Category: Friz Freleng

Isadore Freleng was responsible for more Oscars won than any of his co-workers. Here’s anything he directed.

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Gift Wrapped

“Oh goody goody! Thantny Clauth came for real!”

It’s Christmas morning and Sylvester is excited to see all the presents. (Some of which never get opened) He is disappointed to find one for him contains a rubber mouse instead of a real one. Granny’s gift is much more interesting a (canary) Tweety bird. He switches the tags and once Granny gets wise she has to force Sylvester to spit the bird out. (Sylvester has eaten Tweety a few times, he just never can keep him down)

As soon as she leaves, he goes after the bird again, still claiming he’s his present. Tweety tells him that a bigger one is for him and he opens it to find a bulldog who eats him instead. Granny comes to the rescue again. Sylvester uses a toy crane but only catches Granny, and when he reverses Tweety’s toy train so that it leads into his mouth, the dog eats him again. Granny saves all the animals and stamps their mouths shut. Christmas carols are then sung by all!

Personal Rating: 3

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Tweet Tweet Tweety

“I dotta tink of a way to get that putty offa me.”

At a national park, Syvlester is ecstatic to find there are plenty of birds here. (Despite the game warden telling him not to do what he’s thinking about.) He finds a nest that’s empty, save for an egg (we never find out about the mother.) He decides to hatch it and eat the contents.

While he keeps it warm, Tweety is born. (Yesth, Tweety. I am your fathsther.) He pokes the putty tat with a pin to get him off, and proceeds to hide in a tree. Sylvester uses a bike pump to pump him out, but gets a firecracker and then Tweety saws off the limb he’s standing on. After a brief song, Tweety is having his picture taken. (Stupid people. He’s a canary, hes not rare) one gets really close and of course it turns out to be Sylvester, who grabs him in his mouth. Only now does the ranger finally appear to save Tweety.

The chase continues into old faithful where Sylvester changes the clock so it won’t erupt. (Is that the right word for a geyser?) Tweety changes the time back, and he gets drenched. Tweety hops on a log and floats down the river with Sylvester following in a boat. He accidentally goes over the falls and Tweety turns off the water, just as he rows back up.

Personal Rating: 3

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Room and Bird

“Thomas Jefferson? Hes not the president no more, he’s dead.”

Sorry for the lack of videos. I can’t seem to find any worthy enough of getting a place on my blog of awesome.

This cartoon starts with a view of a hotel. Despite the fact that animals are not allowed inside, Tweety ans Sylvester are both snuck in by their owners: Granny and Not Granny. As luck would have it, their rooms are right next to each other and Sylvester overhears Tweety singing his trademark song. The chase is on but they have to worry about some man, (I assume he works at the hotel) who is on the look out for possible animals.

They have many close calls, but in the end, the man is sure that there are animals in the building, (although he has no proof) and demands, over the intercom, that whoever has them, to remove them. Just as he says this, he is caught in a stampede of animals.

Personal Rating: 3

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All Abir-r-r-d

“Bye-bye, mommy’s precious little darling!”

Some woman (definitely not Granny) is putting Tweety on a train. (He seems happy to get away from her.) I don’t know why he does it, but the conductor stupidly puts the cage down by a cat carrier. Well, the conductor is not such an idiot, as he was keeping his eye on Sylvester and puts Tweety up higher. Sylvester tries a tower of luggage, but Tweety pulls the emergency brake, and the force causes the puttytat to fly into the engine.

Also on the train is a bulldog, who Sylvester hits and tells to shut up. The train goes up a hill and Sylvester slides into the dogs fist. He thinks he’s safe once it starts to level out, but then it goes down the hill and the dog punches him again. Sylvester tries the luggage trick again, this time cutting the brake chord. Tweety pulls it anyway, and it still works.

Sylvester hides Tweety in a mail sack to keep him hidden from the conductor, but when he reaches to obtain his prize, he gets the dog. Finally the train pulls into a station and Sylvester eagerly awaits the bird disguised as a woman. He gets the cage and runs to a taxi so he can eat in peace. When he opens the cage however, he gets the dog again!

Personal Rating: 4

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Bad ol’ Putty Tat

“I tawt I taw a *wolf whistle!*

The cartoon must have started without us, since we begin by seeing a hurt looking Sylvester starting at Tweety’s barbed wire covered tree house. For his next attempt he constructs a trampoline and bounces up. Every time he comes up however, Tweety hurts him in various ways.

Tweety escapes on a clothes line, but learns it’s connected to Sylvester’s tooth. Tweety attaches his end to a rocket, and the putty tat loses his teeth. Sylvester paints his finger to look like a female canary (See? Tweety IS a boy) and Tweety takes the bait. He only discovers what’s happening after he tries to pull her to safety and her hat flies off, revealing a claw. Tweety switches hats, and Sylvester chomps a delicious finger.

Now, Tweety runs to a badminton game, and accidentally ends up as the birdie. Sylvester joins the game, but only gets a firecracker in his belly. Finally, he disguises his head as Tweety’s house and Tweety falls for it. Yep, Sylvester got him. But the bird’s not in his stomach, he’s in his head. Playing train, Tweety makes the putty tat crash into a brick wall.

Personal Rating: 3

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The Bugs Bunny Show

“On with the show, this is it!”

During the sixties, “Looney Tunes” was on its last legs. Also during this time, Looney Tunes got its TV show. (Why not? It was the latest fad!) The premise was simple: Bugs showing us cartoons with various bridging sequences in between, such as Bugs feeding Taz carrots or Slowpoke coming to visit Speedy. The show was black and white which may have been odd today since all the shorts in the theaters were color, but color TV was only starting to get started. Lack of pigment  was a small price to pay for the convenience of watching animated masterpieces in your own living room.

Now for the bad news. This show is gone and you’re not liable to find any full episodes. (At least, as I’m originally writing this.) If you ever have seen, or have any somehow, you are quite lucky. Maybe you’d like to make the rest of the world feel as lucky as you?

Personal Rating: (From what little I’ve seen) 3

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Hyde and Hare

“You…are a mental case.”

During a particular nice day at the park, Bugs observes old people feeding the pigeons. He realizes that he guy who feeds him carrots should be here. Sure enough, there he is. Since they go through this routine every day, Bugs suggests he just become the man’s pet. The man agrees, but as you could probably tell by the title, he’s Dr. Jekyll!

Once home, he goes to get Bugs another carrot, but as he passes by his infamous formula, he gives in to temptation and drinks it. While making himself at home, Bugs finds the monster and tries to get the doc’s attention. He never catches on, despite the doctor and the monster switching places continually. He gives the doctor weapons and drags him into hiding places only for the same result.

Vowing to throw the formula away, the doc finds it gone. Bugs is insulted about being accused of drinking it, and leaves. However, as he gets back to the park, the potion takes effect…

Personal Rating: 3

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Slick Hare

“If it’s rabbit baby wants, rabbit baby gets.”

At the Mocrumbo restaurant, (a takeoff of the real Mocombo , it seems like every star in Hollywood is there. Leopold Stokowsky conducts a jukebox, Gregory Peck cuts his steak with a razor, and Sinatra gets sucked into his own straw. Humphrey Bogart is ready to order, and despite Elmer telling him they are out, he demands fried rabbit. He tells Fudd he has twenty minutes to comply and if not… well…

Elmer finds Bugs and tells him that Bogart wants him for dinner. Bugs is happy to oblige until he finds out what is on the menu. He disguises himself as Groucho, only to find Elmer as Harpo. (Where did the real Harpo go? He was right there.) Running away, he hides in Carmen Miranda’s headdress.

One great dance scene later, he tricks Elmer into giving him pies to throw back at him. Fudd gets wise and throws one, only to hit Bogart. He demands his rabbit and Fudd fearfully tells him there is none. Humphrey says that his wife will just have to settle for a ham sandwich. Hearing this, Bugs is more than happy to let Lauren Bacall eat him.

Personal Rating: 3

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Rabbit Transit

“Lets agree not to cheat.”

(Note: Every time Cecil was used, he was with a different director. I don’t know. I think it’s fascinating.)

At an animal sauna (geysers) Bugs is reading the classic fable, “The tortoise and the hare.” He finds it ridiculous that a hare got bested by a tortoise. Yeah, Cecil is there too. He says he can beat Bugs. (This short forgets about the past two races. Shame, I was liking the continuity.) So a race is held to prove it.

Cecil is planning to cheat, but Bugs gets rid of almost all of his tricks. He did not however get rid of his rocket powered shell. Easily outrunning Bugs, he has time to send him a postcard. Feeling guilty Bugs sends a gift back. When Cecil gets it, Bugs jumps out and is in the lead again.

Cecil charges, but Bugs takes the shell for himself. It breaks down, and Cecil fixes and takes it back again. Bugs, however, puts water in it shorting it out. Soon, they are near the finish line and Cecil throws the race. Bugs boasts about how fast he was going, a 100 easy! Cut to the cops standing near a 30mph sign. Bugs swears revenge at the toitle as he is arrested. Iris out.

Personal Rating: 3

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Little Red Riding Rabbit

“Hey grandma! That’s an awfully big nose for you… ta have!”

Just like the original story, we open with Red going to her grandma’s house. She is an annoying, loud, bobbysoxer, who is obsessed with getting the story right. She is going to give her grandma a rabbit and as to be expected, a wolf makes it there first. (Grandma is not home.)

When Red arrives, the wolf kicks her out because all he wants is the rabbit. He chases Bugs through a great gag involving lots of doors. After this, Bugs decides to be helpful and show where he is hiding. Throughout this whole cartoon, Red keeps coming in to say her lines only for the wolf to throw her out again.

In the climax, the wolf is dangling over a pan of hot coals, and just as Bugs is about to make him fall, Red comes in again. Fed up, Bugs switches her with the wolf. Now the two are pals. It looks like a beginning to a beautiful friendship.

Personal Rating: 4