''Kitty Kornered'' is a 1946

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

'' cartoon, directed by

Robert Clampett Robert Emerson Clampett Sr. (May 8, 1913 – May 2, 1984) was an American animator, film director, director, film producer, producer and puppeteer. He was best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' animated series from Warner Bros. as well ...

. The short was released on June 8, 1946, and stars

Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...

and

Sylvester Sylvester or Silvester is a name derived from the Latin adjective ''silvestris'' meaning "wooded" or "wild", which derives from the noun ''silva'' meaning "woodland". Classical Latin spells this with ''i''. In Classical Latin, ''y'' represented a ...

. Porky and Sylvester would later be paired in a trio of shorts directed by

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

: ''

Scaredy Cat ''Scaredy Cat'' is a 1948 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on December 18, 1948 and stars Porky Pig and Sylvester the Cat. The cartoon is notable in that it marks the first time the name "Sy ...

'', ''

Claws for Alarm ''Claws for Alarm'' is a 1954 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on May 22, 1954 and stars Porky Pig and Sylvester. It is the second of three cartoons teaming Porky and Sylvester, continuing ...

'', and ''

Jumpin' Jupiter ''Jumpin' Jupiter'' is a 1955 Warner Bros. ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on August 6, 1955 and stars Porky Pig and Sylvester. It is the third and last of a series of horror-themed cartoons that starr ...

''. Both also appeared (with Daffy Duck) in '' The Scarlet Pumpernickel'' as a

villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

(the only time Sylvester spoke in a Chuck Jones-directed cartoon).

Plot

The neighborhood's cat owners all (literally) throw their cats out for the night. Porky Pig attempts to do the same, but his four cats (a tall black and white lisping cat (

), a medium-sized tabby, a diminutive kitten, and a dumb drunkard cat) attempt to turn the tables and throw ''him'' out into the snow. Porky states that he is starting to hate pussycats. Porky bangs on the door, demanding to be let in, but the cats pop out of the door and proclaim in unison, "Milkman, keep those bottles quiet!", and then slam the door in his face which soon leads to a battle between Porky and his cats for the house. While the cats are lounging around, a furious Porky bursts through the window, making an incredibly menacing face. He chases them around the house until one of them throws him into a cabinet full of dishes and a teapot. Porky retaliates by setting his pet dog "Lassie" on the cats. The cats see the dog's shadow and run for their lives, not knowing that "Lassie" is in reality only a shadow puppet created with Porky's fingers. When Sylvester finds out that they have been tricked, he and the others plot revenge, which is exacted by having the cats create a '' War of the Worlds''-esque sensation about

invading aliens The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest people ...

, disguising themselves as the aliens and driving Porky into a panic over " Men from Mars!" Porky gets frightened and tries to shoot them with a gun but the cats, now dressed like

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, charge at Porky with swords and run him out of the house once and for all and winning the battle. Homeless, alone, and cold in the snow, Porky turns to the camera and asks the audience if they have a vacancy for a house.

Reception

Comics historian

Craig Yoe Craig Yoe (born February 23, 1951) is an author, editor, art director, graphic designer, cartoonist and comics historian, best known for his Yoe! Studio creations and his line of Yoe! Books. Early life Craig Yoe was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He ...

writes, "In this uproariously funny film written by director Robert Clampett himself, everything and everyone is made of rubber. The last half has some of the most exhilirating action ever put on film."

Cultural references

"Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet" was a World War II hit song by

Ella Mae Morse Ella Mae Morse (September 12, 1924 – October 16, 1999) was an American singer of popular music whose 1940s and 1950s recordings mixing jazz, blues, and country styles influenced the development of rock and roll. Her 1942 recording of "Cow-Cow ...

, and was sung by Nancy Walker in the film Broadway Rhythm. The wine that the grey drunken cat was drinking says "Arsenic and Old Grapes" is a parody reference to '' Arsenic and Old Lace''. On ''

The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries ''The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries'' is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation which aired from September 9, 1995 to February 5, 2000 on Kids' WB. The final episode, containing the segments "The Tail End?" and ...

'', the "Men from Mars" characters made an appearance in "Spaced Out." The cats charging at Porky assume the appearances of

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

and his Rough Riders cavalry (in reference to the then-popular film '' Arsenic and Old Lace'').

References

External links

* * * {{Sylvester the Cat in animation 1946 animated films 1946 short films 1946 films Films directed by Bob Clampett Looney Tunes shorts Warner Bros. Cartoons animated short films 1940s science fiction films Porky Pig films Sylvester the Cat films Films about pets Animated films about extraterrestrial life Films scored by Carl Stalling American animated science fiction films 1940s Warner Bros. animated short films Alien invasions in films Cultural depictions of Theodore Roosevelt