Odor-able Kitty
Odor-able Kitty is a 1945 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones.[1] The short was released on January 6, 1945, and was the first appearance of romantic skunk Pepé Le Pew.[2][3]
| Odor-able Kitty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Chuck Jones |
| Produced by | Edward Selzer |
| Story by | Tedd Pierce |
| Starring | Mel Blanc |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by | Robert Cannon Ken Harris Ben Washam |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 7:!5 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The scriptwriter was Tedd Pierce. Jones, a co-creator of the character, also credited Michael Maltese with contributing to the character concept.[4]
Plot
After so much abuse (being thrown out of a store, shooed from a house, and attacked by dogs), an orange cat decides he has gotta do something about it. Thinking that it would make things easier, the cat disguises himself as a skunk using paint and smelly substances. Although he is successful in keeping his tormentors at bay, he accidentally attracts the unwanted attention of a real skunk, "Henri." The cat runs from him and hides in a tree, where the skunk then appears out of nowhere. The cat runs into town, grabs a skunk fur, then runs to a silo, from which he threatens to jump if the skunk gets any closer. The cat throws the skunk fur from the top of the silo, hoping to decoy the skunk. But as the cat sneaks down the steps, Henri realizes that the fur is just a fur and resumes pursuing the cat. Continuing to run, the cat accidentally brings a dog into the mix, then tries a Bugs Bunny costume to fool Henri. But the disguise does not work as the skunk pulls the rabbit head off to reveal the cat. Once the cat is tired and worn out, Henri cuddles with him until someone interrupts; it turns out to be the skunk's wife and two kids. Standing in disbelief, Henri claims he was only "wiping a cinder from a lady's eye," but to no use as she doesn't believe him and is more concerned that he is cheating on her with someone else. He is repeatedly beat on the head with his wife's umbrella as the cat crawls away to escape and removes all of the paint and smell. He realizes that he would rather endure the abuse than be with a smelly skunk.
Analysis
The film is not part of the typical formula for the Pepé Le Pew series of cartoons, since the character is "unknowingly" attracted to a male cat. Most of the films in the series are "Picaresque stories of seduction and sexual conquest or its failure".[4] Part of the film's twist ending is that Pepé is revealed as an American skunk who fakes his French accent.
Availability
- Laserdisc - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 1, Side 2: Firsts
- VHS - The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 2: Firsts
- DVD - Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc Four
- DVD - Looney Tunes Super Stars' Pepe Le Pew: Zee Best of Zee Best
References
- Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 157. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
- Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 117. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- "Pepe Le Pew: Stinky". Chuck Jones.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
- Thompson, Kirsten Moana (1998), "Notes", in Sandler, Kevin S. (ed.), Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation, Rutgers University Press, pp. 240–241, ISBN 978-0813525389