Who Framed Roger Rabbit: 13 Easter Eggs & References You Probably Missed
4. Singing & Dancing
While many will recognize the tune Roger sings and dances to as the music which accompanies the title card of Merrie Melodies cartoons (The Merry Go Round Broke Down), the song which greets Eddie upon his arrival into Toontown and which also closes the picture was arguably more or less forgotten until the movie dredged it up.
Smile, Darn Ya, Smile! was featured in a Merrie Melodies cartoon of the same name, released by Warner Bros. in 1931. Early Merrie Melodies were intended to sell sheet music from the Warner-owned Vitaphone music library, and each featured a musical interlude to that effect, hence the cartoon bearing that song’s name. Looney Tunes, by contrast, were just cartoons. Eventually the distinction evaporated and Merrie Melodies were not used as advertisements.
There’s a s**t-ton of cameos during this song in Toontown, but there’s a literally crappy joke at the end of the first sung line: a pie with with a cow’s face—aka a “cowpie”—appears on the right ride of the road right in front of Eddie’s car, and a very loud, wet and fart-y sounding “splort” accompanies his driving over it.