'Cats A-Weigh' is the third Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. cartoon and the last truly good one.
Starting with 'Pop 'Im Pop' in 1950 and continuing with 'Who's Kitten Who' in 1952, each of these 3 cartoons managed to find a funny angle on the baby kangaroo-mistaken-for-a- mouse plot. There had also been 3 Sylvester solo cartoons with the baby kangaroo (Hippety Hopper) starting in 1948 which were equally funny ('Hop, Look and Listen', 'Hippety Hopper' and 'Hoppy Go Lucky')
'Cat's A-Weigh', like these other 5 cartoons, still displays director Robert McKimson's early energy and wit. The dialogue is funny and the animation still uses McKimson's detailed late 40s/ early 50s style --- lots of movement, big gestures and wide-open mouths when talking (you also see this in his early Foghorn Leghorn shorts). His more appealing earlier character designs for Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. are also on display here ---- bigger heads and noses and more exaggerated side-tufts of facial fur. This cartoon still feels fresh.
Unfortunately the next Sylvester/Hippety Hopper cartoon 'Bell Hoppy' in 1954 showed the concept abruptly running out of gas and laughs. There were 6 more Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. shorts stretching to 1964 but they were all limp, tired retreads that never regained the energy of 'Cats A-Weigh' and its predecessors.
Starting with 'Pop 'Im Pop' in 1950 and continuing with 'Who's Kitten Who' in 1952, each of these 3 cartoons managed to find a funny angle on the baby kangaroo-mistaken-for-a- mouse plot. There had also been 3 Sylvester solo cartoons with the baby kangaroo (Hippety Hopper) starting in 1948 which were equally funny ('Hop, Look and Listen', 'Hippety Hopper' and 'Hoppy Go Lucky')
'Cat's A-Weigh', like these other 5 cartoons, still displays director Robert McKimson's early energy and wit. The dialogue is funny and the animation still uses McKimson's detailed late 40s/ early 50s style --- lots of movement, big gestures and wide-open mouths when talking (you also see this in his early Foghorn Leghorn shorts). His more appealing earlier character designs for Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. are also on display here ---- bigger heads and noses and more exaggerated side-tufts of facial fur. This cartoon still feels fresh.
Unfortunately the next Sylvester/Hippety Hopper cartoon 'Bell Hoppy' in 1954 showed the concept abruptly running out of gas and laughs. There were 6 more Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. shorts stretching to 1964 but they were all limp, tired retreads that never regained the energy of 'Cats A-Weigh' and its predecessors.