Release Date:

June 24, 1950

Main Character(s):

Tweety and Sylvester

Summary:

Tweety is put on a train headed to Gower Gulch by his mistress. Sylvester, who’s also traveling on this train, attempts to catch him, but must contend with the conductor and a vicious bulldog he has angered.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1127 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue.

This is the first cartoon where Tweety sings this song: “I’m a tweet wittle bird in a gilded cage; Tweety’s my name but I don’t know my age; I don’t have to worry and dat is dat; I’m safe in here fwom dat old putty tat!” He also sings it over the opening credits of both “Canary Row” (released four months later) and “Putty Tat Trouble” (1951) and during two scenes in “Room and Bird” (1951).

Notably, Tweety’s main protector in this cartoon is a male. In this case, it’s the conductor. Another instance of this occurring is in “Tweety and the Beanstalk” (1957) where he is the giant’s pet.

The title is a pun for “all aboard”.

As typical with Paul Julian’s backgrounds, several crew members’ names are seen in the backgrounds which include: box cars with names such as “Champin” (referring to Ken Champin), “Ross” (referring to Virgil Ross), “Hawley” (referring to Hawley Pratt), and “Frizby” (referring to Freleng); a package with Mel Blanc’s name that is addressed to “Fred Fraling” (presumably a spoonerism on Freleng), another package addressed to “C. Martin Jones” (referring to Jones. Martin was also his middle name hence why he is often credited as “Charles M. Jones”); Freleng’s name appearing on a trunk headed for “Pratt Falls, Wisconsin” (referring to Hawley Pratt), and a label on a green case reading “Tedd Pierce”, referring to the writer of the same name.

In June 2023 (a few weeks before I started this blog), I did an Instagram story, “When you get a spam call”, with it being Sylvester’s “Ah, shut up!” from this cartoon (which is the screenshot used in this post, albeit a subtitled screenshot in order for it to make sense).

The gag where Sylvester attempts to club the bulldog only to slam right into the tunnel would be reused in McKimson’s “Half Fare Hare” (1956) where Bugs is pursued on a train by two hungry hobos who are caricatures of Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton from “The Honeymooners”. Incidentally, both cartoons are written by Tedd Pierce.

The cartoon contains a “Tweety in” title card that is exclusive to this cartoon (oddly, most Tweety and Sylvester cartoons give only Tweety star billing despite the fact that it’s really Sylvester who’s the star of these cartoons).

This is the first of four Freleng cartoons to feature animation from Emery Hawkins (all released in 1950). The other three include “Golden Yeggs”, “Canary Row”, and “Stooge for a Mouse”.

What I Like About This One:

As his mistress says goodbye to him in baby talk, Tweety looks away in disgust, clearly finding this baby talk annoying. “Please take care of my little darling”, she says while handing Tweety’s cage to the conductor who promises, “Don’t worry, madam. Nothing will happen to your little bird”. The camera pans back to reveal Sylvester’s cage next to where the conductor has put Tweety’s cage down (animated by Virgil Ross).

With the train departing the station, Tweety sings his signature song before spotting Sylvester. After Tweety realizes he taw a putty tat, Sylvester opens the little door at the bottom of his cage and has his fingers walk out like legs, before they knock on the door to Tweety’s cage. Tweety answers, “Don’t I know you fwom somewhere?” Sylvester’s attempt to grab Tweety is thwarted by the conductor, who hits Sylvester’s paw with a cane. “Oh no you don’t! It’s a good thing I kept my eye on you, you sneaking feline. And as for you, little birdie, I’d better put you in a safer place”. He hangs his cage on a hook on the ceiling of the railroad car they’re in. Before he leaves, he warns Sylvester, “Now remember, cat! No tricks!” Sylvester gives him an innocent smile with a halo over his head. As soon as the conductor shuts the door, Sylvester’s halo immediately pops away (animated by Ross).

Sylvester sneaks back and forth carrying baggage to make a stack high enough to reach Tweety. He opens the suitcase on top to propel himself within reach of the cage, but just as he’s about to grab him, Tweety pulls on the emergency cord, which causes the train to come to a sudden stop and send Sylvester flying across the train, landing in the engine’s firebox (animated by Ken Champin). Sylvester comes out on fire and screaming in pain. When he comes back, Tweety pulls the cord again. This time, the train goes forward rapidly, with Tweety holding up a garbage can lid in front of him, which Sylvester crashes into (animated by Emery Hawkins). Sylvester gives chase, but skids to a stop upon seeing the conductor, who scolds him, “Oh, gettin’ cute again, huh? Now get back in your cage and stay there!” Tweety reiterates, “Yeah! Now get back there and TAY there!” (animated by Ross)

Back in his cage, Sylvester angrily mutters under his breath about the conductor, “Take that uniform off and I’ll show-” but finds the bulldog in another cage, who is angrily barking at him. Sylvester whacks him with an umbrella, “Ah, shut up!” When the bulldog continues barking angrily, Sylvester threatens, “Ah, shut your big yap, or I’ll let ya have another!” The train then approaches a hill just as Sylvester sneers, “Ah, what’re ya lookin’ for, a fat lip!?” Going uphill causes Sylvester’s cage to slide towards the bulldog’s where the bulldog punches him back across the railroad car. Sylvester slides back down towards him with the same result. Thinking the same thing is about to happen a third time, Sylvester lets out a weak “Mother…” but now the train is going downhill. Thinking he’s safe when his cage slides all the way to the other end backward, Sylvester makes several taunting faces at the bulldog, only to see to his horror, that it’s now the bulldog who’s sliding towards HIM, complete with his fist sticking out, ready to sock him. After the inevitable happens offscreen, Tweety tsks, “Poor putty tat” (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Sylvester makes another stack of baggage to reach Tweety. Tweety finds that the emergency cord has been cut, to which Sylvester reveals he was responsible. Despite it being cut, it still works when Tweety pulls it! The train’s sudden stop results in Sylvester presumably flying into the firebox again (animated by Champin), as evidenced when he comes back smoking after Tweety wonders “where’d that putty tat go to?” Tweety realizes, “Ooh. That putty tat, he mad at me!” (animated by Ross)

This time, Sylvester manages to grab Tweety and does an evil laugh as he sneaks away with him. Seeing the conductor approaching, Sylvester stuffs Tweety in a mail sack and hangs it outside on the mail hook. Once the conductor passes by without looking, Sylvester has to run all the way back to the caboose to retrieve the mail sack. Instead of pulling Tweety out, however, he instead pulls out the bulldog who chases him back into the train (animated by Champin).

On top of the train, Sylvester saws a hole on top of the railroad car to get Tweety from there, but he again gets the bulldog instead, who proceeds to chase him on top of the train. Sylvester hides in between two railroad cars and after the bulldog passes atop him, he runs back the other way. Realizing this, the bulldog runs back in the direction Sylvester went with Sylvester attempting to sneak up on him and club him. He jumps out too late, however, and can only give a silent horrified reaction as he slams into the tunnel and falls off (animated by Hawkins).

When the train arrives at the next station, a red taxi pulls up and Sylvester comes out disguised as Tweety’s mistress. Speaking in a feminine voice, he says, “Oh, hurry, please. And give me my little Tweety bird. I’ve missed him so”. Seemingly fooled, the conductor complies, “Yes. Here you are, madam.” Sylvester hastily runs with the covered cage back into the taxi as it drives off. In the back seat, Sylvester laughs evilly in his normal voice but upon taking the cover off, he finds the bulldog in there instead! The taxi then stops so the bulldog can uproot a mile marker and pound Sylvester with it as the taxi continues driving along. Sitting on the end of the caboose, Tweety mock laments, “Uh oh. The putty tat’s got another pwaymate. It’s gonna be awfuwwy wonesome fwom here to Pasadena” (animated by Arthur Davis).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½