Release Date:

May 8, 1954

Main Character(s):

Sylvester, Spike and Chester

Summary:

Spike (named “Alfie” in this one) and Chester go after Sylvester again, chasing him to Dr. Jekyll’s office. Thirsty and out of breath, Sylvester consumes the Hyde formula after mistaking it for soda pop, and keeps turning into a monster that beats Spike up. He keeps turning back to normal before Chester can see him, causing Chester to believe that Spike is ineffectual in beating up a cat.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1287 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon is a sequel to “Tree for Two”, only with Spike and Chester both speaking in Cockney accents (but still being voiced by Mel Blanc and Stan Freberg, respectively), Spike being referred to as “Alfie”, and Sylvester actually becoming a threat this time.

This is the first of three Freleng cartoons to spoof Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The other two are “Hyde and Hare” (1955) and “Hyde and Go Tweet” (1960).

“Jerkyl” is a pun for “Jekyll” (and was previously used in “The Impatient Patient”, another cartoon that spoofs Jekyll and Hyde), while the spelling of “hide” in the title refers to one’s skin.

A building labeled “Wyner Load Co.” is seen at one point, referring to Irv Wyner.

Inexplicably, the faded, muddy-looking unrestored print used on the former Boomerang streaming app (2017-2024) used the incorrect opening theme. This is also the case with the pristine, gorgeous restoration done for HBO Max in 2020 (and will unfortunately likely be the case with it on the upcoming Looney Tunes Collector’s Vault Volume 2- coming out this Tuesday- as this cartoon is going to be on it. As long as it’s uncut and uncensored, in full frame, at its correct playback speed, and in its original color is all that really matters though).

Favorite Scene:

After Sylvester escapes out the window, Spike takes advantage of this as well as Chester not being able to see him from behind the door to try and win back his reputation by faking a fight. He unknowingly throws the Hyde formula across the room, causing the glass to shatter and the formula to drip onto a fly. The fly turns into a behemoth who pummels Spike.

What Happens in This One:

Spike is walking along the street on all four’s with Chester attempting to talk to him while following, “I say! We’re jolly chums, aren’t we, Alfie, old boy? Through thick and thin, all that sort of rot? (animated by Ken Champin) Aren’t we now, Alfie? I say! (pants happily)” Spike rudely tells him to go away, “Blast ya! Go home, ya mongrel! Quit followin’ me!” Although this seems to hurt Chester’s feelings (animated by Virgil Ross), he continues trying to do something with Spike, “Would ya want me to dig up a bone for ya, Alf, old boy? Would ya now, Alf? Anything ya say is a bit alright with me!” Spike slaps him away with, “Nah!” Chester chuckles, “Nah! Heh! You wouldn’t like that!” before getting another idea, “I say, Alfie! H-how’s about thrashing a cat? How would ya like that? Alf? How would ya like that, Alf?” (animated by Champin)

Spike stops walking upon hearing this suggestion and becomes interested, “Blimey, lad! Did you say ‘cat’?!” Having braced himself for another slap, Chester answers enthusiastically, “Yeah, yeah! Sure, sure! I know where there’s a cat! Eh, eh, follow me!” They both walk along as Chester is excited, “I’ll say, we’ll have a jolly time thrashing that cat, eh what, gov’nor?” (animated by Champin) Sylvester is shown sleeping on a box and presumably having an amusing dream as he is laughing in his sleep. He suddenly wakes up and makes several freaked out noises and poses upon seeing Spike and Chester glaring at him. They chase Sylvester down the street until Sylvester becomes tired out and takes refuge in the building he’s in front of, which turns out to be Dr. Jekyll’s lab. He ends up shutting the door on Spike, who runs into it headfirst, compressing his head down into his sweater and only his derby being seen above said sweater (animated by Manuel Perez).

Inside the lab, Sylvester walks backwards panting in thirst and trying to catch his breath. Unaware that the red liquid he sees is the Hyde formula, he is delighted with this, “Ah ha! Soda pop!” Sylvester drinks it and soon turns into a large monster with long claws and long sharp teeth (animated by Champin). Meanwhile, from outside, Spike has gotten his head back into his normal position with Chester holding onto his derby. “That was a nasty bit of a trick to do to ya, Alfie, old boy!”, Chester remarks as he hands Spike his derby, who snatches it from him. Chester begins to walk in on all four’s, “I’ll show that cat he can’t do that to my pal!”, only for Spike to push him aside, “Ah, no ya don’t, lad! I’ll take care of that cat meself!” Chester is delighted, “Go get ‘em, Alfie, old boy! Go get him!” and then confides, “Alfie is my hero cause he’s so brave and strong!” (animated by Perez)

Spike kicks the door open and demands, “Okay! Come on out, cat! No use hiding!” The scene cuts back to Chester outside listening in excitement with a growl indicating that Spike has encountered Hyde Sylvester. After a crashing noise is heard, Spike comes out completely white and stammering, “Eh, c-c-cat, cat! Bi-big! B-b-!” (animated by Arthur Davis) After a shot of Sylvester ferociously clawing inside while growling (animated by Ross), Spike continues stammering, “P-p-pointy head! Oh! C-c-claws! B-b-b-big! C-c-c-c-CAT!” A confused Chester decides to look inside himself (animated by Davis), only for Sylvester to revert back to normal and let out a pathetic meow, before running off in fear upon seeing Chester open the door and look at him in confusion (animated by Ross).

Bewildered, Chester says, “You’re spoofing, Alf!” He then walks Spike back inside by the hand, “Oh, he’s not so big, Alf! Why, even I could lick him! So you can lick him because you’re big and strong, and I’m so puny!” (animated by Davis) Upon dragging him in, Chester continues, “Y-y-y-you can lick any cat, Alf, because you’re so brave and not afraid of anything!” (animated by Perez) Sylvester silently reacts in fear upon seeing them and runs into another room to hide (animated by Ross). Chester encourages Spike, “Oh, oh, th-there he goes! Eh, eh, go get him! Go get him, Alfie! Go get him, Alfie!” as Spike walks into the other room boldly (animated by Davis).

Sylvester hides in a wooden chest, unaware that Spike is watching him. Spike walks up to the wooden chest and tells him, “No use hidin’, pussycat! I know where you are!” A “ROAR!” is then heard from inside the chest as Sylvester comes out turning into the monster, much to Spike’s shock. Sylvester chuckles in amusement at Spike sweating in fear before turning his worried, open-mouthed expression into a nervous smile, letting all his claws emerge from his hand, and then drawing a dotted line on Spike’s chin (animated by Champin).

As thrashing noises are heard from the room, Chester swings his fists while encouraging, “Attaboy, Alf! Let him have it! Alf! Let him have it!” Spike comes out scratched into pieces that remain stuck together as he walks out. Chester asks, “Did he hurt ya, Alf?”, to which Spike answers, “Nah. He just scratched me”. Spike’s scratched up body then falls down piece by piece. Sylvester comes out just as Spike comes back together and runs out in fear (animated by Davis). Once Sylvester approaches an oblivious Chester from behind, he turns back to normal. Chester turns around to see Sylvester attempting to claw at him with a devious expression, only for Chester to grab him by the hand, whack him on the ground two times, and then spin him around and toss him away (animated by Perez).

Chester walks out, calling to Spike, “Oh, Alf! Alfie! Eh, you can handle him now! I softened him up for ya! Ya just have to go in there, Alfie! It’s for your own good!” Chester guides Spike back into the lab with a gun and then shuts the door (animated by Davis).

Spike bangs on the door, demanding, “Let me out! Let me out of here! Don’t leave me in here!” He then turns around to see Sylvester escape by opening the window and running away. Spike is delighted at this, “He’s gone!” before sporting a sneaky expression upon realizing this and that Chester isn’t aware of Sylvester having left. He fakes a fight to try and win back his reputation by throwing potions around, “Alright, cat! I fooled around with you long enough! Now take this! And that! (laughs) Begging on your knees won’t save ya, cat! Take this for me old pal Chester!” Spike then grabs the Hyde formula, unaware that that’s what caused Sylvester to turn into a monster, and throws it across the room (animated by Ross) where it shatters atop a shelf and drips onto an unsuspecting fly. The fly then turns into a mouse-sized behemoth and flies up behind Spike, who’s still throwing glass potions around, “That’ll teach you who’s boss around here!” He begins laughing, only to stop upon turning around and seeing the Hyde fly behind him. In monster form, the fly is able to pick Spike up by the sweater (animated by Champin), and then by the tail before thrashing him around (animated by Perez).

Listening from outside, Chester again swings his fists while encouraging, “That’s it! Give it to him again! Again!”, just as Spike is thrown out of the lab (animated by Davis). “That’s my Alf!” Upon seeing (animated by Perez) a disheveled Spike on the sidewalk (animated by Ross), Chester reiterates in worried confusion, “That’s my Alf!” (animated by Perez) Chester then begs for Spike to speak to him, “Alf! Alf! Say something! I say, look! It’s your old pal, Chester! Alf!” Spike comes to and begs, “Don’t let him get me! Please! Don’t let him get me! He’s a killer!”, before Chester gets him to stop, “Hey, Alf! Alf! get a hold of yourself!” They both turn to look at the fly, still as a monster, marching up to the doorway angrily and shutting the door. Irritated at a nervous Spike for letting a significantly smaller species beat him up, Chester spits at the ground and slaps Spike before telling him, “You’re yellow!” (animated by Ross)

In the end, Chester is now the tough guy wearing the derby with Spike following him around. “I say! We’re jolly chums, aren’t we, Chester old boy?” Chester slaps him away with, “Nah!” Spike ends the cartoon with, “Chester’s me hero! ‘Cause he’s so brave and strong! Yeah!” (animated by Champin)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½