Release Date:

June 11, 1949

Main Character(s):

Sylvester

Summary:

At the home of unseen bagel baron Boris Borscht in the Slobovian mountains, Sylvester attempts to catch a polka-dancing rodent.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1075 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

This is the first cartoon to use the fictional Eastern European nation, “Slobovia”. This would later be reused in “Boston Quackie” and “Rabbit Romeo” (both directed by McKimson and released in 1957).

The cartoon has no dialogue apart from the opening and ending.

The mouse shares a similar character design to later mice in two Freleng Sylvester cartoons, “Stooge for a Mouse” (1950) and “Canned Feud” (1951).

At school dances such as homecoming and prom, Sylvester’s kick dance at the end is one of the Looney Tunes dances I would do, which everyone enjoyed (others include Bugs’ dance from “Bugs Bunny Rides Again” and Daffy’s dance to Jeepers Creepers in 1957’s “Show Biz Bugs”).

Despite intentionally killing himself to continue pursuing the mouse (who had unknowingly consumed actual nitro glycerin), this is one of the few cartoons where Sylvester triumphs in the end.

The cartoon was originally restored in 1998 with this same restoration later appearing as a bonus cartoon on the Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles The Chuck Jones Collection DVD set in 2012 (that set, which contains the complete filmographies of Sniffles and Hubie and Bertie on its two respective discs, also contains various cartoons centered around mice as bonus features, but only one of them, 1952’s “Mouse Warming”, was actually a Jones cartoon. With the exception of this one, however, they are unrestored but almost all of them have been restored now). Like with several cartoons that were originally restored for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 but were re-restored for HBO Max in 2020, the HD print of this one is unfortunately inferior due to photoshopped titles but also contains a very shoddy error where the names of Gerry Chiniquy and Mel Blanc are marred in the opening credits as well as “Voice Characterizations”.

Classical tunes used in this cartoon include Brahms’ 7th and 17th Hungarian Dances and Strauss’ "Pizzicato Polka”.

The nitro glycerin gag would later be reworked for the third Tijuana Toads cartoon at DePatie-Freleng, “Go for Croak” (1969).

The scene where the mouse tries to make Sylvester believe he just drank nitro glycerin (unaware that he actually did) was made into the plot of the Tom and Jerry cartoon “The Missing Mouse” (1953) where Jerry gets doused in white shoe polish after hitting the wall. He and Tom then hear on the radio that a white mouse who has consumed dangerous explosives and escaped from a lab is on the loose, so Jerry tries to scare Tom into not letting anything happen to him, as the slightest touch will cause the explosives to go off.

What I Like About This One:

The narrator introduces the setting, “a remote part of the Slobovian Mountains in the quaint little vill-i-age of Schmaretanon” where all the villagers are seen dancing in time to the music, including someone’s horse (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

In the home of Boris Borscht, the bagel baron, “we are not considered with Boris Borscht. No. Our story concerns another occupant of the Borscht abode”. Said occupant is the mouse who comes out doing a polka dance, gathering food from the table, and going back while dribbling an olive like a basketball all in time to a lively Eastern tune. The narrator describes the mouse as having “such a happy, carefree life this little fellow is having. Until one day-”, Sylvester appears in front of him and slowly goes after him in time to the music before a chase to the hole begins. The mouse makes it into his hole, but Sylvester crashes into it, compressing him into some odd shape with him only having a shocked expression (animated by Chiniquy).

As the mouse sits in his hole depressed at how he can’t go out due to Sylvester, Sylvester blows the scent of a wedge of cheese towards him by means of a bellows. The mouse does a wild take upon seeing it and excitedly runs toward it. With this distraction, Sylvester unscrews the lock on his door and replaces it with a new one so that the mouse can’t re-enter his hole. Sylvester comes by (animated by Chiniquy up to here), having the nerve to taunt the mouse by showing him the key to the new lock and then putting it on his tongue before swallowing it (animated by Manuel Perez). The mouse hits Sylvester’s foot with a mallet, causing the key to be ejected like a cash register and with the words “No Sale” appearing in Sylvester’s eyes in place of his pupils. The mouse then takes the key and enters his hole, before coming back out to get his cheese (animated by Ken Champin).

Sylvester disguises his hand as a village girl (animated by Virgil Ross), which the mouse does a dance with to another lively Eastern tune. Seeing Sylvester about to strike with a mallet, the mouse stops him (animated by Chiniquy) and takes the “girl” in with him, much to Sylvester’s confusion. Upon taking “her” bonnet, he finds out that this is actually Sylvester’s hand in disguise and redisguises Sylvester’s hand to make it look like himself (animated by Champin). Sylvester sees the “mouse” walk out and mallets “him”, but then jumps around in pain upon realizing he just malleted his own hand (animated by Ross).

Chased to a piece of furniture with drawers, the mouse goes to the top and finds a bottle of nitro glycerin with the warning, “Do Not Jar”. He pours said nitro into another container and fills the actual bottle with water (animated by Champin). Getting Sylvester’s attention, the mouse tosses the bottle numerous times and catches it as a terrified Sylvester hides in the bottom drawer. The mouse unknowingly tosses the bottle very high where it lands on the top shelf and a REAL bottle of nitro takes its place. Unaware he’s drinking the actual stuff, the mouse drinks it once Sylvester peeks out from the drawer (animated by Perez). The mouse then dives off the furniture but Sylvester puts a pillow under him to prevent an explosion. Sylvester then starts mouthing scolding words in time to the music to the mouse, who hits Sylvester with a fireplace poker, which causes a lump to grow through his hat (animated by Champin).

Angry, Sylvester attempts to hit the mouse with the fireplace poker himself, but skids to a stop upon realizing the potential consequence (animated by Champin). The mouse then lights a cigarette and is about to smoke it but Sylvester takes it from him and stomps it out. Sylvester sees to his horror that the mouse is diving off one of the roof supports and catches him with a baseball glove. He is so relieved at this that he faints (animated by Ross).

The mouse hoists a safe up with a rope and pulley intending to drop it on himself. To again prevent an explosion, Sylvester stands above the mouse and takes the hit himself, and collapses to the floor left-first (animated by Perez). The mouse then starts to dance an energetic jig as Sylvester backs away from him and shakes in terror but the mouse’s jig is up when he hits the ground so hard, he explodes (animated by Chiniquy). Finding he’s now an angel floating into the heavenly clouds, the mouse shrugs as he continues floating (animated by Champin).

The narrator laughs at Sylvester, “Now you’ll NEVER catch that poor little mouse, Mr. Smarty Cat!” Sylvester mimics his laugh and retorts, “That’s what you think!” (animated by Chiniquy) He grabs the jar of nitro, drinks it, does an energetic jig of his own, and explodes (animated by Champin). Now an angel himself, he continues the chase into the heavenly clouds in tune to the Russian kick dance with the “Hey!”’s from said dance being heard in the background (animated by Perez).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½