Release Date:

October 31, 1953

Main Character(s):

Tweety and Sylvester, Rocky

Summary:

The million-dollar Tweety is being held for ransom by Rocky and his henchman Nick. Spotting Tweety in their window, Sylvester attempts to “rescue” him, only intending to have him as a meal rather than heroism.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1275 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is the second appearance of Rocky and the last time he is not seen with his eventual partner, Mugsy.

While one of the gangsters in Rocky’s previous appearance, “Golden Yeggs”, is named Nick, the Nick in this cartoon is a different character.

The cartoon was used in the 1981 compilation movie, “The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie”.

Tweety doesn’t say his catchphrase in this cartoon, but it is said by Nick when he notices Sylvester sneaking around the window ledge.

Despite being released on Halloween, the cartoon has nothing spooky about it.

Rocky would also kidnap Tweety in the Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries episode, “The Cat Who Knew Too Much”, only with Mugsy rather than Nick.

The cartoon’s title would be reused for a 1966 Tom and Jerry cartoon made by Jones’ unit at MGM (although Jones didn’t direct that one himself as it was one of a few directed by Abe Levitow).

Up until the end, Tweety is unaware of Sylvester’s intentions.

Favorite Scene:

Tweety meets up with Sylvester out in a hallway but when Rocky and Nick notice Tweety’s gone, Sylvester hides him in a can. When Sylvester silently shrugs upon being asked by Rocky of Tweety’s whereabouts, Rocky doesn’t believe him and has Nick “search” Sylvester by means of dragging him by the hand and taking him to another room to torture him offscreen by means of tickling. Rocky discovers Tweety inside the can, just as Nick comes out and shows that a mouse was the only thing he could find from inside Sylvester.

What Happens in This One:

A newspaper with the headlines, “Tweety Bird Missing” and an article titled “Million Dollar Bird Gone” is shown as someone is heard saying, “Extra! Read all about it! Tweety Bird Missing! Bird Gets the Bird! Read all about it! Million Dollar Bird Gone!” Another newspaper with the headline, “Rare Bird Feared Kidnapped” and an article, “Country Wide Search for Valuable Bird” is shown.

We fade in to the interior of Rocky’s hideout where a man on the radio is heard, “Police authorities believe that Tweety Bird is being held for ransom by the notorious Rocky and his gang. And if you are listening to this broadcast, Rocky, remember- (switches to Brooklyn/Bronx voice similar to Bugs’)- don’t hurt the bird!” With them both playing cards, Rocky tells Nick, “Turn it off, Nick”, to which Nick does, “Okay, Rocky. Anything you say” (animated by Manuel Perez). Irritated at being held for ransom, Tweety remarks, “Those bad ol’ gangsters!”, but then sees “This is my chance to escape” due to Rocky and Nick being busy with their card game. Tweety gets out of the cage, slides down the pole (animated by Virgil Ross), and attempts to sneak out the door, only to be shot at by Rocky, who orders, “Get to your cage, bird”. Tweety nervously chuckles and goes back while Rocky tells Nick, “Your play”. After getting into his cage, Tweety sulks, “Nasty old kidnappers!” (animated by Perez)

Meanwhile, Sylvester walks to a makeshift table made from a box in the alley while holding a tray made from two garbage can lids, which consists of several leftovers from the alley’s trash cans. After sitting himself down by using a bucket as a chair and putting a napkin around his neck, Sylvester is about to eat but then hears Tweety’s chirping from the high window in the building where Rocky’s hideout is. Seeing this is a better meal, Sylvester scrapes his leftovers into a small trash can and puts the lid atop it, before leaving a “Reserved” sign on the table and heading towards the hideout (animated by Ross).

Sylvester runs up the fire exit and is spotted by Tweety, who believes, “Oh, goody, goody! Wook at that nice putty tat twying to tave me!” (animated by Ross) As Sylvester walks along the window ledge of the hideout apartment, Nick takes notice of him and tells Rocky, “Hey, boss. I tawt I taw a putty tat”. Rocky, who’s eating a banana, answers, “You did. You did tee a putty tat”. Rocky places his banana’s peel on the ledge, causing Sylvester to slip on it and then fall off the ledge. He lands in a trash can offscreen with the impact propelling a tin can up and allowing Rocky to deposit his cigar ashes in said can. Sylvester sits up while still inside the can and remarks while slightly dazed, “I slip-p-p-ed” (animated by Perez).

Rocky and Nick are still playing cards and don’t notice Tweety sneaking off and running out into the hallway (animated by Perez). At the same time, Sylvester has entered up the stairs and upon seeing Tweety going down the hallway, hides around the corner with his open mouth. Tweety is relieved to see him, “Oh! Oh, there you are, putty. Oh, hide me, hide me, quick!” Sylvester points to his mouth and advises, “Here. Hide here. They’ll never find ya in here”. Tweety thanks him and goes inside, only for Sylvester to close his mouth. Tweety opens it back up and scolds, “Not so hard!” (animated by Ross)

Just then, Nick is heard saying, “Hey, Rocky. The bird’s gone” with Rocky replying, “He must be (animated by Ross) out here someplace”. Not able to get away in time, Sylvester hides Tweety under a tin can to his left. He is soon confronted by Rocky and Nick with Rocky asking him, “Okay, pussycat. Where is it the bird?” Sylvester gives a silent shrug, but Rocky doesn’t believe him. “Oh, yeah? Search the pussycat, Nick”. Nick complies, “Okay, boss” and grabs Sylvester’s wrist, before dragging him by the wrist into another room, torturing him offscreen from inside the room, and presumably tickling him as evidenced by Sylvester pleading for Nick to stop while in the midst of a laughing fit. Rocky then sees the tin can rattling around and finds Tweety under it. “Okay, bird. The jig is up”, he says to Tweety before grabbing him and then replacing him with a dynamite stick that he lights with his cigar. Nick comes out of the room while holding a mouse as he informs, “Hey, boss. This is all I could find”. After Sylvester staggers out of the room, Rocky tells him, “Okay, cat. Get your package and scram”. Unaware of the switch, Sylvester regains his senses and happily sneaks back down the stairs with the can, only for the dynamite to explode on him offscreen. He staggers back up slightly charred and slurs, “Ya dirty guys!” before leaning over and tumbling down the stairs (animated by Arthur Davis).

Pacing back and forth outside, Sylvester notices that he’s next to the “Ajax Construction Co.” and decides to haul himself up to the hideout’s window with a steel beam tied to a rope. He manages to get in, grab Tweety, and run out with him without any trouble, only for the beam to shortly fall right on top of him. Tweety laments, “Aw, the poor putty tat fall down”. Rocky and a smirking Nick are then shown to be standing outside the doorway, having witnessed this as Rocky agrees, “Yeah. The poor putty tat fall down” (animated by Perez).

With Tweety back in the cage and Rocky and Nick resuming their card game (animated by Perez), Sylvester goes all the way downstairs and goes up to the hideout by using the dumbwaiter. Suddenly, three police cars arrive at the hideout as one of the cops is heard from behind the door while Rocky is pointing his gun out the window, “Okay, Rocky. Open up now. We got ya”. Rocky exclaims, “Cheese it, the cops! Hide the bird quick!” Nick takes Tweety out of the cage and puts him in the dumbwaiter, oblivious that he’s handing it to Sylvester who’s made it all the way up (animated by Davis).

The cops arrest Rocky and Nick offscreen, “Alright, Rocky. Down to the station house with ya!”, just as Sylvester, from inside the dumbwaiter, realizes he has Tweety in his grasp and goes back all the way down while sporting an evil smile (animated by Ken Champin). He runs out (animated by Perez), only to be stopped by someone saying, “Hold it!” It turns out the press has arrived and mistaken him for a hero as they take numerous photos of a confused Sylvester holding Tweety. The newspaper headline reads, “Hero Cat Saves Bird” with the article, “Risks Life to Save Friend” before the scene cuts to the outside of the city hall with several people present. Seen with both Tweety and Sylvester on the podium, the mayor announces, “We are gathered here today to pay homage to this magnificent cat who fought his natural instincts to save this little bird. Yes. And now, gentlemen, you may take your pictures of the cat kissing the little bird”. Having Tweety sitting on his palm, the mayor leans him in towards Sylvester and instructs, “Come on, cat. Kiss the little birdie”, with Tweety reiterating, “Come on, putty tat. Kiss the wittle birdie”. Rather than make it appear like he is indeed a hero and put up with kissing him, Sylvester immediately blows it by lunging his head forward and catching him in his mouth. The presumably shocked mayor silently picks Sylvester up by the neck and spanks him on the head to make him spit Tweety out. Tweety now realizes Sylvester’s true intentions all along and ends the cartoon with, “Ooh! He’s a bad putty tat!” (animated by Champin)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

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