Dixieland Droopy

An unseen narrator (John Brown) tells the story of a Dixieland-music-loving dog named John Irving Pettybone (Droopy, voice of Bill Thompson). Pettybone's one love is listening to a record of Dixieland jazz, specifically "Tiger Rag", and pretending to conduct the music. Unfortunately, the manager of the dump where Pettybone lives is not a fan of Dixieland, and he evicts the hapless dog from the dump.

Pettybone travels to several locations (a cafe, an organ grinder, an ice cream truck, a merry-go-round) in an attempt to play his music, but is thrown out each time. Pettybone is heartbroken when his LP is accidentally smashed, but his luck changes when he hears a group of fleas called "Pee Wee Runt and his All-Flea Dixieland Band". He goes there, despite a sign that says dogs aren't allowed inside. He is, however, chased by the owner of a flea circus. After the owner locates Droopy, he demands the fleas returned. Droopy refuses to comply and continues running from him throughout the city (while the fleas take a smoke break).

The pursuit continues with the owner chasing Droopy inside Jazza Plaza. Droopy ultimately escapes the owner by hiding inside a theatrical agent's office. The agent does not approve of dog acts, and demands for Droopy to leave. He retracts when he hears the flea band, and mistakenly believes that Pettybone is making the music himself. Pettybone becomes famous as "John Pettybone, Dog of Mystery", and realizes his dream of playing the Hollywood Bowl.

As the cartoon concludes with a close-up of the flea circus band, the narrator states that no one ever discovered the secret to Pettybone's music. Because only Pee Wee Runt knew and would never tell as he, the trumpeter, reveals, "For you see, he - that flea, Pee Wee - is me! See?"

• Pee Wee Erwin
• Pee Wee Hunt

• Dixieland Droopy at IMDb
• Dixieland Droopy at the Big Cartoon DataBase