"The Oily American" is a 1954 one-shot Looney Tunes short directed by Robert McKimson. It stars a wealthy but bumbling Native American named Moe Hican and his sarcastic Jeeves-like butler, Jarvis.
This might just be the most bizarre cartoon McKimson has ever directed. In it, Moe lives in a mansion... but resides in a teepee within its master bedroom. He has a "forest room" on the mansion's first floor, where on a daily basis, wild animals are delivered for him to hunt. What's more, he reaches the forest room by running a water faucet down his staircase into the Forest Room and then canoeing to it through the running stream. The cartoon's plot concerns him hunting a wild moose with a tiny body but huge head, while Jarvis acts as his backup (and becomes the victim of every single one of Moe's shots).
The cartoon is rarely seen now on television, due to its stereotypical depiction of Native Americans.
"Your tropes, sir!":
- Beat Them at Their Own Game: The moose sees right through Moe's "moose love call" and counters it with his own "Indian love call." Moe, on the other hand, falls for the call hook, line, and sinker.
- Big Shadow, Little Creature: The moose, in one scene, casts a large shadow over a rock. It turns out he's perched on a table.
- Butt-Monkey: Jarvis, who always winds up on the receiving end of every single one of Moe's attempts at catching the moose.
- Deadpan Snarker: Jarvis.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Played with. No matter which weapon Moe uses, it has the effect of a Homing Projectile against his butler. Not even Jarvis' resignation keeps him from being on the other side of the weapon.
- Joisey: The cartoon's title, strangely enough.
- Painted Tunnel, Real Train: A variation. At one point, the moose runs into the painted landscape on the Forest Room’s wall. Moe tries to run after the moose but is blocked by the wall.
- Quintessential British Gentleman: Even after reaching his boiling point at the end of the cartoon (and spanking Moe with the weapon), Jarvis still maintains a classy British demeanor.
- Rage Breaking Point: Jarvis submits his resignation after being Moe's unintentional target one too many times. When even this fails to safeguard him from it, Jarvis snaps and spanks Moe with his own arrow.
- Serial Escalation: In the cartoon's climax, Moe attempts to catch the moose with a number of different weapons, but they somehow always land on Jarvis. Jarvis becomes increasingly agitated before finally snapping at the end of the cartoon.
- Super-Deformed: The moose has a tiny body but a huge head.
- Tonto Talk: Moe speaks in this.
