Elwood City Turns 100!

Elwood City Turns 100! is the fifth episode of Season 7, and the 100th episode of Arthur. It first aired on October 14, 2002. Song lyrics are on a separate page to save space. View them here.

Summary
The musical Mr. Ratburn's class is staging for Elwood City's centennial turns into a drama of missed cues, inflated egos, and alien invasions—and that's just what's going on behind the scenes.

Plot
The episode begins in 1903, at the ceremony where Elwood is made an official city. President Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, and town founder Jacob Katzenellenbogen, a wealthy lumber magnate, were all in attendance. Katzenellenbogen was not happy because he wanted the town to be named Elmwood, not Elwood, and he was even more upset over the statue that Morgan and Ford had donated to the city.

Then the episode forwards to the present where Mr. Ratburn announces to the class that Lakewood Elementary was chosen out of 15 schools in the city to stage a musical production about the town's history, and then he has the class randomly pick roles for the show. Arthur is the narrator, Brain is the writer, and Buster is the director. After the parts were picked, Muffy talked to Mr. Ratburn about doing the publicity for the musical. However, chaos starts after Francine sings the narrator part, forcing Arthur to call her a show off. Matters then become worse after Muffy invited celebrities such as Michelle Kwan, Yo-Yo Ma, and Mr. Rogers. Then Mr. Ratburn asks Muffy if they would want to see this chaos. So Muffy gathers a speech about helping out and etc.



Arthur was having trouble getting the narrator's singing part right, so he trades parts with Francine one week before the show. On opening night, everyone was there except for Francine, who was running late, so Arthur had to go onstage in her place as the Narrator. At first, everything was going okay until the UFO scene. Since the flying saucer that was going to be used was crushed in Oliver Frensky's garbage truck, Buster locked himself in the janitor's closet, upset and disappointed. Then Brain changes the scene last minute to write the flying saucer out of the show. When Buster realized that the show continued without him, he goes onstage as Dr. Ector, the alien, and sings a song about flossing teeth to the tune of Yankee Doodle. His hook tears a hole in the set, forcing an intermission. When everyone realizes that the show is ruined, Francine appears. She encourages her classmates by letting them know their audience loves the show, and the show ends well for everyone.

When the Reads are driving home D.W. say that Arthur should play the alien . Arthur says that they won't do another centennial play for 100 years.

Songs
Jacob Katzenellenbogen

Lyrics:

The valley all around us was was nothing but wood,

The trees were right for cuttin', the timber was good.

To chop, to stump, and stub.

A man known as Jacob,

Katzenellenbogen, a lumber tycoon.

Built a busy sawmill beside a lagoon.

Soon woodchips filled the air,

And brought in people's hair.

Axes gleamed, horses teamed, chop chop chop timber!

Jacob Katzenellenbogen founded Elwood (founded Elwood), Elwood City (Elwood City).

So I went a hikin' to find a good spot,

A place to build a mansion, a heavenly thought.

And you must know at all,

To build a city hall,

Any kind of power plant,

And tower and house,

Even stores and restaurants,

And a pretty good mound.

The mountain cracked right down,

And Uncle Webb renowned!

Butlers screamed, horses gleamed,

Houses multiplied!

Jacob Katzenellenbogen founded Elwood (founded Elwood), Elwood City (Elwood City),

Jacob Katzenellenbogen!

-speaking- But I wanted it to be called''? Elmwood''! Darned Bureaucracy!

The Long-Lost Green-Tailed Grebe
Lyrics:

Taste the salty tears we weep,

For the long lost Green-Tailed Grebe.

Our sorrows run so very deep,

For the long lost Green-Tailed Grebe.

Unknown Lyrics

While lumber jacks were tickled pink,

The Green-Tailed Grebe she went extinct.

Lyrics:

Dr. Ector came to earth, in a flying saucer.

Had a message to deliver, be a... be a frequent flosser.

Floss your teeth every night, floss your teeth all day.

If you floss your teeth with all your might, you won't have tooth decay!

That's Elwood City? (Finale)
Lyrics:

Oh Elwood City, so proud so bold,

Now you are 100 years old.

What was once dark forests, fogs and fens,

Is now called home by us children.

I lift my head and sing to thee,

Oh Elwood, Elwood, Elwood City..

-speaking- Hey, you've told us what Elwood city was like in the past but what's it like today?

Today? Today things are a little different;

Watch out! Hey! Coming through! Do we have a math test Monday?

Hey, Buster! Wanna get a snack?

You have to ask?

Slurping shakes at the Sugar Bowl,

The crossing guard is on patrol.

Soccer games, Hey I scored a goal!

That's Elwood City.

Reading books at the library,

Our club house is in a tree.

Had a comet named after me.

That's Elwood City.

When the ice storm blew in,

Our prospect was grim.

We were filled with hunger and fear,

but we got together and now the weather,

the stories cocoa and cheer!

Just like pioneers.

Baseball games and Mighty Mountain,

Lost a lot but we're not countin'.

Hey, don't hog the water fountain!

That's Elwood City.

Picnics for all sons and fathers,

Hey, I just met Mr. Rogers.

Crosswire Motors at super deals.

The ice cream shop sells gummy eels.

All clues point in one direction.

Elwood City is perfection!

Yes this town has passed the test, so much better than the rest.

Elwood City you're the best, Elwood City. Yeah!

Trivia

 * This is the first two-part episode.
 * This is the second time that Mr. Ratburn uses a hat for the students to choose jobs at random. The first time is in "Citizen Frensky."
 * Marc Brown made a cameo in this episode. He was not only on the guest list, he was seen in the row with the other celebrities while Arthur narrated after Fern's song. Jeremy O'Neill was also on the guest list.
 * This was the first episode that didn't show the "And now back to 'Arthur'."  title card with the kids saying it. Instead, Larry King said "Thank for tuning in, folks. And now back to 'Arthur'."

Goofs

 * The car that Francine & her dad took a ride on was either from UK or Australia or Japan, due to the location of the steering wheel.
 * In the audience, viewers see a man in a green suit and wearing glasses. But, in the next 40 seconds, viewers see him giving Francine and her father a lift to the play.
 * Also, in the audience, Mr. Frensky can be seen in the crowd before they arrived.
 * Alex had a breif role as George's pet dog. Later he was asking Francine a question about Elwood City.
 * Maria was the only student in Mr.Ratburn's class with no role.

Gallery
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