Movie spotlight
Catch as Cats Can
An emaciated canary, singing like Frank Sinatra, is getting on the nerves of a pipe-puffing parrot, who speaks like Bing Crosby. The parrot spots Sylvester, foraging through the trash. Telling the cat he needs more vitamins (which the canary has been swallowing in bulk), he lures the cat inside to snare the canary. The straightforward approach fails (the canary bops him in the nose). He carves a female canary from soap, lures Frankie there; the birds slide down a greased counter, into the sink, and down the drain, but only the soap bird goes through the pipe and down Sylvester's throat. A trail of birdseed into the garage seems to work, but Frankie jacks Sylvester's mouth open. Sylvester laces the vitamins with buckshot; like all cartoon magnets, his attracts everything metal in sight except his prey.
Insights
Plot Summary
In this classic cartoon directed by Tex Avery, a determined cat attempts to catch a speedy mouse. The mouse employs a variety of increasingly absurd and reality-defying methods to evade the persistent feline, leading to a series of chaotic and hilarious chases. The cat's frustration mounts as the mouse consistently outsmarts him through sheer ingenuity and cartoon physics.
Critical Reception
As a short cartoon from the golden age of American animation, 'Catch as Cats Can' is celebrated for its relentless pace, visual gags, and boundary-pushing humor, hallmarks of Tex Avery's directorial style. It is often cited as a prime example of the anarchic spirit and creative freedom prevalent in animation studios during the 1940s.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its fast-paced, inventive gags and anarchic humor.
Recognized as a signature example of Tex Avery's wild and unpredictable directorial style.
Appreciated for its surreal and reality-bending chase sequences.
Google audience: Audience reception for classic shorts like 'Catch as Cats Can' is often found in discussions on animation forums and retrospective reviews, where it's typically lauded for its comedic timing and pure cartoonish chaos.
Fun Fact
Tex Avery was known for pushing the boundaries of cartoon logic, and 'Catch as Cats Can' is a prime example, featuring gags where characters literally run off the edge of the screen or pull objects out of thin air.
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