas and his minions show Buster, Babs, and Plucky various caged creatures from Wackyland, such as a Pegasus, a Dragon, and a Sphinx. The Toons are shocked to find all three creatures in poor condition; the Pegasus can barely jump, never mind fly; the Dragon is too sick to breathe fire; and the Sphinx has a sad face. Gogo arrives to rescue his friends from Wackyland and traps Silas in Sphinx's cage. Silas orders his minons to capture Gogo, who only manages to reacue the Sphinx when escaping. Buster, Babs, and Plucky also decide to make a run for it.
In the second act, as Gogo and Sphinx attempt to escape, they are detected by Silas' minions and try to hide. Silas uses his magic wand to break the cage and escape. Gogo hides in a tent, and takes Buster, Babs, and Plucky with him. He tells them that Silas has captured his friends from Wackyland a while back and now he wants him. As Buster, Babs, and Plucky escape, one of Silas' minions captures Gogo and Sphinx. With the last dodo on earth, Silas' collection is complete. Gogo tells Sphinx that he is going to help them escape, using a spoon to dig a hole. Suddenly, Gogo's arm begins to fade out. He needs to take on wackiness in Wackyland, or he will fade out completely.
Silas sets up his circus, with Gogo as a sideshow attraction. Using a bag of Acme Guano, Buster, Babs, and Plucky disguise themselves as a 3-headed duck-billed rabbit, in an attempt to rescue Gogo and his friends. They tell Silas they want to be part of his sideshow, so Silas puts them in the center ring. Babs wants to go into the sideshow tent with the other mistreated animals, but Plucky, as egotistical as ever, wants to be in the center ring. He, Buster, and Babs are on a really high platform, as Silas announces to the audience members that they will jump into a thimble of lukewarm Jell-O. Plucky doesn't want to jump, but one of Silas' Minions is behind him with a spiked club.
In the third act, Silas' minion clubs Buster, Babs, and Plucky, and they fall off the platform. Buster ties their ears together so they can grab the trapeze. They grab the trapeze and use it to land in a tub of water. Plucky breaks up their act and decides to work solo. Babs is worried about Plucky, but Buster tells her that Plucky will distract Silas as they rescue Gogo and his friends. Babs likes this plan, and joins Buster.
Plucky finds Silas and tells him that he wants to be part of his show. He demonstrates his talents by climbing to the top of the human pyramind, knocking it over in the process. Silas tells him. "Stop this, you clown!" and that gives Plucky the idea to be a clown. He forces the other clowns out of the clown car so that he and Silas can get inside. As he shoves Silas inside, the car strays and crashes into the human pyramid, knocking it down once again. Outraged, Silas locks him in a cage filled with lions.
Buster and Babs find Gogo and his friends, locked up. They look like they're dying, but Gogo tells them that dodos don't die, they just fade away. Buster tunnels him and his friends out, and Gogo begins to fade out again. They put all the animals on a pump cart, but remember that they left Plucky behind.
Plucky is being tamed by the lions as Buster and Babs find him. Plucky doesn't want to leave, as he is finally a hit, but Buster and Babs drag him with them. Silas notices them escaping on the pump cart and chases after them with his train. They each grab one of Gogo's friends and jump as Silas' engine crashes into their pump cart. They race back through Acme Acres all the way back to Wackyland, and the bridge rolls up. When Silas sees that the bridge is gone, He tries to stop the engine, even though the train already went off the rails. which resulted in the train crashing down and Silas ending up in Heck. The Devil tells Silas, "Now my collection is complete!" and laughs evilly.
The toons make it back to Wackyland, and Gogo and his friends regain their magical powers. Gogo clones himself, and Babs says, "Gosh, I love happy endings." Back in Heck, the devil burns various monsters and Silas (who by this time has gotten used to living in Heck, and finds the fire tickles him), and Buster and Babs watch the action on a TV in Wackyland.
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s) |
| Charlie Adler | Buster Bunny |
| Tress MacNeille | Babs Bunny |
| Joe Alaskey | Plucky Duck |
| Frank Welker | Gogo Dodo |
| Susan Blu | Sphinx |
Uncredited
- Charlie Adler - Silas' Minions, The Devil
- Frank Welker - Silas Wonder, Dragon
Quotes
- Plucky: "Look, ma! No hands!"
- Gogo (floating in midair): "Look, no bike."
- Plucky: "Show-off."
- Gogo: "No problem." (uses a remote to turn off the show)
- Plucky: "Give me that." (Turns the show back on)
- Buster: "I wonder if they have a lion tamer.
- Babs: "I wonder if they have a sideshow."
- Plucky: "I wonder if they have a chiropractor."
- Gogo: "What do you get when you cross a rat with a fink?"
- Babs: "A ratfink?"
- Gogo: "Nope, sorry! Silas Wonder!"
- Silas: "This is not an illusion; it's profit."
- Silas: "Fellow Americans, for the first time ever, two rabbits and a duck in a stinky bag will jump from this platform, high above the center ring, into this wondrous thimble of lukewarm Jell-O."
- Plucky: "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" (Silas tosses him into a cage filled with lions) "Perhaps I should have phrased that differently."
- Buster: "There's nothing like an ending with a little heart."
- Little Heart: "Gee, thanks."
Allusions
- This episode, specifically the title, is a parody of the 1953 film, Sawdust and Tinsel.
- Gogo imitates the Robot from Lost in Space ("Danger, Will Robinson, danger!") and Peter Lorre.
Trivia
- In the beginning of this episode, Plucky is still using training wheels on his bike.
- Gogo states that dodos don't die, they fade away, which is quite ironic considering the fate of the real dodo.
- The red devil who appears in the ending to this episode was previously seen in The Looney Beginning as one of the villains who escapes from the villains box.
- Two of the monsters in Heck appear as enemies in the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game, Buster's Hidden Treasure.
- Rob Paulsen is listed in the closing credits as the voice of Silas Wonder, but it is really Frank Welker.
- Although the episode is credited to being animated by Wang Film Productions and Fil-Cartoons, this appears to be an erroneous miscredit, as the episode appears to have actually been animated by AKOM.
Gallery
- Main Article: Sawdust and Toonsil/Gallery
Home Video Releases
