“Good grief, I’m all alone!”
Directed by Charles M. Jones. Released in 1943.
Why am I doing a post a day earlier than I usually do? Well, my dear readers, tomorrow happens to be White Wednesday. The last day where you should remember November. Since come Thanksgiving, people seem to recall that there actually are 11 months. It’s also a great day to be miserable, since society demands you be “merry” and “bright” for the Christmas season. Besides, I’m going to the movies tomorrow, and I can’t promise I’ll have time.
Don’t worry about that title, you are at the right place. I didn’t go all Disney on you. This short came out 27 years earlier. Besides, I think “The Aristocats” is my least favorite Disney film anyway. No way I’d be wasting a blog post on it.
A cat named Pussy (No immature jokes, please. None of them will be clever.) has got it made. He’s the pet of a rich lady and therefore gets a comfy bed, breakfast brought to him in it, and complete control of Meadows the butler. He’s a bit of a dick though. Squirting grapefruit juice into Meadow’s eye and letting him slip on bars of soap. It’s no surprise that Meadows quits. The cat panics as he realizes that as a pet, he has no clue how to fend for himself. (Look at those backgrounds courtesy of a one John McGrew, they are a beautiful abstract masterpiece. Best part of the picture, no question.)
In his panic, he finds a book about cats. (Written by a one F.E. Line.) To his luck, it opens up to the chapter that details the eating habits of the cat. It says that they feed on mice. Sounds easy enough, but never having seen an actual mouse, the cat runs in terror when he finds one. The mouse in question is Hubie, making his debut here. (You could say this cat is Claude, but the appearance is all wrong and his bed says Pussy remember? Although he does have a similar voice.) Hubie calls his friend Bertie, (just called Bert here) and shows him that the cat is no threat to them. The mice (whose colors will switch for later appearances) happily feast on cheese.
They refuse to share with the cat, telling him he should eat mice. He admits he doesn’t know what they look like, and the two point him out to a nice large one named Rover. Pussy tries to make a sandwich out of him, but that goes about as well as you’d expect. (One should never try to eat something alive that can open it’s mouth wider than you.) The cat is thrown back into the house, where he slides into the book again. Conveniently, he finds himself looking at the part of the book that clearly labels the cat’s prey and enemies. With his new knowledge, he chases the mice. They run into Rover’s dog house just as the dog comes home and pounds them. Pussy wakes up back in his bed, as it was just a horrible dream. Rover agrees. (Keep your gay jokes to yourself please. They’re not funny.)
Personal Rating: 4 Those backgrounds are an abstract masterpiece, and are worth a point on their own.