These hairs would get caught in the "gate" of the projector. Sometimes it would skitter across the projection light, resulting in a gigantic hair appearing on the movie screen. In this cartoon, the opera singer pauses mid-song to pluck the offending hair from the film and tosses it aside, one of Avery's many ways of his characters breaking the fourth wall. It wasn't the first time Avery used this gag: it was also used in Aviation Vacation (1941). The role of Poochini is portrayed by Butch the Irish dog, a frequent star of Avery's cartoons of that era (often alongside Droopy). Influence The "hair gag" would later be used by English comedian Benny Hill in the closing chase sequence of his April 25, 1984 show. As he is being chased by medical staff and an ambulance in and around a hospital area, he notices a hair moving around the bottom right corner of the screen, and at a certain point stops his pursuers long enough for him to pluck the hair out before the chase resumes. Tom and Jerry Tales episode "Way-Off Broadway" features a gag similar to Poochini's transformations, in that Tom is forced to adapt to various pieces music when Jerry changes them on a radio. References External links Magical Maestro essay by Thad Komorowski on the National Film Registry website Magical Maestro essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry, A&C Black, 2010 , pages 454-456 1952 animated films 1952 short films 1952 films Films directed by Tex Avery Internet memes Film and television memes 1950s Italian-language films Films about magic and magicians Films about opera Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animated short films United States National Film Registry films 1950s animated short films 1950s American animated films Self-reflexive films Films based on The Barber of Seville Films produced by Fred Quimby Films scored by Scott Bradley Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio short films Film controversies Race-related controversies in animation Race-related controversies in film Ethnic humour 1950s English-language films