Release Date:

March 8, 1947

Main Character(s):

Pepe Le Pew

Summary:

A Mexican hairless dog named Fifi wants to fit in with the other dogs, who are all sporting fresh new spring coats. She puts on a skunk fur, which causes the other dogs to avoid her out of fear. Pepe Le Pew, on the other hand, mistakes her for a female skunk and pursues her.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1016 and was released as a Looney Tune.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. “It Had to Be You” played under the opening credits:

Story: Tedd Pierce and Michael Maltese

Animation: Basil Davidovich, Ken Harris, Lloyd Vaughan, and Ben Washam

Layouts: Robert Gribbroek

Backgrounds: Peter Alvarado

Voice Characterizations: Mel Blanc

Musical Direction: Carl Stalling

Directed by Charles M. Jones

Interestingly, the reissue has the words “Pepe Le Pew in” above the cartoon’s title. While the original titles are currently lost, they did not have those words as Pepe was not yet named (his mailbox reads “Stinky” as if it were a potential name).

This is the second appearance of Pepe and the first time where his French accent is genuine, as in “Odor-Able Kitty”, his debut appearance, the accent was fake. This is also the first time he pursues a female instead of a male he mistakes for a female, and the first time he was single, as he was revealed to actually be married at the end of his debut. He does however still live in America (possibly as a French immigrant).

The cartoon was originally titled “Forever Ambushed”.

This is the first Jones cartoon to have backgrounds by Peter Alvarado, who would be his background artist throughout the rest of the 1940’s and a few cartoons in the early 1950’s. Alvarado occasionally did layouts as he did in a few Jones cartoons from 1951 as well as for McKimson from late 1951 to early 1952.

Despite Fifi’s breed being a Mexican hairless, she is American.

This is one of two cartoons where Pepe finds out the female he was chasing is not the same species, with the other being “Past Perfumance” (1955). In both cartoons, he doesn’t seem to mind this, as in this one, he is apparently revealed to be a dog, but the final shot reveals he really is a skunk. In the latter cartoon, Penelope (the cat he frequently pursues) jumps into a tank of water with the white stripe that was painted on her being washed off. Pepe, however, doesn’t care and paints his white stripe black so he resembles a cat before resuming the chase.

The title is a pun for the song, “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”.

What I Like About This One:

On Park Avenue, various dogs’ coats are described as “the Iranian Retriever”, and “the Eagle Beagle”. The female narrator says, “Oh, just everyone is sporting a fine new spring coat” before the camera pans over to skinny Fifi: “Well, heh, not quite everyone” before the female narrator giggles as do several of the dogs (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Walking backwards inside the building towards a mirror, Fifi sees herself as having a lot more fur and runs up the stairs excited. After putting on one that is way too big (animated by Vaughan), she finds one that fits- a skunk fur, oblivious to the fact that this is not an attractive coat whatsoever (animated by Ben Washam).

Naturally, this scares away the other dogs which include a white dog who exclaims, “Skunk!” and goes away on only his front two paws, with his back paws and rear end sticking in mid-air and a dachshund whose feet make a motor scooter-like noise. When Fifi looks at her pocket mirror in confusion, a Scotty dog who is completely covered in fur comes by but he has the funniest reaction: he yells “SKUNK!” while all of his fur stands on end! (animated by Washam).

As several dogs are seen wagging their tails at “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” being on sale at the book store, they don’t notice Fifi join them, but only their panicked voices are heard when the camera pans upward before it pans back down to Fifi looking in confusion as everyone runs off (animated by Washam).

Wandering into Central Park, a very upset Fifi wonders why they all run away from her before the camera pans to Pepe’s tail in the flowers and sensing Fifi’s presence, he runs to her. Just as she sobs, “Nobody loves me”, Pepe zooms in and counters, “Ah, but you are so wrong, my darling. I love you”, putting an emphasis on “I”. As his lovemaking becomes a Tarzan yell, Fifi runs from his grasp, to which Pepe flutters his eyebrows and remarks, “Love zat girl!” (animated by Ken Harris)

Unable to find her, Pepe assumes Fifi wants to play “zee hide go and I seek”, so he counts and passes her hiding in a trash can. Pepe seemingly thinks she is hiding in a manhole, but he zooms back into the trash can and comes out with her where he starts cooing in French before ending with “What’s the matter, baby?” and giving such a large smooch that briefly leaves her dazed before she runs off. Pepe decides he should play “ze hard to get” (animated by Washam).

“Hard to get” means that Pepe runs in front of the fleeing Fifi and telling her he does not pursue women, but she runs away into the distance. Seeing this ruse has failed, he decides, “Now I will play zee EASY to get” (animated by Washam).

“Easy to get” has Pepe against a tree and telling Fifi to just whistle if she needs anything. Hearing a whistle, Pepe assumes it’s “zee call of zee love call” and zooms over but crashes offscreen where it’s revealed that the whistle was coming from that of a peanut wagon. “To err is human”, Pepe remarks (animated by Vaughan).

This time, Fifi whistles and gives him a “come here” gesture. Seeing “that is not a peanut, no?”, Pepe enthusiastically runs to her, where she clubs him on the head. The club only breaks in two, and Pepe’s only reaction is him saying, “Coquette” in a nonchalant voice before he gets a sudden boost of enthusiasm: “Nom de plume! Zis I like! Ze spirit! Ze fire! En garde, pigeon!” (animated by Vaughan)

With Pepe hopping after her, Fifi eventually gets tired from running and passes out in front of Pepe’s tree home where Pepe creates a storm by means of pouring a watering can and rattling a canvas-like shade (animated by Harris). Pepe comes down and offers her shelter, bringing her into his tree home where he salts the key and eats it (animated by Basil Davidovich).

Cornering Fifi as if they are about to have a serious talk, Pepe actually reveals “We must both admit- we are hungry!” where he dashes over to the fridge and scarfs down a large sandwich (animated by Davidovich).

Getting her in his arms once more after chasing her around the table and parting said table in two (animated by Harris), Pepe claims that they will be groom and bride: “Name the wedding bells’ day, my most beautifulest of skunks”. Fifi jumps out and finally reveals, “But I’m not a skunk. I’m just a little dog, see?”, as he takes the fur off. Pepe appears to be initially confused: “Ze dog?” but is then delighted and reveals he is also a dog: “But of course! But good! Everything have turned out to ze happy ending! For behold! I too am zee canine! Bow! Wow!” As they embrace, Pepe takes off the dog head and reveals that he actually is a skunk but doesn’t mind his object of desire being a different species: “I am stupid, no?” (animated by Washam)

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕 ½