Cellbound
One of Tex Avery's cartoons for MGM from 1955, co-directed by Michael Lah. Set mostly in the "Sing-Song prison", Cellbound features a jailbird who, after arduous years-long digging, manages to escape from his cell and sneaks aboard a train, hiding inside an old TV. The plan goes terribly wrong, though...
If such things interest you, a model sheet for the cartoon can be found here.
Tropes used in Cellbound include:
- Captivity Harmonica: The prisoner's playing it in the beginning.
- Exploding Calendar: The years rapidly floating towards the camera to signify the passage of time.
- Failed a Spot Check: Nobody ever notices the gigantic mountain of dirt right outside the prisoner's window as he digs.
- Fauxtastic Voyage: The prisoner acting out the TV programme can be seen as a variant of this.
- Irony: The whole reason the prisoner's escape failed was because, while making small talk to quell the warden's suspicions, he randomly mentioned an "anniversary"... thus prompting the warden to recall the forgotten wedding anniversary and hastily buy the TV.
- Jaw Drop: One heck of a jaw drop when the prisoner realizes where the TV ended up.
- Not So Stoic: The jail warden goes into an incredibly goofy dance when watching the "concert" on TV.
- One-Man Band: The prisoner ends up becoming this for sake of a "TV concert".
- Stand in Portrait: The prisoner's antics inside the TV.
- Verbed Title
- Wig, Dress, Accent: The prisoner's disguises.