Release Date:

June 30, 1945

Main Character(s):

Babbit and Catstello

Summary:

Now as mice, Babbit creates several attempts for Catstello to steal some cheese from under the watchful eye of the house cat.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 7-15, the 7th Looney Tune in the 15th release season.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. Fortunately, the original titles were found in 2010 and can be viewed here.

Babbit and Catstello make their return from the similarly titled “A Tale of Two Kitties” now as mice rather than cats (which is evidenced by how their personalities are the same and they are still respectively voiced by Tedd Pierce and Mel Blanc). They would make one more appearance as mice in Robert McKimson’s “The Mouse-Merized Cat” (1946).

Incidentally, the cat in this cartoon resembles Babbit’s design as a cat from “A Tale of Two Kitties”.

Tashlin is again uncredited as he left before the cartoon was released.

The cartoon’s plot is reused from the 1941 Columbia/Screen Gems cartoon, “The Great Cheese Mystery”, which Tashlin wrote and Arthur Davis (who animated on this cartoon) directed.

“Boy Scout in Switzerland” plays when Catstello is briefly motivated to go out and get the cheese up until the point where his motivation disappears once he steps out of the mouse hole and the door shuts behind him.

What I Like About This One:

The rendition of “Three Blind Mice” in the original titles.

All of the really great angles used during the opening of the cat chasing Catstello around the house, which shows Tashlin’s skill towards the end of his cartoon career (animated by Izzy Ellis).

Running to Babbit while repeatedly shouting his name, Catstello is slapped by him and is asked where the cheese is. Catstello imitates the cat and talks incoherently. In a “shame on you!” tone, Babbit concludes, “You’re scared of the cat”. Catstello laughs at this before admitting, “So I’m scared of the cat”. Babbit tries to encourage him, “I’m ashamed of you! Where’s your courage? Some of the greatest names in history have been rats!” Presumably referring to Babbit, Catstello responds, “Yeah, and I know one of them!” He gets slapped for this (animated by Arthur Davis).

Having drawn out a diagram, Babbit shows Catstello the plan to get the cheese. Realizing Catstello isn’t paying attention as he’s saying, “Ain’t gonna do it” over and over again, Babbit gives him an evil grin as if to say, “Oh, yes you are!”, slaps him a bit, and continues talking about the diagram before ending with, “And the cat’s asleep!” (animated by Davis) That last part suddenly gets Catstello motivated so he marches out only for this motivation to disappear once the door to the hole is shut (animated by Anatolle Kirsanoff).

Catstello pounding on the door, only for Babbit to shush him and remind him, “You’ll wake the cat”. Catstello quietly knocks before continuing the frantic pounding and then backing up to break the door down (animated by Davis). Babbit opens the door and creates a makeshift slingshot with a rubber band that propels Catstello up to the cat’s mouth. “My mother told me there’d be days like this”, Catstello laments (animated by Ellis).

In the next scene, Catstello is shown in a model airplane. He asks Babbit if he’s sure this will work, so Babbit tells him, “If this don’t work, I’ll be a… I’ll be a jackass!” Predictably, this fails with the plane losing its wings before going out the door, zooming around in the cat’s mouth before crash landing back in the hole. Catstello expresses his anger by yelling and pointing at Babbit, “JACKASS! A JACKASS!” and imitating a donkey (animated by Davis).

Now using a rope and pulley system, Babbit struggles to hold tight to the rope suspending Catstello, who’s nonchalantly snacking on the cheese, above the cat. The weight of everything on the pulley sends Babbit sailing out of the hole with the pulley and Catstello nearly landing on the cat. Realizing he’s in front of the cat, Babbit runs back to the hole, with the cat getting tied up in the rope (animated by Cal Dalton).

Freeing himself from the rope, the cat sees Catstello sneaking off hidden under the cheese, so the cat takes the cheese off of him. Seeing this, Babbit tries to warn an oblivious Catstello that the cat can see him, but Catstello misunderstands, shushes him, and thinks he’s putting the cheese back over him, only to realize he’s not actually carrying anything. He then tries to get the cheese from the cat, one of whose paws is laying on the floor. Walking across his paw, Catstello discovers how the cat’s claws come out by walking across, jumping on it, and dancing on it (animated by Richard Bickenbach).

Catstello briefly getting trapped under the cat’s claws to which Babbit, thinking Catstello won’t make it back, hangs up a sign outside the hole, “Room Mate Wanted. Share Expenses. Inquire Inside” (animated by Kirsanoff).

The cat throwing Catstello up into the air expecting him to land in his mouth. Catstello however stops in mid-air and opens the ironing board which hits the cat on the head as does the iron. After the cat hits his head on the ironing board once more, he chases Catstello who manages to grab the cheese and make it back to the hole (animated by Kirsanoff).

Tired out, Catstello pants, “Here’s your cheese, Babbit!” Babbit isn’t pleased with the kind it is: “Swiss cheese! You know I don’t like Swiss cheese!” Fed up with Babbit bossing him around, Catstello turns the tables, slaps Babbit around, and tells him, “Well, Babbit, you’re gonna learn to like it… RIGHT NOW!” and force-feeds him the Swiss cheese chunk by chunk! The iris-out stops on Catstello lamenting, “Oh, I’m a bad boy!” (animated by Davis)

Where Can I Watch It?

At toontales.net!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕