121. The Cat Came Back (1936)

Release date: February 8th, 1936

Series: Merrie Melodies

Director: Friz Freleng

Starring: Berneice Hansell (Mama Cat, Kitten), Elvia Allman (Mama Mouse), The Rhythmettes (Chorus)

The Cat Came Back focuses on dueling families of kittens and mice. The kittens learn to hunt the mice, the mice learn to dodge the kittens. However, bitter rivalries must be put aside when one of the kittens falls down a sewer drain and is in jeopardy of drowning.

Like so many other Merrie Melodies, we begin immediately with the chorus of “The Cat Came Back”. In the basement of a townhouse, a family of kittens frolic blissfully while their doting mother observes from afar, contentedly knitting in her rocking chair.

Pan over to a separate faction of the basement—a mouse hole. Parallel to the family of kittens is a family of mice. The mother instructs her children on the dangers posed by cats, warning them that they’re reduced to nothing but a mouthful. Back to the kitten family, who is receiving a similar pep talk from their mother. To assert that the two mothers aren’t exactly the same, the cat mother smacks an inattentive kitten, hissing “Pay attention!” 

Both families undergo training sessions. The mother cat trains her kittens to attack a punching bag disguised as a mouse, whereas the mother mouse creates a simulation of a cat batting at the mice, the mice dodging the makeshift broomstick paw and successfully hiding into a mouse hole. More training: the cats beat up a mechanical mouse, and the mice dodge a number of mouse traps. The parallels between the two families are very effective in their deliveries and staged nicely. Simple yet powerful.

It seems that two members of each family aren’t as enthused to learn as the others. A lone cat and a lone mouse creep out of their factions at the same time, unknowingly bumping right into each other. Terrified, they both dart back into their respective holes, warily poking their heads out to spot the perpetrator. In no time, they’re face to face, nose to nose, tension thick as ever as they exchange steely glares. The mother mouse spots the conundrum and hurries to the aid of her child, incomprehensibly spouting off threats to the kitten in a high, sped up voice. There’s a great scene as the curious kitten creeps into the mouse hole, unfazed by the threats. Offscreen banging and clanging, and next thing you know the cat is booted out of the hole and skidding across the floor.

Clutching its injured butt, the cat cries for its mother and recounts the entire event in the same, incomprehensible, sped up voice. “...and she kicked me RIGHT HERE! Right where I sit down!” Mama cat’s having none of it. “She DID!” She marches off to confront the offending mouse, giving a few angry knocks at the wall while the kitten observes in glee. The satisfaction of having your parent stick it to your enemy! 

The mother mouse pokes her head out of the hole to greet her visitor. She spots the mother cat, and without any further hesitation gives her a good ol’ Three Stooges eye poke. Now, the mother cat takes her anger out on her kitten, dragging it back to their home while glaring daggers.

Now, the lone kitten mopes while sitting on a tin box. The little mouse from before discreetly pokes its head in, calling for the cat to follow. The cat surveys the surroundings to ensure the coast is clear and follows cautiously behind.

Once outside, the mouse hurried over to show the kitten its prized possession: a record player. Such a great change in mood as the mouse cranks the record player, and both cat and mouse engage in a cute, flirtatious, dainty little dance. To think they were butting heads when they first met, and now they’re tiptoeing around together with half lidded eyes, any shred of rivalry gone. The animation is hilarious and smooth. How can you not laugh at these two doing such ridiculous moves? 

Unfortunately, the dance takes a disastrous turn. The kitten saunters right into an exposed sewer drain, tumbling into the disgusting rapids below and crying for help. The mother cat hears the commotion, spots the mouse peering into the drain, and screams. She yowls in remorse over her precious child, and the brave little mouse dives in after the kitten. Now, the mother mouse realizes what’s going on. She, too, joins the anxious mama cat and they both pace around. I love that we’re still reminded of the cat and mouse rivalry—the mother mouse enlists in the aid of a plunger, but it’s no use. She knocks her head into the mother cat’s head and they both exchange heated glares and shoves before pacing around once more.

The kitten is no match for the crap-infested current. It tries to grab onto a spare cuckoo clock, clutching onto its pulley that prompts the cuckoo bird to spring out and chime. Great animation as the cat repeatedly swats at the nuisance, the cuckoo retaliating by pecking the kitten repeatedly on the head.

A nearby guitar floats past the mouse, who’s giving every ounce of energy to swim towards the cat. The mouse boards on the guitar and uses a spare plank of wood like an oar. Nevertheless, the current is just too strong, and the mouse’s rowing is just too slow. The kitten is propelled into a whirlpool, about to meet its demise as it swirls around helplessly.

Thankfully, the mouse is able to join the cat just in the nick of time. The mouse clings to a board that’s lying over the exposed manhole, sticking its tail out for the cat to cling onto. Fun animation of the kitten holding on, both cat and mouse winding up tight thanks to the suction of the whirlpool below. The force is so great that the piece of board the mouse is clinging into even begins to spin, and together they all form the world’s most bizarre (and dirty) makeshift helicopter. The makeshift helicopter flies out of the cover and out into the sunny streets above. They land safely, just outside of the cellar doors we were introduced to in the opening shot.

Back to the mothers, who are as concerned and hopeless as ever. A cheery “YOOHOO!” from the new best buddies interrupts their grief, and the mothers scramble to reunite with their children. Such a good detail and indicator of personality as the mothers, who are so wrapped up in reuniting with their child, accidentally pick up the wrong kid. They realize their mistake, swap children, and shower their rightful offspring in loving kisses and embraces.

Tension is lost and camaraderie is high as the mothers beam at each other and at their children, who are all dancing merrily in a circle. Some looniness seeps into the cartoon as the mother cat suddenly remembers her experience with the mother mouse, who had so rudely performed her best Three Stooges impression by jabbing her right in the eyes. Hilarious comedic timing as the mother cat glares at the beaming mouse, the cat retaliating and jabbing the mouse between the eyes. All at once, all hell breaks loose, the mothers scrapping and fighting each other. The children watch in awe, and soon the basement is a free for all death match. Iris out.

Definitely one of the best Merrie Melodies so far and probably one of the best cartoons we’ve seen. It’s staged VERY well, the parallels seemingly simple yet very effective and striking. The kitten and little mouse make a very likable duo, their personalities stronger than other cute Hansell-voiced critters in various other Merrie Melodies. Likewise, the mothers’ personalities are strong and hilarious. The music score is fun and catchy, the Disneyesque vocals are the beginning a nice way to lull the audience into a false sense of security. Animation is fun and inventive, yet nothing too spectacular. The dance sequence between the kids and the strange makeshift helicopter were definitely highlights. And, of course, the ending is too great for words. The Looney Tunes spirit is strong in this one. What says Looney Tunes better than violence and vitriol? Absolutely a cartoon worth watching, the comedic timing is on point and the short as a whole serves as a reminder that great things are ahead.

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