Release Date:

February 13, 1954

Main Character(s):

Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot, Claude Cat

Summary:

Marc Anthony is always beating up Claude Cat for stealing the pillow where Pussyfoot’s sleeping, so Claude frames Marc Anthony by putting Pussyfoot in his sleeping mouth, which gets Marc Anthony thrown out. Despite getting in trouble with the master numerous times, Marc Anthony successfully finds various ways to get even with Claude.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1279 and was released as a Looney Tune.

This is the only time that Claude is paired with Marc Anthony and Pussyfoot and the last time he is seen with yellow fur. In his next and final Golden Age appearance, “No Barking” (Wednesday’s cartoon), his fur is more orange-yellow.

This is also the last time (barring his cameo in “No Barking”) that Marc Anthony is seen with brown fur in the Golden Age. In HIS next and final Golden Age appearance, his fur is gray and he is also slightly redesigned.

This cartoon is basically a chance for the new guys to show off their skills as Abe Levitow and Richard Thompson are the only animators on the cartoon. This is also one of three 1954 cartoons where they are the only animators. The other two are “Stop Look and Hasten” and “Sheep Ahoy” (even if a cartoon has only two animators, I’ll still point out who animated what, as the only reason I wouldn’t is if a cartoon has only one animator).

Notably, the master’s face is actually onscreen this time around. He is also voiced by Robert Bruce, making this one of his few non-narrator roles (this is also a rare instance where you hear Bruce sound enraged whenever the master begins to get fed up with Marc Anthony).

This is the only time where he has his devious persona that Claude has dialogue. He only gets a line in at the end, “Just one of those days, I guess”.

I love the rendition of “So Dumb but So Beautiful” over the opening credits.

Favorite Scene:

Marc Anthony’s sole backfiring scheme is sawing out the floor from under the basement to bring Claude down to him and not have any interference from the master, but he miscalculates where he is and ends up bringing down the master instead.

What Happens in This One:

Pussyfoot is napping on a green pillow on the floor before Claude appears and kicks her off, causing her to slide towards the wall. Once Claude settles down on the pillow, Marc Anthony enters and kicks him off, before dashing away and putting Pussyfoot back on the pillow. Claude begins to come back down from being kicked up into the air, with Marc Anthony turning around to catch him by the throat in his grasp. He begins punching Claude in the face numerous times before the master taps Marc Anthony on the head with a cane and warns, “Stop that!” The master then scolds, “How many times have I told you to let that cat alone!?” Marc Anthony gives Claude one more punch before he is again hit on the head with the master’s cane, “Stop it!” The master starts to get enraged, “Drop that cat! DROP HIM!” but Marc Anthony only squeezes Claude’s throat before dropping him on the ground hard. He gets hit on the head with the cane once more. The master walks out, taking Claude in his arms, telling Marc Anthony, “This is my last warning” (animated by Abe Levitow).

Marc Anthony is later sleeping near Pussyfoot, but Claude sneaks in and puts Pussyfoot in Marc Anthony’s mouth to make it look like he’s attempting to swallow her. Claude then goes to the master and acts like something’s wrong by meowing. “Why, Claude! What’s bothering you?” Claude points to Marc Anthony as the master asks, “What in the-?” (animated by Levitow) Marc Anthony wakes up in confusion and sees Pussyfoot’s tail sticking out of his mouth before he is picked up by the master and spanked in order for him to spit Pussyfoot out. “Drop it! Drop it!” Unaware that Claude framed Marc Anthony, the master yells, “THAT DOES IT! AND STAY OUT!”, as Marc Anthony is kicked out of the house and ends up sliding across the front walkway with an annoyed expression. Claude whispers, “Psst!” to him (animated by Richard Thompson) and then taunts him by showing Pussyfoot being held by him before Claude flicks her right side. This angers Marc Anthony who runs up to the house while snarling, only for Claude to shut the door on him, resulting in Marc Anthony’s face and front two paws being flattened (animated by Levitow).

After Marc Anthony’s body goes back to normal, he watches from the window as Claude puts Pussyfoot in a glass vase unable to get out as he takes the pillow himself. Marc Anthony grimaces at this before he looks to his left and smiles evilly (animated by Levitow). He sneaks to the front door and holds the mail slot open with a toothpick before using a small rope as a mini-lasso that catches Claude’s tail. Having successfully caught him, Marc Anthony pulls Claude back very hard and then starts pulling him by the tail repeatedly so that Claude keeps hitting the door back-first. Claude is suddenly pulled away, much to Marc Anthony’s confusion. The master then opens the door and is still unaware of why Marc Anthony is tormenting Claude, “I thought I told you to leave these cats alone!” He kicks Marc Anthony out again, with Marc Anthony this time sliding face-first into the concrete gate (animated by Thompson).

Marc Anthony is seen on the back porch thinking to himself before Claude raps on the door’s window to get his attention. Claude mocks him by making a dainty pose and then giving him a taunting wave before pulling down his cheeks to imitate him. He then points at him and silently sticks out his tongue. Marc Anthony responds to this by stepping on the floorboard hard, causing Claude to fly up into the ceiling and get a lump. Marc Anthony then looks down into the door’s window at him, with an evil smirking face (animated by Levitow).

Marc Anthony walks away from the porch and counts (which sounds more like grunting) five steps from the back door to the end of the porch before running down into the basement. While in the basement and holding a piece of chalk, he grunt-counts five more steps before looking above him and assuming that’s the spot where Claude is from above. Marc Anthony draws an “X” on the floor with a chalk as the spot Claude will land on and then gets a ladder to saw the floor from underneath him. Unfortunately, it turns out that Marc Anthony miscalculated and the master comes falling down into the basement instead! Realizing his error, Marc Anthony sheepishly hides the saw behind his back and nervously chuckles. The master kicks Marc Anthony out through the basement door as Marc Anthony slides on his chest on the walkway with his back legs sticking up in the air (animated by Thompson).

With a box of “Artificial Snow”, Marc Anthony pours it in front of the window where Claude is and knocks on the window to get his attention. Claude looks at it and then at the calendar, where the date is revealed to be July 12. Confused by this, Claude opens the window for a closer look, only for Marc Anthony to shut the window on him, with only his head sticking out. Marc Anthony gives Claude a flick on the nose, only for the master to then appear and punch Marc Anthony away (animated by Levitow) and send him sliding back-first up to the garage. While collapsing front-first, Marc Anthony goes into a thinking position before he fully lands on the ground, and then gets another idea (animated by Thompson).

Marc Anthony sneaks up to the house disguised as a large present and rings the doorbell with his toe. The master opens the door and wonders, “Good heavens. What’s Harriet bought now?” As he takes it in, he comments, “Well, whatever it is, it’s heavy”. Claude licks his lips as the master begins to unwrap it, believing it to be food. Once opened, Marc Anthony pops out and begins punching Claude in the face numerous times, much to the master’s shock, “What the-?” Marc Anthony is again kicked out and once more slides across the walkway, first on his right side before positioning himself properly (animated by Thompson).

Now with two black eyes and still seeing stars, Claude sees a balloon being blown up from outside by Marc Anthony. As the balloon enters from below the door’s crack, it’s shown to have a hook attached to it. Claude looks in worry as he sees the balloon float upward and the hook lift up the latch locking the door. The second the door is unlocked, Marc Anthony rushes in and resumes punching Claude in the face several times. Realizing Marc Anthony is going to continue beating him up if he doesn’t surrender, Claude waves a white flag. Marc Anthony gives him a pen to sign his name on a pink piece of paper labeled “Confession”, which reveals the truth about what Claude did (animated by Thompson).

A dazed Claude walks up to the master and gives him the confession before taking Pussyfoot out of the vase and putting her back on the pillow as Marc Anthony watches him to make sure he puts her back gently. After presumably apologizing to Marc Anthony, the master kicks Claude out as punishment for everything he did. Claude ends up sliding out of the yard and onto the nearby tracks where he is run over by a train. Dazed and bruised from the hit, Claude sits up and groggily remarks, “Just one of those days, I guess” before collapsing (animated by Thompson).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½