Episode 7: Piano Rag/When Rita Met Runt

Episode 7: Piano Rag/When Rita Met Runt
Series
Season	1
Episode	7
Gags
Variable Verse	Dot: "Here's the show's namey..."
Gag Credit(s)	Jeep Driver-Kathryn Page
Closing Line	Yakko, Wakko & Dot: "Goodbye, nurse!"
Broadcast Details
Premiered	September 21, 1993
Episode Chronology
Previous	Episode 6
Next	Episode 8

Piano Rag/When Rita Met Runt is the 7th episode of the original Animaniacs. It originally aired on September 21, 1993.

Newsreel of the Stars

See also: Episode 1: De-Zanitized/The Monkey Song/Nighty-Night Toon#Newsreel of the Stars

Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha Co., Ltd.

Theme Song

Variable Line

Dot: Here's the show's name-y...

Tower Escape

Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Plot

We hear the sound of a toilet flushing. As we pan down on the tower, a small door unscrews itself with water coming out of each hole. As the door opens, we see the Warners in scuba gear running out of the tower.

Piano Rag

Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Plot

Dr. Scratchansniff, Ralph, and Hello Nurse are chasing the Warners. The Warners decided to hide in, and rudely disrupt, a piano recital, interrupting the concert of the great Tympannini.

Crew

• Written by Nicholas Hollander
• Directed by Michael Gerard

Songs

• "You Can't Catch Us"
• "Piano Rag"

Trivia

• This episode had the working title of "Warners at Carnegie Hall."
• According to composer Steve Bernstein, the piano concerto was written after the animation was all done, making it more difficult to compose.
• During the opening chase, the Warners briefly stop to let Rita and Runt cross.

Quotes

(After Tympannini breaks his piano, the Warners hold up lit matches like a rock concert)

Yakko: Very Pete Townsend-esque.

Dot: Who?

Wakko: Exactly.

The Warners: WHO! WHO! WHO! WHO! WHO!

Wakko: (to Tympannini) Hey, mister! Pull a rabbit of your pants!

Dr. Scratchansniff: Hmph. Your mother used Pampers.

Yakko: Goodbye, nurse!

Ralph: (To Yakko) Duh, got ya!

Yakko: (To Ralph) Duh, not!

Gallery

"You can't catch us, we're the Warners three!"

Tympanini

"GoodBYYYYYYYYYYE, NURSE!"

"But where are the Warner Brothers?"

"We're outta here."

When Rita Met Runt

Animation by Freelance Animators, Ltd.

Plot

Rita, an independent and aloof cat, is given to the city pound by her owner, a woman who recently went through a break-up. Runt, a rather stupid dog, is also thrown in the pound by his owner, after belonging to a family and causing loads of trouble for them. The cat and dog are put in different cells next to each other. Since they can't see each other, they both think that the other one is the same species as them.

No one adopts Rita and Runt and they feel their luck begin to fade as they'd be put to sleep if no one wants them. Rita sings of the woes she suffered as a house cat, and how when she was a kitten she was adored and pampered, only to later be held in disregard as she grew older and got less cute. She is about to escape through a window when the thought of leaving Runt behind plays on her mind, especially when Runt wants her to come back. When Rita unlocks Runt’s cell, she horrifically realises that he is a dog, but Runt still thinks Rita is also a dog. When Rita mentions cats, Runt shows how he hates them by acting aggressively.

Runt carries Rita out the pound and down the dark street. Rita tries to make out that she'll eventually part ways with Runt when they find homes each, but the dog is ignorant to this and soon becomes too busy playing and running down the road, carrying his appalled new friend on his back.

Crew

• Written by Sherri Stoner
• Directed by Michael Gerard

Song

• "Humans Ain't What They Seem to Be"

Trivia

• Runt's voice is modelled after Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man.
• When the rich lady is looking for a pet, she adopts a mouse that looks like Jerry from "Tom and Jerry."
• The Warners are seen dancing outside the pound with umbrellas in a parody of the title song from Singin' in the Rain.

Chase Ending

Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, Ltd.

Plot

The Warners get back up to the Water Tower using a barber chair. When Ralph pulls the lever, a sandbag falls out of nowhere. The Warners shrug and go back into the tower.

Cast

Voice Actors:	Character(s):
Rob Paulsen	Yakko Warner, Dr. Scratchansniff
Jess Harnell	Wakko Warner
Tress MacNeille	Dot Warner, Hello Nurse, Rita's Owner, Pound Customer
Frank Welker	Runt, Ralph T. Guard, Runt's Owner, Pound Worker
John Rhys-Davies	Tympannini
Bernadette Peters	and Bernadette Peters as Rita

Transcript

See here

Sources

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