Release Date:

March 24, 1945

Main Character(s):

Sylvester

Summary:

A lovebird has had a major fight with his battle-ax wife, “Sweetie Puss”. Since lovebirds can’t live without love, the lovebird decides to commit suicide by trying to get Sylvester to eat him. Seeing that the lovebird wants to be eaten, Sylvester becomes suspicious and assumes the lovebird is poisonous, so he refuses. The lovebird then makes multiple attempts to get into Sylvester’s mouth.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 2-14, the 2nd Merrie Melodie in the 14th release season.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “Listen to the Mockingbird” played under the opening credits. In addition, black and white photos of the original title card and credits were found in September 2014.

This is the first appearance of Sylvester, who would become the studio’s fourth most popular character, following Bugs, Daffy, and Porky. Sylvester’s voice was actually Daffy’s voice at normal speed as Daffy’s voice was sped up.

What’s interesting about Sylvester’s debut is that he would be most famous for being Tweety’s nemesis, but here his first cartoon revolves around him trying to avoid eating a bird rather than pursue one (incidentally, the Oscar winning “Birds Anonymous” (1957) has Sylvester trying to give up his addiction on birds, particularly Tweety, but his desire to eat them proves uncontrollable).

The cartoon was nominated for an Academy Award.

This is the last cartoon to use the 1941-1945 Merrie Melodies opening theme.

This is the last Warner cartoon to have animation by Jack Bradbury.

The title is a pun for the book and play, “Life with Father”.

“Twilight in Turkey” plays when the lovebird tries to enter through every single window in the house only for Sylvester to shut them all, getting tired out from frantically shutting them in the process.

This is the first Freleng cartoon to have layouts by his longtime layout man, Hawley Pratt (no relation to Chris). Pratt would serve as Freleng’s layout man until the original studio closed in 1964, and he even became a director at DePatie-Freleng, directing some of the most memorable Pink Panther cartoons.

What I Like About This One:

After getting tossed out of the cage and fleeing a dish thrown at him (animated by Ken Champin), the lovebird introduces himself (“a parakeetus romanticus”) and after avoiding another dish, explains that was “my wife, Sweetie Puss” (animated by Virgil Ross).

Spotting Sylvester rummaging for food in the trash cans and scatting to “They’re Either Too Young or Too Old”, the lovebird whistles to get his attention. Delighted, Sylvester utters his first lines of dialogue, “Sufferin’ succotash! Squab!” He starts toward him but skids to a stop once he sees the lovebird waiting blindfolded (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Wondering why he hasn’t been put in Sylvester’s mouth, the lovebird asks, “What’s the matter, mister cat? Aren’t you hungry?” Sylvester replies, “Certainly I’m hungry! But there’s something phony about you! You didn’t even try to escape from me! You just stood there! You’re probably poisoned! Yeah, you just want me to eat you so I’ll die! Yeah, but I ain’t gonna fall for it!” After the lovebird pleads to be eaten, Sylvester angrily boots him away with his finger, “Scram, swallow! Back to Capistrano!” (animated by Chiniquy)

Called by his mistress for a saucer of milk, Sylvester happily laps it up but spits it out as the lovebird has gotten inside it (animated by Richard Bickenbach). The lovebird asks, “No?” to which Sylvester adamantly shakes his head. Angry, the lovebird writes a letter to mail-order a mallet, and once he receives it, hits Sylvester’s foot with it, flying into his mouth as he screams. Sylvester then runs to the mirror on a door and opens his mouth to find the lovebird inside giving him a sheepish wave (animated by Manuel Perez).

After spitting him out several times with the lovebird flying back in each time (animated by Perez), Sylvester puts his hand over his mouth, but the lovebird removes his fingers one by one before flying into Sylvester’s mouth. Sylvester demands, “You come out of there!” but the lovebird shakes his head inside Sylvester’s mouth, so he decides, “Ok, smarty! I’ll force you out!” How he does it is by smoking him out by breathing a pipe heavily. The lovebird comes out coughing, “Gracious!” (animated by Jack Bradbury)

Sylvester putting the lovebird in a jar with a cork so he won’t cause any more trouble for him (animated by Perez). He then fixes himself a bowl of cat food and openly mocks the lovebird’s pleas, “Why don’t you eat me, mister cat?” before muttering, “What’s he take me for, a dope? Lucky I outsmarted him. Tried to poison me, that’s what he was after”. As his back is turned however, one of the lovebird’s feathers flies into the bowl. Seeing a blue feather in his mouth, Sylvester gulps, “No!” in horror and then upon seeing the lovebird not in the jar, believes, “Yes. Yes, I ate him” and performs a dramatic death scene before slumping to the floor. The lovebird gives him a pill to fix him up in a jiffy but before Sylvester puts them into his mouth, the lovebird hops on the spoon like a ride. Realizing he was tricked once he puts the pill in his mouth (animated by Virgil Ross), Sylvester angrily throws the lovebird out the window, but upon seeing him try to enter another window, he quickly shuts it, and then has to shut every window to prevent him from entering, which tires him out (animated by Perez).

The lovebird reentering dressed as Santa, which excites Sylvester, wondering what he’s been brought for Christmas. The lovebird tells him to shut his eyes so he can give him “something to make you wise”. When Sylvester does, the lovebird flies into his mouth. Realizing this, Sylvester produces a sign, “Don’t tell me. I know” and spits the lovebird out once more. When the lovebird attempts to fly back in, Sylvester prevents this by wearing a baseball catcher’s mask (animated by Ross).

The lovebird then tries to arouse Sylvester’s appetite by turning on the radio describing various mouth-watering meals. When Sylvester gives up and decides he might as well “die than starve to death!” (animated by Ross), the lovebird receives a telegram from Sweetie Puss, saying everything will be fine. But Sylvester is angry with the lovebird and tells him he hasn’t changed HIS mind and starts after him, ignoring all the meals the lovebird puts out for him (animated by Champin).

Chasing the lovebird off the porch, Sylvester ends up falling off. The lovebird flies back to his cage and reveals that Sweetie Puss’ telegram has told him she’s gone home to mother. But he is hit with a dish by Sweetie Puss, who has changed her mind and decided to stay. The cartoon ends with the lovebird calling out for Sylvester with “Here, kitty, kitty”, “Here, pussycat”, etc (animated by Bradbury).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½