Release Date:

April 15, 1950

Main Character(s):

Hubie and Bertie, Claude Cat

Summary:

Hubie and Bertie enter a new home and are shortly chased by Claude Cat, who inhabits the house. During the chase, Claude is revealed to be a major hypochondriac; afraid of catching a cold and taking several pills. Hubie and Bertie take advantage of this and convince Claude he’s a lot sicker than he is, and eventually convince him that he’s dead.

That’s Not All, Folks:

The production number is 1117 and was released as a Merrie Melodie.

The cartoon was given a Blue Ribbon reissue. In its original restoration for the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 DVD set in 2003, the Blue Ribbon titles were used. When it was re-restored for the Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles The Chuck Jones Collection DVD set in 2012, the original opening rings were put back in.

This is Claude’s first speaking appearance and second appearance overall. This is also the first time he has properly interacted with Hubie and Bertie as in “Mouse Wreckers”, he is unaware of their presence.

The title is a pun for “hypochondriac”, which is very appropriate, considering the cartoon’s premise.

The cartoon is in the 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons book.

The storyboards for the cartoon are available on the aforementioned Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1 as a bonus feature. These also reveal that the cartoon originally ended with Hubie and Bertie toasting marshmallow-shaped cheese in the fireplace with Claude “floating” to “cat heaven” seen out in the window in the distance (as they have him believe he is flying by attaching a helium balloon to his back). The final cut of the cartoon has Claude floating to the moon after saying, “Farewell, you poor earthly creatures”.

This is the only cartoon where Hubie and Bertie are shown to be into the opposite gender as evidenced by Bertie asking, “Eh, how’s that new nurse in Ward C, doctor?” and Hubie replying, “Not bad. I got a date with her after the operation”.

What I Like About This One:

On a rainy night, Hubie calls Bertie over and shows him, “Observe. Our new home”. Bertie is excited about what he sees inside, “Cheese!” and attempts to push the window open but Hubie holds him by the tail before slapping him around. Hubie opens the window which causes Bertie to chuckle, “What won’t they think of next?” when walking in before Hubie kicks him (animated by Ben Washam).

As Hubie and Bertie are eating the wedge of cheese in front of the fireplace, Claude appears behind them and acts as a waiter asking, “Will there be anything else, gentlemen?” Hubie does a horrified open-mouthed take as Bertie answers, “No, nothing else, thanks. We’ve got i-” before he too does a scared take and gasps in horror. A chase ensues, with Hubie and Bertie attempting to run up the wall to no avail. Claude skids to a stop before approaching the open window which is letting in a strong breeze of wind. After carefully shutting the window, Claude dashes to his cat bed, where he has countless bottle of pills. Downing some, he worries, “Oh, dear. I hope I didn’t get in that draft. I might catch a cold and it might develop into pneumonia! Or athlete’s foot!” (animated by Washam)

Witnessing this, Hubie says, “Hey, Bert. Come here”. Bertie is nervously wondering where Claude is before Hubie gives a silent “over there” gesture, where Claude is seen with a scarf on his neck and a hot water bottle on his head. Bertie is relieved over Claude being distracted with his phobia before reacting in terror when Hubie taunts Claude by sticking his tongue out and making a ululating noise. Claude goes after them, as Hubie prevents Bertie from running off as he calmly opens the window. This makes Claude come to a complete stop before he shuts the window and runs back near his bed where he is seen with a thermometer in his mouth and shaking in fear (animated by Washam). “Riot! Riot!”, Bertie laughs before Hubie leads them off to the “work” they have to do (animated by Phil Monroe).

Claude is still shaking and checking his temperature as Hubie and Bertie make it seem like Claude is a lot sicker than he actually is. “Look at him, Bert. Did you ever see a sicker-looking cat in your life?” After Bertie agrees and says, “He sure looks awful”, Hubie points out, “Look at him, Bert. He’s turnin’ green”. Bertie misses the point, “What do ya mean, Hubie? He ain’t turnin’ green!” Hubie slaps him in annoyance, “Quiet, stupid! I say he’s turnin’ green!” before Bertie is finally convinced: “I get it! I get it! I get it! Yeah! Look at him! He IS turnin’ green!” Claude literally turns green before Hubie says, “Look at him now. He’s turning purple!” Claude literally turns purple. Bertie excitedly requests for him to pick the next color to which Hubie approves. Bertie makes a very bizarre choice: “Eh, let’s see now, eh. He’s turnin’… um, uh… he’s… uh… h-h-h…. he’s turnin’ PLAID!” To the tune of “The Campbells are Coming”, Claude literally turns plaid. Hubie warns Bertie, “Don’t overdo it” (animated by Monroe).

Hubie and Bertie then go into a mock-somber mood, pointing out that medicine won’t be able to help Claude, and they sadly walk away upon making Claude believe this is the end for him. Claude breaks down and begs for them to help him. “Don’t leave me! I’m an awful sick cat! You’re all I have! You gotta do SOMETHING! Save me!” before crying (animated by Monroe). Hubie points out there isn’t much to work with, but they’ll see what they can do to which Bertie agrees to and to which Claude gratefully thanks them (animated by Ken Harris).

Claude is next seen lying down on a trunk acting as an operating table with two blankets over his upper chest and feet, respectively. Dressed as doctors, Hubie and Bertie prepare for the “operation” as Claude shakes in terror under the blankets as they prep the sharp objects needed. At one point, Bertie puts a miniature “Danger! Men at Work. Excavating” sign on Claude’s chest and again laughs, “Riot”. It’s revealed they’re actually slicing the wedge of cheese with a knife, unbeknownst to Claude, who is too terrified to witness what’s apparently about to happen to him. After they slice through the cheese, Claude passes out at the noise and has a surreal nightmare where Hubie and Bertie speak about how they’ve got to operate in ghostly voices, a window with a fiendish expression lets in a flood of water atop Claude strapped on a bed, the water turns into two giant green mice with knives before they all go into a briefcase. The same briefcases then appear on Claude’s feet as he tries to run away before a bottle of pills pours out its contents atop him, and encases him into another bottle of pills before the nightmare ends with an explosion (animated by Lloyd Vaughan).

Waking up, Claude is still on the makeshift operating table but now dressed in an angel outfit (actually a flour sack), with fake wings attached to him via safety pins (animated by Vaughan). He hears Hubie and Bertie crying outside next to a grave marked “RIP Claude Cat”. “He wasn’t such a bad cat, was he, Bert?” “No, no, sure, sure” (which is a reverse on Bertie’s usual “Yeah, yeah, sure, sure”). Claude looks out the window and happily asks them before reacting in horror upon seeing his grave, “Hiya, fellas. What jumps? What goes on? What-EEP!” (animated by Monroe)

“Too bad the operation wasn’t a success, eh, Bert?” “It sure wasn’t, sure”. Claude tries to assure them, “Don’t cry, fellas. I’m not dead” (animated by Monroe), and then jumps in front of them to prove it: “See. Here I am! Ta-da!” But they only continue mourning: “I can almost hear his dear voice”, Hubie says. Bertie adds, “Yeah. Just like he was alive already”. Claude attempts to prove to them again by happily running on all fours: “But I AM alive! Alive and frisky! Look at me! See how alive… and… and… frisky?” Hubie: “I can see him up in Cat Heaven now. With a celestial robe” Bertie: “Yeah. And his golden wings”. Claude: “But I haven’t any golden wings! I-eeeeehhh” but nervously sweats upon feeling said wings (animated by Harris).

The clock inside then chimes 12:00 AM where Hubie points out, “Bert, look! They say at exactly midnight, ghosts appear!” They turn around and pretend to be frightened at Claude, “AH! A GHOST!” Claude tells them, “Please don’t be frightened. I-I’m not really a ghost”. Hubie asks, “If you’re not a ghost, how come I can see right through ya?” Bertie pushes an x-ray up to Claude, showing his skeletal ribs as Claude assures before witnessing his “ghostly” body below him, “But you CAN’T see through me, because I’m not a g-g-g- EEEEK!- g-g-g…” (animated by Harris).

Claude then starts bawling hysterically again begging for Hubie and Bertie’s help. Hubie tells him he “can’t stay here. That’s for sure. You really belong up in Cat Heaven”. Claude cries that he doesn’t know where Cat Heaven is, “You gotta come with me!” Hubie replies, “Well, we can’t hardly do THAT. But we’ll see what we CAN do”. They lead him to the edge of a cliff with a sign pointed upward labeled “Cat Heaven” before telling Claude to take off. He bawls, “But I CAN’T fly!” Hubie asks him, “How do ya know you can’t? You never tried” as they push him off the cliff, with Claude unaware he has a balloon tied on his back and thinking it’s the wings that are permitting him to fly. Hubie and Bertie bid farewell with, “So long, Claude” and “Yeah, yeah. Happy landings!”, respectively, as Claude peacefully floats to the moon, bidding “Farewell, you poor earthly creatures” (animated by Harris).

Where Can I Watch It?

At archive.org!

Carrot Rating:

🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕