Hot Rod Huckster is the 55th animated cartoon short subject in the Woody Woodpecker series. Released theatrically on July 5, 1954, the film was produced by Walter Lantz Productions and distributed by Universal-International. Reissue for Antz in 1998.
Plot
Woody Woodpecker is driving in town singing, only to come across a Used Car Row where Buzz Buzzard is the Honest Injun, (actually Dishonest Injun), one of several car dealers with proprietorships on Used Car Row. Resorting to deliberate sabotage in order to attract business, Buzz causes Woody Woodpecker to wreck his car when he drives by. Since Woody is now in need of a car, Buzz is more than happy to show the woodpecker around the lot. Woody has a hunch that something screwy is going on, but Buzz promises that his cars are clean (one exception is when a skunk leaves a car).
While showing Woody a certain car, Buzz tries to trick Woody by playing a record of hot-rod sound effects under the hood. Unfortunately for Buzz, the plan backfires when the phonograph flips the record to the other side and plays animal sound effects, causing the car to go crazy. The out-of-control vehicle runs over Buzz and destroys several other cars as well. Buzz, angered by Woody for destroying his cars and laughing at him, decides to get even with the woodpecker by rejuvenating Woody’s car (via a Car Rejuvenator) and selling it back to him. Woody realizes that it is his own car and tries to drive it away but, Buzz hooks the car and demands $1,000 for the car. Outraged, Woody puts Buzz through the Car Rejuvenator, which places a car's body on the buzzard, and Woody rides the half-car-half-buzzard off the lot.
Songs
At the opening of the cartoon, Woody sings the same song he sang at the beginning of The Screwdriver in 1941.
- Everybody thinks I'm screwy!
- Screwy as a loon, that's me!
- When I get on the driving spree,
- The coppers all get panicky!
- Honk my horn!
- HONKHONKHONK
- Strip my gears!
- SCREECHSCHREECHSCREECH
- So I'm screwy, what, what, what can I do?
- I ask you!
Also, at the end of the short, Woody sings the last two lines of the song he sang at beginning of both Woody Woodpecker and The Loan Stranger.
- KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
- So I'm crazy, but what, what, what can I do?
- So are you!
These songs were performed by Mel Blanc on the earlier series entries, and by Grace Stafford in this entry.