Release Date:

September 17, 1955

Main Character(s):

Speedy Gonzales, Sylvester

Summary:

The hungry Mexican mice are unable to get cheese from the Ajax Cheese Factory across the US-Mexico border, due to Sylvester guarding the place. They recruit Speedy Gonzales for help, who easily outwits Sylvester.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1345 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

Despite his name being the title of the cartoon, this is actually Speedy’s second appearance. His first was in “Cat Tails for Two” from two years prior. For this cartoon, however, he has been redesigned into his familiar appearance that is still used today.

The cartoon won the Academy Award for 1955. It is also the studio’s third Oscar winner.

One shot of Speedy taking off to run was briefly used in the 1981 compilation movie, “The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie”.

The introduction in the Speedy Gonzales levels in “Looney Tunes Dash” (2014-2018) is based off of the mousetrap gag in this cartoon.

Carl Stalling scored this one.

This is the 750th Warner cartoon overall, meaning we are now officially 75% of the way there.

Favorite Scene:

The minefield sequence.

What Happens in This One:

The Ajax Cheese Factory from the American border is spotted by the Mexican mice from behind a wire fence between the country borders. One mouse shouts “Amigos!”, says something in Spanish, and finishes with “Pussycat!” The mice all dash off as Sylvester, guarding the place, is seen marching across on all four’s in time to a drum roll. Huddled up, the mice decide, “Again, we draw the straws to see who it goes for the cheese”. One mouse points out, “Manuel, he win. He got the short straw”. Another comments, “He’s a lucky fellow”. Manuel walks out slowly and with a scared expression, knowing what he’s about to be in for (animated by Gerry Chiniquy).

Before he is about to get the cheese, Manuel is told by a fellow mouse, “We’ll hold your sombrero for you, Manuel. Won’t we, Pedro?” Pedro, the other mouse with him, nods in agreement. Manuel sneaks out and then makes a run for it with Sylvester watching him. The mice cheer him on before they stop, clearly indicating that Sylvester caught him offscreen. Without a word, the mouse holding Manuel’s sombrero tosses it among a pile of empty sombreros, revealing that Sylvester has killed off several mice who have tried and failed to get the cheese (animated by Chiniquy).

Meeting up again, the mouse standing on top of a rock announces, “There is only one mouse who can get this cheese and that is Speedy Gonzales”. All of the mice wonder about him in unison before one asks, “Speedy Gonzales? Who’s he?” Another answers, “Speedy Gonzales, the Fastest Mouse in All Mexico”. Upon being asked, “Can you get this Gonzales fellow?”, the mouse standing on the rock answers, “Sure. I get him. Speedy Gonzales, friend of my sister”. The mouse who answered that Speedy is the Fastest Mouse in All Mexico replies, “Speedy Gonzales, friend of everybody’s sister!”, which everyone and then himself laughs at. The mouse on the rock informs, “I show you! I get Speedy Gonzales!” (animated by Chiniquy)

Speedy is shown to be working as the target at a shooting gallery advertised, “5 Shots. 25 Pesos. Hit Speedy and Win Beeg Prize”. In the middle of literally dodging the bullets, Speedy asks, “What’s the matter, amigos!? You missed me, huh!?” The mouse who offered to get Speedy appears and calls to him, “Hey, Speedy”. After a bullet goes through his hat, Speedy goes over to this mouse who explains the problem in faux-Spanish before finishing with “El Gringo Pussycat” while doing a facial imitation of a ferocious one. Speedy asks, “El gringo pussycat, problemente?” The mouse confirms and asks if he can assist his comrades, again in faux-Spanish. Also speaking faux-Spanish, Speedy agrees to do so. The mouse walks away backwards grateful, “Gracias, senor Speedy. Gracias. Gracias” (animated by Chiniquy).

As the mice watch in a Grade A egg carton used as bleachers, “El Cheese Bowl”, Speedy runs toward them and stops among the cheering crowd who throw down roses and sombreros, much to Sylvester’s confusion. After Speedy takes his bows and the cheering stops, he begins to run off while shouting, “Ole! Arriba! Epa! Epa! Arriba! Andale! Eh-hah!” (animated by Chiniquy) Sylvester jumps on Speedy, who is too fast for him as he makes it all the way to the factory and comes back with a single wedge of cheese. Attempting to jump him again, Sylvester gets his chest fur removed by Speedy running from under him (animated by Ted Bonnicksen).

Speedy tosses the cheese he took to the mice, “For you, senors and senoritas. There is plenty more where this cheese she come from!” He runs toward Sylvester again (animated by Chiniquy), who catches him in a net. Despite this, Speedy runs off with the net over him, causing Sylvester to get dragged chest-first across the ground, a cactus, through a pipe, and all the way to the factory. Speedy continues dragging him with the net while exiting the factory, before the net breaks and causes Sylvester, again with his chest fur missing, to come to a stop. Revealed to have come back with several pieces this time, Speedy is cheered with a few mice throwing down their sombreros at him (animated by Bonnicksen).

Sylvester lays out several mousetraps and hides behind a large rock to wait for the inevitable (animated by Arthur Davis). Speedy calls out, “Here I come by you again, Senor Pussycats!”, before running off (animated by Chiniquy). Speedy dashes through the mousetraps so quickly that they all go flying into the air and land on Sylvester. Coming out covered in mousetraps, Sylvester jumps out from behind the rock screaming, before one that he caused to fly into the air himself comes back down and snaps on his lips (animated by Davis).

Next, Sylvester, dressed in a catcher’s outfit, attempts to catch Speedy by standing in his way and holding out his mitt. Seeing he caught an actual baseball, Sylvester angrily throws it toward the factory where it comes to a stop upon rolling inside. It turns out that this was a fake baseball that Speedy pops out of. Running back out with another wedge of cheese, Speedy stops by Sylvester and greets him with, “Hello, pussycats!” Sylvester attempts to jump on him, only for Speedy to run back safely once more (animated by Bonnicksen).

Sylvester lays out and buries several Army Surplus land mines. Hearing Speedy doing his shouts while running, Sylvester becomes startled by Speedy suddenly coming up from behind him and shouting, “Eh-hah!” He gives chase after Speedy before realizing he’s in the middle of his own minefield. Sylvester tiptoes across and thinks he’s made it through all the mines without getting a single explosion. Letting out a sigh of relief, he takes one step forward and gets an explosion by a mine that apparently wasn’t buried by him (animated by Davis).

Bringing out a pipe and placing it in between two rocks a few feet away from each other, Sylvester puts a board with a hole over the pipe, so that Speedy can only enter one way. Speedy tells the mice before looking at his watch, “This time, I do it much faster. Time me”. Once Speedy begins running off, Sylvester goes to the other end of the pipe so that Speedy will enter his mouth. Speedy does go through his mouth, but goes right out through his tail. Coming back with another wedge, Speedy stops in front of the board and decides to go back through the exact way he came: going through Sylvester’s body again, causing the latter to let out a hiccup when Speedy exits through his mouth. He gets more cheers when he throws this wedge toward the crowd, much to Sylvester’s annoyance (animated by Davis).

Speedy claims, “This time, I get all the cheese for you!” Deciding to ensure this doesn’t happen, Sylvester takes out every box from the factory and prepares to blow them up with a TNT plunger, “Now just TRY and get all the cheese!” After he pushes the plunger, the explosion only causes the cheese to fly down towards the mice. Frustrated that this backfired, Sylvester begins crying in frustration and repeatedly pounds his head against a telephone pole. Speedy remarks, “I like this pussycats fellow! He’s silly!” before fluttering his eyebrows for the iris-out (animated by Davis).

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕