Naughty but Mice is a 1939 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[2] The short was released on May 20, 1939, and stars Sniffles in his cartoon debut.[3]
| Naughty but Mice | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Directed by | Charles Jones |
| Story by | Rich Hogan |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger |
| Starring | Margaret Hill-Talbot Mel Blanc[1] |
| Music by | Carl W. Stalling |
| Animation by | Phil Monroe |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 8 minutes |
| Language | English |
It is the only Sniffles cartoon not to be reissued, and therefore survives with its original titles.[4]
Plot
editSniffles walks down a street to a drug store, showing obvious symptoms of the common cold. He enters through the letter box in the door and locates the cold and flu remedies. He finds a bottle that claims to be a cold remedy; small writing at the bottom of the label indicates "Alcohol 125% proof", which he misses as he only reads the top of the label. He opens the bottle, pours some of the mixture into a spoon and drinks it. Getting tipsy, Sniffles makes his way along the shelf and bumps into a box containing an electric razor. The razor comes out of its box and greets Sniffles using a buzzing noise. Sniffles advises the razor of his cold, before sneezing on him. Moments later, the razor also begins to show symptoms of the common cold.
Sniffles promises the razor to get a cold remedy. After telling the razor several times not to move anywhere he leaves and comes back with the spoon filled with the same cold remedy he took. Now both Sniffles and the razor are drunk and partake in a rendition of "How Dry I Am". The razor then seems to get tired and Sniffles walks away. A heretofore hidden black cat follows him.
Sniffles finds a claw vending machine and makes his way inside as something has grabbed his attention. The cat finds coins in a pocket (or at least somewhere in its fur) and tries to grab Sniffles. Eventually he succeeds and Sniffles, who had been oblivious to the existence of the cat, begins to get very scared. The razor wakes up and attacks the cat, shaving off the cat's fur. The cat runs away. Sniffles thanks the razor, sneezes again and is blown backwards, into the claw of the vending machine. Sniffles smiles, hanging from the claw by his trousers.
See also
edit- Herman and Katnip (Paramount Pictures cartoon)
References
edit- ^ Scott, Keith (2022). Cartoon Voice Of The Golden Age, 1930-70. BearManor Media. p. 35. ISBN 979-8-88771-010-5.
- ^ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 87. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 136. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Sandler, p. 23, 54.
Bibliography
edit- Sandler, Kevin S. Reading the rabbit: explorations in Warner Bros. animation, Rutgers University Press, 1998, ISBN 978-0-8135-2538-9
- Grant, John Masters of animation, Watson-Guptill Publications, 2001, ISBN 978-0-8230-3041-5