Release Date:

October 2, 1954

Main Character(s):

Sylvester

Summary:

A German mouse named Hans tells his family about his visit to America where he and his American cousin, Willie, learned about mass production and mass consumption from Willie’s friend, a professor mouse, periodically interrupted by Sylvester trying to catch them.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1336 and was released as a Looney Tune.

This is the first of three Freleng cartoons from the 1950’s to be made for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, all of which feature Sylvester and were finished early in production (this one you can especially tell because of the animators and the production number). The other two are “Heir Conditioned” (1955) and “Yankee Dood It” (1956). These three cartoons were restored and put at the end of the main program on the second disc of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6 DVD set in 2008 (that disc mainly focuses on wartime material, but since the disc is entitled “Patriotic Pals”, these three fortunately had room to be put on there).

The cartoon uses the 1955 red-purple rings with the blue background in the intro and closing. The other 1954 cartoons that use these rings are also the first to use the smaller rings in the “That’s all folks!” end cards.

Gerry Chiniquy returned to the studio with this cartoon.

This is the first Warner cartoon to have animation by Ted Bonnicksen, who was in Freleng’s unit for about a year before he transferred over to McKimson’s, becoming the latter’s head animator in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s (his name is also misspelled as “Bonnickson” in the opening credits of this one).

This is the only Freleng cartoon to have animation by Ben Washam.

The title is a pun for “by word of mouth”.

Stan Freberg voices Willie.

Hans says, “Ich tawt Ich taw ein pussycat’n!”, which is faux-German for Tweety’s catchphrase.

Stacy’s is based off of Macy’s.

Milt Franklyn scored this cartoon.

This one has a longer run time of most cartoons from this period as this one clocks in at nearly 8 minutes.

A truck for “Foster’s Eggs” is seen at one point, referring to Warren Foster. There is also one for “Fritz Transfer Co.”, which is a reference to Freleng.

Favorite Scene:

Sylvester manages to find the mice in a filing cabinet under “M”.

Hans thinking a washing machine is used to wash poker chips is also amusing.

What Happens in This One:

In the German village of “Knockwurst-on-der-Rye”, Hans and his family are seen in a mouse hole in one of the homes. His grandfather asks him to tell the family about his trip to America. Hans’ wife asks what he saw there while her two kids jump up and down, excited about what Hans has to say before she shushes them. Hans begins, “Oh ho ho! What I saw in America? Well, first the boat sailed into the harbor to the dock where the passengers got off from”, as a flashback is shown for most of the remainder of the cartoon (animated by Arthur Davis).

As the passengers get off the gangplank, Hans gets off by walking across the rope holding the boat. Willie and Hans are glad to see each other and after dancing around while hugging, Hans takes something out of his handkerchief on a stick, “Aunt Frieda sends by you a present: a Bavarian cheese”. Willie is delighted with the Bavarian cheese and eats it. Hans: “Is good, no?” Willie: “Is good, YES!” (animated by Ben Washam)

Hans then takes notice of the very busy traffic, “Why, this America! It’s such a busy place!” Willie tells him, “Ah, you ought to see it in the rush hour!” They watch the traffic below while standing atop the side of a bridge. Hans loses his balance, causing him to drop his handkerchief on a stick and nearly fall off himself, only for Willie to catch him and warn, “Hey! Be careful! You’re in a big town now!” Hans thanks him in German before observing, “All those automo-bo-biles. So many rich peoples!” (animated by Washam) Willie informs, “They’re not ALL rich. Some of them are just working guys”. Hans: “Working guys? With all those new automo-bo-biles?” Willie: “They’re not ALL new. Some of them are, uh, a few years old” (animated by Ted Bonnicksen).

A while later, they come to a building which Willie introduces, “Well, here we are, Hans! My home!”, which is actually Stacy’s Department Store. Hans asks, “YOU live HERE?”, to which Willie explains, “I find it convenient”. They enter through a hole in the wall and come out of a hole in the interior of the store where stuff is on display in a window. When they walk past two mannequins shown from only the legs down modeling in bikinis, Hans takes a look at them and wolf-whistles, only to be dragged away by Willie. They then observe a washing machine labeled “Swirl” with numerous red, white, and blue poker chips swirling around inside the machine. Hans remarks, “Ach! What conveniences they have here! Machines just to wash the poker chips!” (animated by Bonnicksen)

An elevator operator is heard announcing, “Going up!” so Willie takes Hans with him into said elevator, getting in just in time (animated by Bonnicksen). The elevator opens on the “second floor: lamps, clamps, postage stamps, roasters, coasters, electric toasters. Watch your step”. Hans is confused with all of the people walking around on the floor, outside of the elevator, “What’s this? All these people buying? What’s this?” Willie answers, “Eh, that’s mass consumption”, which Hans gives a blank gaping stare, facing away from Willie. Next is “Third floor: clippers, nippers, bedroom slippers, socks, clocks, bagels, and locks. Watch your step”. Hans: “Clippers, nippers, bedroom slippers, all these things, what is THIS?” Willie: “That’s mass production”. Hans just shrugs at this (animated by Davis).

Several people walk out of the elevator on the next floor with Hans and Willie running around them trying to avoid being crushed. Once they make it to a corner safely, Hans asks, “So why all this mass production?” Willie: “Eh, through mass production, they can buy and sell cheaper”. Hans: “WHY do they have to sell cheaper?” Willie points to a building across the street, “That’s why!” The building is literally called “Rival Department Store”. Hans becomes annoyed, “‘Mass production’, ‘mass consumption’, what is this!?” Willie attempts to explain, “Well, you see, it’s like this. Uh, mass production is created by the competitive market and, uh…. a higher volume and uh… like that”. Hans only gives him an annoyed “I don’t believe you” stare with his arms folded. Willie realizes, “I can see this isn’t getting through to you! Come on! I’ll take you to a friend of mine. He’ll explain it to ya” (animated by Davis).

At “Putnell University” (“Old P.U. Founded 1882”), Willie and Hans have gone to a professor mouse who lives in a mouse hole next to the Economics room. Willie explains, “So you see, professor, he’d like you to explain it to him”. The professor is more than happy to do so, “It would be a pleasure to expound this economic phenomenon”. In the actual classroom, the professor is telling Willie and Hans about competition (from a phone book). When asked by the professor if this info is straightening him out, Hans answers, “Oh yeah. Sure, sure. That straightens me out- just like a pretzel”. Hans then notices Sylvester creeping up on them and warns, “Hey, professor! Ich tawt Ich taw ein pussycat’n!” The professor stops in shock and turns around to see Sylvester leaning over the phone book at him, so he slams it shut on Sylvester’s face (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Hans, Willie, and the professor then run out of the room before the phone book opens and Sylvester’s flattened face pops back to normal. Sylvester goes after them and unknowingly passes by the desk the professor is continuing his lesson in (animated by Bonnicksen). In one of the drawers (brightened up by the flame of a cigarette lighter), the professor explains, “Competition makes the businessman try to sell his product for less than his rivals”. An illustration of two guys both selling a 7-inch 1950’s television set, one costing 395 dollars and another costing 385 dollars. A customer is shown to be more interested in the latter his interest is next shifted to a 10-inch set costing 372 dollars, then a 17-inch one costing 295 dollars, and finally a 21-inch set costing 285 dollars. “To attract customers, a manufacturer must reduce his profit margin on each sale. But, he can only go so low. He must then lower his costs. Uh, do you understand?” Willie and Hans both reply in enthusiasm that they do. The lesson is again interrupted by Sylvester who opens the drawer and ends up getting one of his left whiskers set on fire by the lighter. Sylvester runs out to a glass case with the instruction, “In Case of Fire Break Glass”. He breaks the glass but due to the case having only an ax inside, he instead runs to the opposite direction and dumps a bucket of water labeled “Fire” on his head (animated by Chiniquy).

The professor, Hans, and Willie hide in filing cabinets M-P and resume the lesson in there. “Now, to continue. By efficiency and research, the manufacturer reduces costs and improves the product. He doesn’t make as much on each item, but he sells more items”. Sylvester runs past the filing cabinet and since mouse begins with “M” he opens the M-P cabinet and searches through each folder aloud, “Machines, markets, medicine, Micah, mice!” He opens this folder and is clobbered with a mallet by the professor. They run out again, with Sylvester staggering out dazed while still holding the folder (animated by Davis).

Now taking refuge inside a water cooler, the lesson is continued while they are sitting in a makeshift boat. The water soon begins to empty as Sylvester is drinking cup after cup of water to get the three of them out of there. When they land in the cup, the professor rings his bell and announces, “Class dismissed. We are faced with a problem of MOUSE consumption”. The professor, Willie, and Hans run off once more, with Sylvester, whose stomach is completely full of water and with said water sloshing around inside, chasing them through the campus and then through the town. The professor manages to stop Sylvester by opening a manhole with his foot. Sylvester crashes into it front-first with the water splashing out of him before he falls inside. The professor calls out to Hans and Willie who are still fleeing, “And don’t forget! All this has raised our standard of living to the highest level in the world!”, before the flashback ends (animated by Davis).

Back in the present, Hans asks his family, “And now, do you all understand the mass consumption and mass production?” His wife answers, “UNDERSTAND mass production? I’m a VICTIM of it!” What she means by that is her dozens of unruly children (animated by Davis).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½