Gorilla My Dreams is a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes theatrical animated short directed by Robert McKimson and written by Warren Foster. The short was released on January 3, 1948, and stars Bugs Bunny. The story is a parody of the many jungle films that were prominent in the 1930s and 1940s which often featured gorillas extensively, most notably the Tarzan films. The title is a play on the expression "Girl o' My Dreams". The short featured Gruesome Gorilla, who reappeared in Hurdy-Gurdy Hare and as a boss in Bugs Bunny and Taz Time Busters. The cartoon was remade in 1959 as Apes of Wrath.
Plot
"Sweet Dreams, Sweetheart" plays briefly under the title card, and the cartoon opens with a trail of carrot tops floating on the seas. Bugs is stranded in a barrel in the middle of the ocean, but he does not seem to mind - he is reading Esquiremagazine and singing the song "Down Where the Trade Winds Play". On the island of 'Bingzi-Bangzi - Land of the Ferocious Apes', the population is made up of gorillas that act like humans - they read the newspaper and books such as "The Apes of Wrath", have families, live in huts and speak American English. One of the apes, Mrs. Gruesome Gorilla, is sad that she does not have any children, whereas her husbandcould not care less. Mrs. Gruesome walks toward the water and starts to say, "I'm going to...", but then spots Bugs floating in his barrel. Her mood instantly changes and she takes him back to her treetop. Bugs finishes "Trade Winds" just as Mrs. Gruesome picks up the barrel and segués into a full verse of "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat", which he finishes just as he discovers himself in the clutches of the ape. Mrs. Gruesome wants Bugs to be her 'baby'. At first, Bugs does not want to, but when she starts crying, he gives in. Mrs. Gruesome then presents Bugs to Mr. Gruesome - who is none too happy about having a baby in the house. Bugs tries to fit in, playing like a 'monkey'. Mr. Gruesome takes Bugs out for 'a walk', but Bugs soon realizes that he is in for a beating if he sticks around. A long chase ensues and Bugs finds himself trapped against the edge of a cliff. Bugs gives up and allows Gruesome to catch him. However, Gruesome quickly tires out and drops from exhaustion, with Bugs knocking him over with a mere puff of breath. Emerging as the 'victor', Bugs jumps up and catches a hanging branch, again playing 'monkey' at iris-out.
