Bars and Stripes Forever (Cartoon, 1939)

Bars and Stripes Forever (1939) is a classic Merrie Melodies animated short from Warner Bros., running about 7 minutes. Directed by Ben "Bugs" Hardaway and Cal Dalton, it's a fast-paced, gag-filled comedy set in a chaotic prison, blending slapstick humor, musical numbers, and visual puns in the style of early Looney Tunes. The title is a playful pun on John Philip Sousa's famous march "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Produced during the golden age of theatrical cartoons, it features anthropomorphic animal characters and entered the public domain in 1968, making it freely available online today.
Plot Summary
The short opens with a tour of the high-security "Alcarazz" prison, home to a rowdy crew of anthropomorphic dog inmates under the watchful eye of the stern Warden Paws. Life inside is a riot of gags: prisoners endure absurd routines like a barber who accidentally shaves off an inmate's entire head with a steamroller, a laundry mishap that turns clothes into confetti, and a meal line where soup is served from a fire hose. Fed up, the inmates hatch a multi-pronged escape plan. One group disguises themselves as guards using potato sacks and brooms for rifles, while others tunnel out with spoons or launch a diversionary sing-along to Sousa's march, bursting into off-key harmony mid-chorus. Chaos ensues as they breach the walls—only to be hotly pursued by bumbling canine cops in comically oversized patrol cars. A wild chase through the countryside involves booby-trapped roads, exploding bridges, and a prisoner catapulted back inside by a rubber-band wall. The breakout spectacularly fails when the escapees are rounded up and dragged back for punishment. The warden boasts about the prison's unbreakable security, quipping, "Stone walls do not a prison make... but they sure help!" The short ends on a high note of ironic patriotism, with the inmates reluctantly saluting the flag as the iris closes on their glum faces.
Cast and Crew
Directors: Ben Hardaway (who later co-created Bugs Bunny) and Cal Dalton.
Voice Cast: Primarily Mel Blanc, the legendary voice artist behind most Merrie Melodies characters, providing barks, yelps, and exaggerated accents for the prisoners, warden, and cops. No named stars like Porky Pig appear—it's an ensemble of generic dog archetypes.
Animation Team: Includes layout by Owen Fitzgerald and music direction by Carl W. Stalling, whose score weaves in patriotic tunes with manic sound effects.
Production Notes: Released on March 18, 1939, as part of the Merrie Melodies series. The cartoon was animated in Technicolor and originally screened with live-action features.