Category: Robert McKimson

Anything created by the man responsible for a loud-mouthed rooster, designing the ideal Bugs Bunny and teaching Americans about marsupials.

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Kiddin’ the Kitten

“Here comes trouble for Dodsworth.”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1952.

This short begins with a lady freaking out over some mice. (Come on, really? I still refuse that any woman in the history of ever has freaked out like this over a mouse.) The mice mock her, and rightfully so. If she’s going to act like this, she deserves to be ridiculed. Of course, maybe if her cat actually caught mice, she might be a little more sane. The cat, Dodsworth, (Interesting name.) would rather just lie about eating sardines. The mice don’t fear him in the slightest and take one of his snacks for their own. The woman tells the cat to cat-ch them, (heh-heh) or he’s out of the family.

Work is not something he’s too keen on. Apparently no one in his family had to stoop to such lows. What he really needs is someone to do it for him. With that idea in mind, he puts a sign outside claiming it’s a school of mousing. (M.U. we’ll call it.) Almost right away, he’s got someone interested. A little kitten that actually is pretty cute. (Maybe in part, because I think it looks more like a dog than anything.) Despite the bow, Dodsworth refers to it as a male, so I guess I have no choice but to do likewise. (But I’m still going to give it the genderly ambiguous name of Riley.)

His teaching method states that experience is all you need. He hooks Riley to a fishing hook and tells him to tug when he’s caught a rodent. The kitten is cast into the kitchen. The mice are not scared. (Why should they be? In a house where potential dangers either laze about or act hysterical…) but Riley gives chase regardless, cornering one into a hole. He puts some cheese on his middle finger and the now dazed mouse takes it. Riley then flicks his finger, (or toe I suppose) on to the mouse’s head knocking him out. Now back with the teacher, he learns that getting one mouse at a time is not good enough, and he’s cast out again. So he gets a big wheel of cheese and fills it with ball bearings. (Why were they in the fridge?) The mice either don’t chew their food, or they just possess the strongest teeth of all rodents and gobble it down.

Riley tugs back on the line and when he’s pulled back, uses a magnet to attract them all to him. Hearing his lady approaching, Dodsworth quickly gives him a diploma and shoos him out. Walking to the cage of mice, he takes credit for the work. I guess Riley figured it was weird to be rushed out so fast, as he came back to witness the whole thing. In retaliation, he lets all the mice go. The woman acts pathetic again, and Dodsworth is bound and gagged. Riley then chases them all out saving the day. Later, Dodsworth has apparently been kicked to the curb as Riley now occupies his bed and had his name crossed out. But I think he should have kept the name. It suits him now that he has adopted Dodsworth’s habits. Seeing this, the mice come back and pick up where they left off. Riley-sworth quotes the original, “One of these day’s I’m going to have to buy myself a mousetrap.”

Personal Rating: 3

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The Unexpected Pest

“Okay sthlave, I’ve got a job for ya.”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1956.

Before we begin, a brief mention of the symphony I attended last week: IT WAS GREAT! I got to talk to a lot of Looney Tunes fans. I complimented a man’s tie, a woman complimented my shirt, and I got a picture of me posing next to Bugs in a scene from “Rabbit of Seville.” They played the corresponding music to several shorts. (Including a few Tom and Jerry ones.) The short’s you’d expect were there: “Baton Bunny,” “Long-haired Hare,” and obviously: “What’s Opera, Doc?” All in all, it was spectacular. Here’s hoping everyone had a merry Christmas. (I did.)

A man comes home but is disgusted by the cat who lives there. (Sylvester) The feeling’s mutual however, as Sylvester hides behind a pillow when he looks at the man’s face. (Best joke of the short right there.) The man complains to his wife,(June Foray in one of her first roles at Warners.) but she reminds him that they got the cat to catch mice. Which he apparently did. (It’s nice to not have him fail for once.) Since there are no more mice, she agrees to get rid of the cat tomorrow.

Sylvester has heard the whole thing and is not willing to part with his home. Luckily for him, there is a mouse right outside, who faints at the sight of the cat. (And this mouse shall be named: Dennis.) Sylvester brings him to with some cheese, and the mouse thinks he died and went to heaven. When he sees the cat still behind him, he figures it’s the other place. Sylvester lays down the rules: the mouse does what he commands, or it’s down the hatch. He has the mouse go in and scare the woman of the house. (Did any woman really ever jump on a stool at the sight of a mouse? I figure they’d beat it to death with a broom first.) Sylvester comes to the rescue and pounds the rodent. The wife tells her husband the cat is staying. If there is one mouse, there must be more about. (Poor Dennis probably IS a father.)

The charade goes on for a few weeks, until one day when Sylvester gets his pet, Dennis talks back. He’s been thinking, and realizes that Sylvester is not going to eat him; he’s far too valuable. In fact, he can do as crazy stuff as can be as he wants. Jumping off of high places, grabbing mousetraps, and standing under anvils, knowing the cat will save him each time. His antics go too far when he sits on a lit firecracker. Sylvester throws it out of the room, where it explodes on the man. Cut to Sylvester battered and bruised. (Holy crap! That guy actually beat a cat up? I hate the things, but that’s flucking evil! I hope for his sake that Dennis’s family isn’t there, or your wife will have his head.)

Speaking of that mouse, he waves to Sylvester from a bridge and jumps. He pretends to drown much to the puttytat’s delight. As he goes on his merry way, Dennis tells us he figures after all that hell, he deserved a happy ending.

Personal Rating: 3

See you next year!

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A-Haunting we will Go

“I told ya, there’s no such thing as a witch.”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1966.

Did you ever want to see what would happen if you crossed “Broomstick-Bunny” with “Duck Amuck” and added Speedy in? You did not, and if you are saying you are, you’re just being a smart@ss. Stop it right now. And yet, here we are. (And what an appropriate short, given the season.)

Someone in Bug’s witch costume comes up to Witch Hazel’s door. It turns out to be a young duck who resembles Daffy. When he gets one look at the witch, he bolts. Back home, he tries to tell his Uncle Daffy that he saw a real witch. Daffy, naturally, doesn’t believe him, and drags him out to prove him wrong. Hazel (making her last appearance in the golden era, which means it’s the last short June Foray worked on.) meanwhile, is working on one of her brews. She bemoans the fact that she hasn’t taken a vacation in quite a while, but she is interrupted by Speedy. He wants to borrow some cheese. (Am I the only one who thinks that’s a weird phrase? You can’t borrow food. You eat it.)

She initially refuses, but reasons that if she tinkers with the cheese, she can turn him into her double and then she can go have some fun. She hands him some, and wouldn’t you know it, it works. (Speedy fell for it? Then again, Hazel always has been rather smart. She did catch Bugs a few times, even if he did get away in the end.) Speedy takes the whole thing rather well and the real witch leaves. Speedy messes with the brew a bit, when Daffy shows up. Speedy invites him in and pours him some brew to drink. Daffy is pretty polite here, as he drinks it despite disliking the taste. I guess he made his point. (Despite the fact his nephew isn’t with him anymore.)

As he leaves, he turns into the thing Bugs once painted him to be. Hazel returns, (Wow. Short trip. Who was keeping her from leaving anyway?) and asks Speedy how it went. Speedy shows off the transformed duck who has still yet to leave. (I guess he found out what happened and wouldn’t leave until he was fixed up.) Hazel is angry and turns Speedy back into mouse saying that’s all he’s good at. Speedy seems a lot happier, so that was a waste of an insult.

She then turns Daffy back, and declares it’s been a while since she had duck. Daffy flees, but she scoops him up with her broom. He jumps and somehow has a parachute, but the witch turns it into an anvil and he plummets. But she doesn’t look where she’s going and crashes. On the ground, Daffy’s nephew finds him and asks if the woman was a witch. Whether he just won’t admit the kid was right or he doesn’t want him to be scared, Daffy lies about her identity and they head home. As they walk, Daffy turns back into his flower-headed, four-legged form.

Personal Rating: 1 (Mostly because the shorts it copies from are infinitely better, and Speedy really doesn’t add anything.)

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A Message to Gracias

“To cousin Speedy, everyway is the shorts-cut.”

Directed by Robert Mckimson. Released in 1964

This short has a most fitting title. Unlike a majority of shorts, this one does not get it’s name from some form of wordplay or song title, but rather it flat out tells what the short will be about.

It begins at the H.Q. of a mouse named El Supremo. I don’t really know what kind of power that entails, but he’s fat so we can assume he’s a tyrant. He needs a message delivered to his friend, General Gracias. (Interesting name) He sends out a mouse named Manuel who is denied the privilege of finishing his will. The runs out into the cruel, hungry world, and while the other mice think he will make it, we know full well that he is going to be food. The mice mark another one down.

As El ponders how to get this message through, one of his mice suggests Speedy. Supremo agrees that it’s a good idea and is glad he thought of it. I’m not a fan when characters do that. Better add him to my list of annoying people I want to hurt. (…Fools who say Disney and Nintendo are only for kids, A-holes who kill animals but don’t eat them, The cast of “The tenth kingdom”…) They send a message and Speedy arrives. El gives him his orders of how he must cross a desert, climb over mountains, and cut through a jungle to get to Alcapulco. Which probably means if you’re bored enough, you can figure out where this errand is starting. Then you can challenge yourself to traverse the same route. Speedy runs over the waiting Sylvester, leaving behind some flames, and runs along the road making it bend much like the Roadrunner does. (I wonder which of those two would win a race. And on that note, why do I suddenly have four shadows?)

Sylvester is smart enough to chase him in a car, but Speedy stops for lunch break and Sylvester crashes. Next, they’re in the jungle. (Either nothing interesting happened in the mountains, or Speedy ran around them.) Sylvester takes aim from a boat in the river, but hits his head on a branch and shoots the boat instead. He ends up running from Caimans. He sets up a snare trap and catches a…I’ll be honest; I have no idea what that is. It looks kind of like Sam Sheepdog, the Tasmanian Devil, some green paint and some periods were all thrown in a blender. Maybe it’s just a radioactive jaguar?

Sylvester is eventually able to lasso Speedy, but the mouse drags him into a tree and ties him up. Speedy delivers the message which turns out to be a simple birthday poem. What’s more, it looks like Supremo only needed someone to distract the cat so he could come over with cake. Speedy is rightfully annoyed and lets Sylvester go. The cat chases the two bass turds into the distance. Speedy makes no effort to hide the fact that they will soon be eaten. (Can’t be good for the heart.)

Personal Rating: 3

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Cannery Woe

“I don’t he like us also, too.”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1961

In what I think is the mouse version of the slums, two mice wake up. As is typical of Speedy shorts, (Is that a spoiler?) they have the names of Manuel and Jose. They are hungry, and I guess there either is no food for them, or they are just lazy, because they list off a bunch of potential people they could mooch off of but don’t like them anymore instead of deciding on where/what to eat. But it appears to be their lucky day! Mayor Raton, (Spanish for mouse) is holding a fiesta to encourage others to reelect him. He’s even giving away free cheese for everyone.

Except our main characters. They are kicked out. (Hypocrite.) Despite the fact they are unwelcome, they watch from atop a wall and show their support anyway. The mayor calls for the cheese committee to bring out the goods. They look like they’ve been to war. It turns out there is a new addition to the store where they have always gotten cheese. Namely a cat. All is lost! (American mice would go on anyway. And then be eaten. Patriotic pride is no match for mother nature.) Jose and Manuel somehow get in without being thrown out and offer to help. Seems they know of a very fast mouse who left Jose with a whistle to blow if he is ever needed. (Speedy would turn 8 this year. He’s still not more well known in his country?) They will call him if they are granted their demands. Which are whispered, as if we didn’t already know what they want. The mayor (and his nose that turned tan for a slight second) agrees and Speedy is summoned.

Speedy goes to the store where Sylvester once again, underestimates him. Speedy runs through his legs and tears some fur off. (“Speedy was here!”) And again on his way out. (“Also here!”) Sylvester lays some tacks down. Speedy goes around and the cat runs through them after him. (Twice.) He gets stuck lighting a cannon, but Speedy helps by pulling the cord. The cannonball somehow doesn’t hit Sylvester as it is fired but lands on his head. Sylvester sets up many mousetraps inside, but ends up cornering himself. Speedy tosses a ping-pong ball at them which sets them all off.

Having brought back enough cheese, the Mayor is true to his word and grants Jose and Manuel their request. To be the official cheese judges. As for Speedy? He gets to be the chick inspector. What does that even mean? Does he judge the females on how attractive they are and refuses the ugly ones the right to stay? Who knows? Pfft, Men. (For the third time.)

Personal Rating: 3

We regret to inform those who come by, that there will not be a new update next week. I’ll be going on a trip. We will resume afterwards. Stay Looney.

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West of the Pesos

“Mio Speedito is muy loco.”

Directed by Robert McKimson.  Released in 1960

I just want to say that this place has been getting fairly popular lately. I want to thank everyone who stops by. Especially those leaving comments. They really make my day. Now on with the show.

Our story takes place in a village called “Veelage.” (That is probably the best name ever.) In a nearby lab, a one Sylvester J. Pussycat is guarding the entrance. Inside, several mice await their doom. And for anyone who is concerned that animal labs are hardly different from concentration camps, can rest easy. This one is okay because it says “Expieramento Scienteefic” on the front. (That’s reasonable) The other mice in town are worried and have set up a sign that lists the missing mice. (Two of which include Pablo Picasso and animator Manuel Perez, who ironically didn’t work on this short.)

They would like to go save everyone, but they are not fast enough. Why not Speedy? Well, he’s in Guadalajara at the moment. He’d need a pretty good reason to come down. A mouse-ette named Carmella might do the trick. She gives him a call and he’s there in no time. (Pfft, men.) He agrees to help and walks up to the gate. He tells “El Poosygato” about how he plans to come in and rescue his people. Chuckling, Sylvester opens up the gate. Speedy runs, and slips right through Sylvester’s paws. (Leaving a bad case of mouse-burn, I might add.) Slyvester works fast and quickly sets up a snare trap. Speedy ends up dragging him through the little knot hole it’s threaded through. He brings the mouse back where he is immediately hugged by his… wife? Maybe? Whoever she is, it’s nice not to have all the females lusting after Speedy this time.

Sylvester waits with a rock, but Speedy surprises him and he drops it on himself. After getting more mice, they run out under a can. They hide by two more. Sylvester checks them all. The last one contains a dynamite stick. (The second one had the mice.) On the next run out, the mice dress as a dog to keep the kitty away. It works until one trips out of the disguise, exposing the jig. Sylvester chases but still crashes into the wall. Speedy sets some train tracks that lead into the building, and runs out pulling the mice in cars. (Speedy uses a cigar to imitate smoke. He won’t be able to run so mast for much longer.) Sylvester hides behind a tunnel with his mouth open, but the train comes out through his tail. That’s the lot then. Carmella thanks Speedy with a kiss and that sends him rocketing into the sky. (Pfft, men.)

Personal Rating: 3

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Tortilla Flaps

“What for you steal my supper for?”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1958

Some sort of fiesta is going on in Mexico. (One kids seems to fly away on a balloon.) Even the mice are having a good time, setting up some sort of carnival. One of the highlights is watching Speedy play against himself in ping-pong. Up in the sky however, there are hungry eyes watching. It’s a bird known as Senor Vulchurro… I’m sorry, Vulturo. (Am I the only one who really wants another Viva Pinata game?) He comes down for lunch, causing the mice to scatter. He very nearly catches one, but Speedy beats him to it and leaves a fire cracker for the bird instead. (Despite his name, he doesn’t look like a vulture. More like a crow. A green crow. Maybe he’s a jackdaw?)

He naturally gives chase. Speedy leads him onto some train tracks where he is flattened by a train. And then a handcart. Speedy tells him that he is too fast to catch, but offers to lead the bird to a fat mouse that is sure to be a treat. (High calorie things usually are.) The bird follows as Speedy leads him to a mouse hole. The bird crashes his head above the entrance and cracks his skull. Opting for using his brains instead of wings, the bird sets up a ball and cup game, (Do those even have a proper name?) where the ball has been dunked in nitroglycerin.

It seems that Speedy would have fallen for it, had the bird not left his leg in sight. Speedy plays along and learns that this game is from his very own Lupe. (Seeing as this is Speedy, he wonders which Lupe sent it.) He begins to toss it over the cup to himself and back. Vulturo gets fed up and tries to show him how you’re supposed to play. Speedy grabs the ball and asks if the bird gives up and he refuses. Speedy drops the ball and the bird accepts. As his punishment, he must take place in some of the carnival games. And I do mean take place. One side has mice throwing balls at his head, and the other has them throwing darts at his butt.

Personal Rating: 3

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Tabasco Road

“Hola gato! You wanna fight?”

Directed by Robert McKimson. Released in 1957.

This short is another nominee for best animated short. It lost to “Birds Anonymous” (At least that’s a good short to lose to.)

At night in Mexico (maybe City or maybe some other place, I don’t know) the mice are having a great time at the cantina. They’re celebrating Speedy. (Is it his birthday? The fact they depend on him for survival? It’s not important.) Two mice known as Pablo and Fernando are already muy loaded on the Tequila, but ignore Speedy’s warnings and continue to drink up. At 3:00 A.M. the place clears out. Those two aren’t dead despite all the alcohol they have no doubt consumed, and tipsily head home. (I agree with them. They make a fine “trio.”) Speedy is well aware that they are in trouble and sets off to find them.

They meanwhile have attracted the attention of an alley gato. (“I think I saw un pussy gato.” “You did! You did see un pussy gato!”) Drunk as they are, they don’t recognize the danger and instead put up their dukes. The cat prepares for a feast, but Speedy arrives in the nick of time and saves Pablo; putting him in a sardine can for safekeeping. When he goes back for Fernando, he only finds his sombrero. He assumes the worst, but finds him in the can also. (Drunken mice have teleporting powers.) Speedy runs Ferny home telling Pablo to stay put. Once he gets his friend home, he rushes back for the other one. Unaware that Fernando climbed out of his window and is still stumbling about.

The gato meanwhile has found Pablo and puts him in his mouth. (Grey nose.) Speedy has seen all this and runs over. The cat screams, we hear a snap and then he kind of explodes. Ummm… what? Speedy apologizes for his… well speed, and does the whole gag again in slow motion. We see that he hammers the cat’s foot causing him to scream. Speedy grabs Pablo and sets him down on a set mousetrap. He quickly gets him off and puts him in a glass bottle, then he lights a firecracker and puts that in the cats mouth. Bad luck though, the bottle was broken and Pablo got out. Fernando meanwhile finds his way into the cats mouth himself. Speedy redoes the fast gag again and this sends the gato running for the “Ceety Leemits.”

The two drunkards are safe now, right? That’s how a Disney short would end. To Speedy’s surprise, the two have found an alley full of dozens of gatos, challenging them to a fight.

Personal Rating: 4

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Cat-Tails for Two

“Why did you hit yourself on the head for, George?”

Directed by Robert Mckimson. Released in 1953

It’s night at a wharf. The moon is bright, the water is green, and two cats are going hunting. The little one is named George and the hippo in a cat suit is named Benny. ( “Of Mice and Men” reference) They are played by Blanc and Freberg respectively. (To be fair, this is one of Freberg’s funniest roles. Don’t take my hippo quote the wrong way. I love Benny.) Benny actually appeared the year before in a short with Sylvester and Hippity Hopper called “Hoppy Go Lucky.”

Back to our featured short. Benny wants to come hunting with George who agrees on account that Benny not do stupid things like he always does. He points out a ship in from Mexico and comments on their Mexican feast they will have. Benny loves Mexican food! It gives him the heartburn that he loves! He agrees to throw George aboard and tosses him into the side. He doesn’t notice until he’s hopped over himself and scolds George for disobeying the “No Fishing”  sign. (No Swimming.) He pulls him up and George brings out the trap he brought. He sets it up, but a blur runs over and steals all the cheese. The blur leaves a card behind that identifies him as the fastest mouse in all Mexico: Speedy Gonzales! Making his film debut! Let’s take a look at him.

Wh-what is this unholy terror?

Yes, in his debut Speedy had ragged fur, a red shirt, NO PANTS, huge eyes, oversized teeth, (one in gold) and only wore his sombrero in his very first scene. After this short, Speedy wouldn’t be used again until Freleng sort of adopted him two years later. It’s like when McKimson did that with Chuck Jone’s Henery Hawk, and Freleng previously did with Bob Clampett’s Tweety. Only McKimson made some more pictures with the mouse as well. I’m getting off topic.

George has Benny hoist a crate of anvils into the air while he sets some more cheese down. Speedy in turn blows up a bag near Benny and he drops the trap on George. (Of course, Speedy is fast enough to grab the cheese first.) Next George sets up many pieces of cheese near firecrackers. All he needs is a match. Speedy has one and runs to each cheese wedge, grabs it, and lights the fuse. George who is chasing him keeps getting caught in the explosions. (You know, if Speedy didn’t run so much, he’d be fat.) Benny goes to get some water to cool his friend down, but remarks that “P-e-t-r-o-l” is a funny way to spell water.

They set up a free casino that advertises lots of free girls but is really a hidden pipe. (Good thing all men share the same sexual orientation.) George then tells Benny to wait at the other end. Speedy naturally saw all this, but plays along. As he runs in, George pointlessly lights a rocket to chase the mouse, but gets launched alongside it. Benny ends up smacking him on the head. Getting a new pipe, George leads it into Speedy’s mouse hole, unaware that the rodent is bending it with a wrench. He stuffs lots of dynamite into the pipe  also oblivious to the fact it’s all piling up behind him. He lights the fuse and the resulting explosion launches the cats off the ship. No Mexican meal tonight.

Personal Rating: 3

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Rabbit Romeo

“Women don’t chase men in America.”

Is it possible to be too attractive?

Directed by Robert McKimson

Acme Animal Delivery Service has just delivered a package to Elmer from his ncle, Judd Fudd. (I love that name.) The crate contains a rare species of slobovian rabbit. Her name is Millicent and if Fudd will hold on to her for awhile, Judd will give him $500.00 for the trouble. Elmer is momentarily shocked to find out how…”interesting” Millie looks. (“Wooks aren’t evewything, you know!”) He shows her to her room, but she immediately begins throwing a tantrum. Calling a vet, Elmer learns that slobovian rabbits prefer the company of other rabbits, and hey, who doesn’t? Elmer sets out to get one.

Bugs meanwhile, has been on a diet of icicles, and takes Elmer’s carrot bait without question. Elmer brings him home and Millicent immediately falls for her new boyfriend. Bugs is less than amused. She demands a kiss, so Bugs shoves a goldfish to her lips. She likes it. The fish shoots himself.  (Suicide CAN be funny. You just have to know how to do it.) Bugs tries to hide, but Millie’s strength easily helps remove him from his hiding places. She wants marriage now, and Bugs tries to teach her how the Americans do it: A long courtship.

She rushes through that to get to the good parts. (I love Bug’s annoyed face here.) Not willing to stick around, Bugs jumps out the window, but Elmer marches him back in at gunpoint. Millie next tries to get Bugs to do a traditional slobovian courtship dance. (“When in Slobovia, do as the other slobs do.”) He tries to dance away, but Elmer brings him back again, and tells him to go snuggle with his mate. Fudd goes to bed, and Bugs suggests eloping. Millie agrees and Bugs lets her climb out of the room first. He lets her plummet from the windowsill, leading to a very angry rabbit banging on the door. (That’s June Foray as Millicent. Out of all her roles as deep voiced women, this is my favorite.)

Bugs wakes up Elmer, and tells him that Uncle Judd is here. He gives Fudd a bathrobe to slip on, which is really a rabbit suit. As soon as Millicent sees this, she dumps Bugs and chases Elmer into the hills. Bugs: “Ain’t I the little matchmaker?”

Personal Rating: 4