Dumb-Hounded 1943

An imprisoned killer, voiced by Frank Graham, escapes from Swing Swing Prison, a playful parody of Sing Sing. A line of bloodhounds is unleashed to track him down, and among them is Droopy, Bill Thompson as the voice, who lags far behind the rest. Droopy greets the audience and announces himself as the story’s hero.

The Wolf spends the entire pursuit trying to shake Droopy, repeatedly attempting to flee by hopping into a taxi, then a train, followed by a ship, and finally an aircraft in quick succession. No matter where the Wolf goes, Droopy appears and offers a dry, front-row welcome, as if the audience were in on the chase with him.

Let’s not get nosy, bub.

When the Wolf asks how he manages to keep up, Droopy answers with his trademark deadpan, a quiet line that somehow keeps pace with the frantic spectacle around him.

The finale comes from a rooftop: Droopy lets gravity do the work, dropping a massive boulder onto the Wolf to crush the fleeing foe and ensure his capture. He comments to the audience that the act is indeed gruesome, turning the moment into a stark, joking tombstone of the chase.

With the Wolf finally subdued, Droopy collects his cash reward from the town mayor, leaps about in full-throated celebration, and then pauses in his characteristic slow, matter-of-fact way to declare, “I’m happy.”