Tutti Frutti, oh Mario

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! live-action segment
"Tutti Frutti, oh Mario"
Production number	158 ("Tutti Frutti, oh Mario") 165 ("Tutti Frutti Mario")
Airdate	October 13, 1989 ("Tutti Frutti, oh Mario") November 24, 1989 ("Tutti Frutti Mario")[?]
Guest star(s)	Willard E. Pugh
Title reference	"Tutti Frutti, aw rooty," from "Tutti Frutti" ("Tutti Frutti, oh Mario") "Tutti Frutti" ("Tutti Frutti Mario")
Cartoon episode	"That Sinking Feeling" ("Tutti Frutti, oh Mario") "The Missing Link" ("Tutti Frutti Mario")
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"Tutti Frutti, oh Mario" is the thirtieth live-action segment of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Its corresponding animated episode is "That Sinking Feeling" from The Legend of Zelda. It also exists under the title "Tutti Frutti Mario," and is the show's sixtieth live-action segment. The corresponding animated episode for "Tutti Frutti Mario" is "The Missing Link" from The Legend of Zelda. Aside from alternate title cards and a different Mario head transition, "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario" and "Tutti Frutti Mario" are otherwise identical. The title of "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario" is derived from the 1955 Little Richard song "Tutti Frutti," which prominently features the lyric "Tutti Frutti, aw rooty" in its chorus.

When Shout! Factory released The Legend of Zelda complete series on DVD, they only included five of the 13 original live-action segments that corresponded to the Zelda episodes. The episodes "Magic's Magic," "Mommies Curse," "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario," "The Magic Love," "Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn," and "The Ghoul of my Dreams" were only released as bonus episodes on a PAL DVD set in Germany, where they are presented with only German language dubs. "Magic's Magic" and "The Ghoul of My Dreams" were released in English, but only on Kids Klassics VHS tapes in the US. The only DVD release of "Slime Busters" in the US was on a single disc called Mario Mania. "Tutti Frutti Mario" did not make it onto any DVD or VHS release.

Plot synopsis

In Mario Brothers Plumbing, Mario is putting on some shaving cream while looking at the mirror when scatting is heard. He then opens the mirror to pick up the razor inside, but instead of another internal mirror, there is a person about to shave too. They both start shaving and mimic each other's actions.

Mario then asks Luigi if he changed the mirror, but he responds that he cannot hear him because of a noise coming out of the vent. Once Mario asks what sound Luigi is referring to, more scatting is heard as the Ratagator lip syncs to it. Luigi thinks the Ratagator is the one singing, and he tells the Ratagator to stop. Mario responds that the sound is not coming from the Ratagator, so Luigi closes the Ratagator's vent and covers Clog with a bucket. He tells Clog not to come out until he gets to the chorus. Mario says that it is not Clog either, so Luigi says it may be the scarecrow, but the scarecrow denies it. Mario returns to the mirror and both him and the man in the cabinet are surprised to realize they are not looking at a mirror. The man exclaims that this is the weirdest motel room he has been in and begins to scat. When he finishes, Mario recognizes the man as Little Robert.

Later, the table is set for three people and Luigi tries to hide a tape recorder in a dish of spaghetti, but he changes his mind and hides it under the bread. Mario comes in saying that Little Robert is about to arrive and asks Luigi what is he doing. Sarcastically, Luigi replies that he is weaving a Navajo blanket. He explains that he is hiding the tape recorder so that if they get Little Robert to sing with them and get it on tape, they would have a collector's item. Mario replies that Little Robert is only coming to eat and not to sing, but Luigi insists. As they are still talking, the doorbell rings. Mario tells Little Robert to come in and greets him while imitating his mannerisms. After the greeting, Mario introduces Luigi to Little Robert, who then invites him to the dinner table. Before they start eating, Little Robert begins his song and Mario and Luigi join in, though he is unimpressed by their poor performance.

Because of their poor singing, Little Robert makes the brothers perform. On the 45th take, Little Robert tells them to do it for Mama Mario. However, Little Robert is still unsatisfied by their performance. Mario asks what he thinks, and Robert responds that their "Oh Mario's" were great, but they are a little weak with their scatting. Luigi then asks for tips to help them out and Mario hopes they are not being a burden. Little Robert, starting to get upset, asks if he can just eat, so Mario says he can. As he is about to sit at the table, Mario instead tells him to take a pan with him. In response, Little Robert gets angry, saying that they invited him for dinner, then made him sing his song, and now want him to take his food "to go". After staring at Mario, he takes the pan and leaves as Luigi thanks Little Robert for coming over. Little Robert just replies with "shut up!". After Little Robert is gone, they go check on the tape, only to find the Ratagator scatting while the chewing on the unrolled cassette tape. Upset, Luigi halfheartedly scats as the show fades to black.

Characters

• Mario
• Luigi
• Little Robert
• Clog
• Ratagator
• Mama Mario (mentioned)

Known differences between "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario" and "Tutti Frutti Mario"

• The Mario head transition is different in both episodes. In "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario," the Mario head flies to the screen, decreases in size, then increases towards the screen. In "Tutti Frutti Mario," it travels in a zig-zag line with a blue shadow following it.
  • The scene afterwards where Mario and Luigi sing has added footage in "Tutti Frutti Mario."
• At the end of "Tutti Frutti Mario," Willard Pugh has his name spelled correctly.
  • In the same scene in "Tutti Frutti, oh Mario," the fadeout appears later than in "Tutti Frutti Mario."

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
German	Tutti Frutti, oh Mario	-

Trivia

• Mario mentioning how Little Robert's voice is not a bird or a plane is a reference to a similar catchphrase from the 1940s Superman animated film series. This catchphrase would later be referenced in the episode "Koopa Klaus," as well as The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Super Koopa."