Release Date:

October 25, 1947

Main Character(s):

Sylvester

Summary:

Wellington the dog is told by his strict mistress to deliver a package to Uncle Louie. As he had been harassing Sylvester and his unnamed orange friend earlier, they decide to get even with Wellington by pestering him all along the way and attempting to steal the package.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1054 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. Around 2005 or 2006, the original titles were found.

The cartoon was produced in Cinecolor, resulting in it being finished early (in fact, this was the first of nine Davis cartoons to be produced in this process). While this cartoon uses the 1947-1948 red rings with the blue background in the intro, the outro uses the 1949 orange rings with the blue background

In release order, this is the first Davis cartoon to have animation by Basil Davidovich, but the sixth in production order.

This is the first cartoon to be written by the duo of William Scott (later of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame) and Lloyd Turner, who would write most of Davis’ cartoons as well as some of his absolute best, such as this one, “Two Gophers from Texas”, “What Makes Daffy Duck”, and “A Hick A Slick and a Chick” (all released in 1948). This is also the only Warner cartoon to have Scott credited as “Bill Scott”.

This is the first Warner cartoon to have animation by one of the absolute greatest animators who ever lived, Emery Hawkins. Hawkins was a master at facial expressions and he almost always stole the show in Davis’ cartoons. When Davis’ unit was disbanded at the end of the 1940’s, Hawkins mostly animated for McKimson (and occasionally for Jones and Freleng) before leaving in 1951.

This is one of two Sylvester cartoons directed by Davis, with the other being “Catch As Cats Can”. Davis portrayed Sylvester differently than the other directors, portraying him as a dopey character (Jerry Beck describes this as “his own strange Sylvester”). In this one, Sylvester doesn’t speak, while in the other cartoon, he has a dopey voice.

In release order, this is the first Warner cartoon to have layouts by Don Smith, who replaced Thomas McKimson. Smith would do layouts on all of the rest of Davis’ cartoons (barring “Mexican Joyride”, which was in production way before this one, but was released after).

This is the second Warner cartoon to have a character named Wellington, with the first being “Hiss and Make Up”.

The orange cat’s design would later be reused for Sylvester’s brother, Alan, in the Looney Tunes Show episode “Point Laser Point” (2011).

Lloyd Turner had apparently offered the plot for this cartoon in a jam session on stories. For some reason, nobody laughed when William Scott told the story (it’s odd why no one laughed because the finished result is another hilarious Warner cartoon). Davis was inexplicably “terrified” but changed his mind when Jones offered to take it if no one else would.

This is another case where Warner is hypocritical in putting out cartoons with racially insensitive gag. At one point, Wellington impersonates a Chinese stereotype near the beginning when a garbage can lid lands on his head. Thankfully, the scene is very minor and doesn’t hurt the rest of the cartoon. This cartoon was also restored for HBO Max in 2020 with this same restoration later appearing on the Looney Tunes Collector’s Choice Volume 1 Blu-ray set in 2023.

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “Keep Cool Fool” over the original titles as well as how it sounds in all the other scenes it plays in throughout this cartoon.

As Sylvester and the orange cat scramble into a trash can, Wellington grabs the trash can’s lid and the lid of another trash can, bangs the can with both lids and then bashes both cats with the lids when they come out. After doing this two times, Wellington hears his mistress calling him so he shushes the cats before doing the beating a third time. The mistress yells his name so he comes over (animated by Emery Hawkins).

Sylvester and the orange cat listen as the mistress scolds Wellington, “I’m getting tired of yelling at the top of my voice when I want you! Bad dog! Now hear, take this package over to Uncle Louie’s right away! And don’t you dare let go of it! Or else” and gives a small tap on his head with her broom. Deciding this is the perfect opportunity to get even, the orange cat shakes Sylvester’s hand (animated by Hawkins).

After turning a street corner with the package in his mouth, Wellington is confronted by the orange cat with a literal chip on his shoulder. The orange cat removes a glove he was wearing and slaps Wellington with it, while Sylvester whistles to get Wellington’s attention before throwing an egg at him and tying his ears like a hair bow. Angry, Wellington throws the package on the ground before he hears his mistress’ warning echo in his head: “And don’t you dare let go of it! Or else.” with the orange cat looking up at Wellington’s thought bubble of him getting the broom tap on the head (animated by Don Williams).

The package is then pulled away from under Wellington’s feet (animated by Williams) as he begins to chase it. It turns out Sylvester has been reeling it in with a fishing pole as Wellington grabs it with his mouth and slides into the fence getting his head stuck there. The orange cat operates a machine holding the plank in the fence in that Wellington smashed into as Sylvester cuts the rope holding it with a knife, causing it to smack into Wellington and sending him spinning around and hitting a fire hydrant, a telephone pole, and a street lamp before falling into a manhole (animated by Basil Davidovich).

In tune to a catchy rendition of “You Never Know Where You’re Going ‘Till You Get There”, Sylvester and the orange cat march down the street with the package but Wellington meets up with them and retrieves it. He is soon forced into dancing with Sylvester before the orange cat jabs him in the rear with a large pin. When Wellington yells in pain, Sylvester grabs the package (animated by Bill Melendez up to here) and the orange cat tosses it over on the railroad tracks. Before Wellington can pick it up, he hears a train-like noise, forcing him to get off the tracks. It’s actually the orange cat and Sylvester imitating a train by means of the orange cat smoking a cigar and Sylvester giving a meow-like whistle with a bell attached to his tail, while also picking up the package in a wagon. Realizing he was tricked, Wellington starts to go after them before he is hit by a real train. After holding up a white flag, Wellington chases them around a corner and gets his face smashed by the cats using a potholder as a shield (animated by Davidovich).

Sylvester and the orange cat then disguise a weight as the package and make it appear to Wellington that they’re about to throw it off the bridge. They stop Wellington from jumping off the bridge after it, so Wellington has to rent a rowboat to try and catch it. The weight goes through Wellington’s net as well as the boat’s hull, causing him to sink (animated by Davidovich).

The orange cat holds out the package in Wellington’s view while taunting him with meowing noises before running off, only to be hit by Sylvester using a mallet intended for Wellington. Realizing his error, Sylvester sneaks around the corner with a mallet only for Wellington to punch the mallet into his face and allowing him to retrieve the package (animated by Hawkins).

The orange cat folds some paper like a cigarette and pours some pepper into it, blowing it in Wellington’s face as he passes by (animated by Williams). Wellington sneezes so hard (animated by Davidovich) that it flings him backward into an Indian statue on display that puts a bunch of cigars in his mouth. The package lands in front of a steamroller driven by Sylvester. To save it, Wellington races like a bullet to get the package out of the way, being run over in the process (animated by Williams).

Tired out, Wellington finally makes it to Uncle Louie’s (animated by Davidovich). Uncle Louie congratulates him for delivering it, which makes Wellington proud. Hearing Uncle Louie call “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty”, Wellington’s pride disappears as he realizes that the package was dinner for the cats! After both the orange cat and Sylvester march in, the door is shut in Wellington’s face. Upset that he went through all that and the cats got dinner as a result, Wellington imitates a “jack-ass”, repeatedly hits himself in the face with the mailbox, and crashes the garbage can lids against his head like cymbals (animated by Hawkins).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕