Rover's Rival is a 1937 theatrical Looney Tunes short directed by Bob Clampett and starring Porky Pig. It is notable for being the first short to use Looney Tunes's iconic "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" theme and Porky's "Th-Th-Th-That's All Folks!" closing.
The cartoon opens with Porky reading a book on dog tricks, which he decides to teach to his dog, Rover. Unfortunately, the saying "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" might be true, as Porky's dog is rickety, old, and has a pair of false dentures. When a wiseguy of a pup comes along, he tells Rover he's all washed up. Determined to prove he's not a has-been, Rover tries to do every trick Porky gives him, only for the pup to show him up at every turn. Things take an explosive turn when an attempt to fetch a stick results in Rover accidentally bringing back a stick of dynamite from a nearby construction yard. As Rover looks up the definition of dynamite in the dictionary, Porky tries to get rid of the stick, only for the pup to bring it back with a half dozen more, then asks for a match.
Tropes appearing in this cartoon:
- Brief Accent Imitation: The pup imitates both Rover and Porky while mocking them, even including the latter's stutter.Pup: See, old timer? You're through. Washed up.
Rover: You mean to say I'm one of them there used-to-wasits?
Pup: [imitates Rover] Yes, I mean to say you're one of them there used-to-wasits.
Porky: Hey, d-don't imi... imi... mimic Rover like that. He's sensitive.
Pup: [imitates Porky] Oh, g-g-gee, I'm sorry to hear th-th-that. Nyah! - The Cat Came Back: Porky tries to get away from the pup and his dynamite sticks, but he shows up wherever Porky goes.
- Disney Death: Rover appears to have been blown to bits by the dynamite. The pup starts eulogizing Rover, calling him the "best stick fetcher that ever was." At this point, Rover, who was just partially covered in dirt, gets up and says "Do you mean it?" for the Iris Out.
- False Teeth Tomfoolery: Rover's attempt to fetch a stick is foiled when his dentures fall off with the stick in them. The pup then goes to fetch the stick and comes back wearing the dentures.
- Narrative Shapeshifting: The pup briefly takes the appearance of Rover and Porky while mocking them.
- Oh, Crap!: Rover's reaction to learning that dynamite is a high explosive.Rover: (Racing to save Porky) Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!
- Old Dog: Rover, who is arthritic, hard of hearing, and too slow to keep up with the pup.
- Similar Item Confusion: Rover accidentally brings a dynamite stick from a blasting site, which alarms Porky. While Rover looks up dynamite in the dictionary to see what the fuss is about, Porky throws away the dynamite, but the pup thinks he's still playing fetch and brings it back. And then he finds a whole box of them and starts bringing those too.
