Hooked on a Ceiling/Goodfeathers: The Beginning is the fourth episode of the original Animaniacs. It originally aired on September 16, 1993.
Theme Song
Variable Line
Dot: Here's the show's name-y...
Tower Escape
Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Plot
The Warners escape from the water tower via a hot air balloon.
Trivia
- The balloon has a clown's face on it, despite Wakko's fear of clowns in a later episode.
- Clips from this sequence would later be used in the show's extended theme song opening.
Hooked on a Ceiling
Animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Plot
Michelangelo fires all of his workers while painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but realizes he has no workers, and the Pope is coming by to see the finished ceiling soon. So he hires the Warners, who paint over the various pictures due to their disgust over naked people. However, when Michelangelo claims that they're supposed to paint naked people, the Warners agree (because they like painting naked people). However, the end results displease Michelangelo, but the Pope, who is revealed to be Steven Spielberg, is impressed by the paintings that resemble his movies.
Crew
- Story by Tom Ruegger
- Written by Gordon Bressack and Charles M. Howell IV
- Directed by Rusty Mills
Songs
Trivia
- The title is a parody of the song "Hooked on a Feeling."
- Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition - Promenade 1 - Gnomus" is a recurring song in this cartoon.
- In the beginning of the cartoon, parodies of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appear (which Rob Paulsen (Yakko), who voiced Raphael in the original 90s series, voiced one of the characters), since Michelangelo is also one of the names of the turtles. Michelangelo the Turtle has an orange headband.
- The narrator is a caricature of actor John Houseman.
- The Goodfeathers are seen sitting on the statue of David in one of the slides.
- Michelangelo is a caricature of actor Kirk Douglas, despite having been played by Charlton Heston in a Hollywood portrayal while Douglas played Vincent van Gogh.
- The bellringer is a parody of Quasimodo from the Victor Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- At the end of the Warners' song, Dot sings a parody of "Feelings" by Morris Albert.
- "Friends, we'll paint any ceiling for just 29.95. Right!" is a parody of Earl Scheib's commercials from the 1980s for his automobile painting chain.
- When Michelangelo asks to be let in, Yakko does an imitation of the guard from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
- An animated version of Steven Spielberg (the show's executive producer) makes a cameo, as the Pope.
- In The Creation of Adam, Elliot and E.T. (from Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) take the place of Adam and God.
- At the end, the Warners give Michelangelo a bowl of cereal and say, "Hey, Mikey, he likes it!" This is a parody of the Life cereal ads from the 1970s.
- After Dot tells Michelangelo to paint the Mona Lisa, he says, "That's Da Vinci!" then Dot says, "That's delightful!" then Yakko says, "That's de-lovely!" This is a reference to a song by Cole Porter called "It's De-Lovely".
- After whiting out the ceiling, the Warners paint a C.M. Coolidge painting of dogs playing poker, a group of girls done in the style of Margaret Keane and a portrait of Elvis Presley.
- When Michaelangelo expresses disapproval of the Warners' paintings, Dot exclaims "I knew it! He prefers the Young Elvis!" This a reference to a poll from 1992, about which of two designs to use for "The Elvis Stamp" The Warners' painting was based on the "Old Elvis" (circa the 1970s) design, while the "Young Elvis" (circa the 1950s) design had been the overall preferred one.
- The praying peasant sounds exactly like Dr. Scratchansniff.
- Popular YouTube critic The Nostalgia Critic has named this short as the greatest Animaniacs short.
- The Battle Hymn of the Republic is played by Wakko and Dot as Yakko talks dirty. This scene would later be redubbed in the Yakko's World VHS encouraging the audience to sing the Animaniacs Theme Song with the cast.
- Michelangelo as he appeared in this episode would reappear in Season 3's "Wakko's New Gookie", as well as the Histeria! episode "Euro-Mania".
Quotes
- Michelangelo: Out. Out! HOW DARE YOU! (prepares to throw the Warners out, but it cuts to him being thrown away himself for no reason whatsoever) Huh?
- Yakko: Friends, we'll paint any ceiling for just $29.95. Right! How do we do it? No overhead. In fact, when we get through, you'll have nothing overhead. And if you hire us, you'll have nothing in your head. We paint ceilings, ceilings and only ceilings. We don't paint floors 'cause they're beneath us.
- Yakko: Wait a minute, you expect us poor innocent children to climb up that dangerous scaffolding and paint naked people all over a church?
- The Warners: We'll do it!
- Yakko: But we're not doing it for the sake of art, and we're not doing it for the sake of money. No, we're doing it because...we like painting naked people.
Film Projector Transition
Animated by StarToons
Plot
The Warners are about to watch the next cartoon in a movie theater.
Goodfeathers: The Beginning
Animated by Akom Productions Co.
Plot
Squit dreams of being a Goodfeather, like Pesto and Bobby, but the two don't think he has what it takes. However, the Godpigeon agrees to let him be a Goodfeather if he gets him some food, so the trio of pigeons try to get a bagel that landed in the middle of the street. However, all of their attempts usually end with them getting injured in some way. In the end, the Godpigeon ends up getting the bagel himself with ease, and Squit becomes a Goodfeather.
Crew
- Written by Deanna Oliver
- Directed by Greg Reyna
Trivia
- This was the first Goodfeathers cartoon produced and aired.
- This is the only episode to reference the Godpigeon's real name, Solly.
- Goodfeathers is a parody of the films Goodfellas and The Godfather.
- The long tracking shot of the Goodfeathers walking into the subway station is lifted right out of Goodfellas.
- The Warners cameo twice in this cartoon. They first appear being chased by Ralph on the sidewalk, and they reappear being chased by him on the subway.
- "Are you walking with me? I don't see anybody else here" parodies the line, "Are you talking to me?" spoken by another Robert DeNiro character in a different Martin Scorsese film, Taxi Driver.
- First cartoon to be animated by Akom.
Wheel of Morality
Animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Wakko is confused and wants to learn the moral of the story.
The moral of the story is: "Never ask what hot dogs are made of."
Trivia
- This is also one of the few times the Wheel of Morality leads into a chase ending where Wakko has to pull an item out of his Gag Bag to return to the water tower.
Chase Ending
Animation by Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Plot
The Warners outrun Ralph to the Water Tower. Wakko pulls up a ladder from his bag, with the three climbing afterwards. Ralph follows pursuit, however the ladder descends and falls back inside the bag with Ralph. The Warners shrug and close themselves inside the Water Tower.
Trivia
- This is the first chase ending sequence.
Cast
Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Ninja Turtle, Churchgoer |
Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner, Woman |
Maurice LaMarche | Michelangelo, Squit, Quasimodo |
Chick Vennera | Pesto, The Godpigeon |
John Mariano | Bobby |
Frank Welker | Narrator, Taxi Caller, Steven Spielberg |
Transcript
Sources