Under the Counter Spy

Infobox Hollywood cartoon
cartoon_name = Under the Counter Spy
series = Woody Woodpecker


caption =
director = Don Patterson
story_artist = Hugh Harman
animator = Ray Abrams
Herman Cohen
Don Patterson
Raymond Jacobs
Art Landy
voice_actor = Grace Stafford
musician = Clarence Wheeler
Raymond Turner
producer = Walter Lantz
studio = Walter Lantz Productions
distributor = Universal International
release_date = flagicon|US May 10, 1954
color_process = Technicolor
runtime = 6' 23"
movie_language = English
preceded_by = "Alley to Bali"
followed_by = "Hot Rod Huckster"
imdb_id = 0153428

"Under the Counter Spy" is the 54th animated cartoon short subject in the "Woody Woodpecker" series. Released theatrically on May 10, 1954, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal International.

Plot

Local police are warned of an escaped criminal named the Bat, who possesses a super-strength tonic. While being actively pursued by the authorities, the Bat hides the tonic in the home of Woody Woodpecker, who is having a devil of a time waking up. When the listless woodpecker finally rolls out of bed, he accidentally drinks the tonic, giving him the strength of fifty men. Directed by an off-camera narrator to test this strength, Woody eventually crosses paths with the elusive Bat and captures him. Unfortunately, the tonic wears off just as Woody demonstrates to the police how he captured the Bat.

Notes

*"Under the Counter Spy" is a parody of the television show "Dragnet". The title is a pun on the work of a counter-intelligence agent.
*Aside from a tired version of his trademark laugh, Woody does not speak in this film.

References

*Cooke, Jon, Komorowski, Thad, Shakarian, Pietro, and Tatay, Jack. " [http://lantz.goldenagecartoons.com/1954.html 1954] ". "The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia".