Feed the Kitty (1952)

Let's be realistic.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a cartoon that runs the usual 7 minutes and it was made back in 1952 by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese with Mel Blanc doing the voice acting of the 2 central characters. The voice of Marc Anthony's mistress comes from the woman who voiced Betty on "The Flintstones". In this short film here, a strong bulldog finds a little kitten and the two grow closer. Sadly, the dog's owner tells him that the next time he brings something into the house, he will have to go. So the dog tries all the time to hide the cat from the owner and succeeds for the most part. The first 5 minutes of this short film are okay, but the last two minutes are the real highlight. Marc Anthony's crying sequences for the kitten are truly heartbreaking and when the two are not only reunited, but he also may keep it, it's a truly delightful ending. Pretty good job here and I recommend this short film. Nice use of the catchy "Three Blind Mice" tune as well.

Feed the Kitty is everything I love about animation and more. The animation is full of vibrant colours and fluid backgrounds, while the music is typically energetic with some recognisable tunes and lively orchestration(as ever). The gags are very imaginative and I think very funny, the one with the mouse hole is priceless. Feed the Kitty is also very cute, especially in the characters of Marc Antony and Pussyfoot and there is even one truly heart-wrenching sequence where Marc Antony grieves for Pussyfoot, Marc Antony's way of expressing his grief is very affecting to anybody. The story is always engaging and crisply paced. Mel Blanc's vocals as ever are stellar, as I've said many times he was one of those voice artists who could do no wrong being a huge part of every short cartoon/show he participated in. Overall, a masterpiece from Chuck Jones and of animation. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Chuck Jones (1912-2002) was one of the most beloved directors in animation, his extensive filmography of cartoons bringing joy and happiness to millions of people worldwide, whether they be children or adults. 'Feed the Kitty' is a relatively well-known short amongst animation enthusiasts, and the first to feature two of Jones' lesser known characters – the loving bulldog Marc Antony and the cute, little kitten named Pussyfoot (though, in this first film, the kitten's name is not given).As the film begins, we first glimpse Pussyfoot as a blinking pair of eyes in the darkness of a discarded can. As she emerges from the can, a passing bulldog – Marc Antony – notices the young feline's vulnerability and tries to scare her. The kitten, however, doesn't even seem to notice Marc Antony's growling, and she leisurely wanders onto his back, scratches in a comfortable position and promptly falls asleep there. The dog immediately falls for the adorable cat, and he returns to his home with her, where he must hide his newly-acquired friend from his mistress.Marc Antony and a sleepy Pussyfoot get into all sorts of adventures, the most memorable occurring when the former believes his feline friend to have been accidentally blended and baked by his mistress to make cookies. The final minutes of the film are very touching, as an anguished Marc Antony watches the blending through blood-shot eyes, the slightest peek causing him to faint on the spot. This scene was respectfully homaged by John Lasseter and his team in the 2001 Pixar film 'Monster's Inc.,' as the character of Sully (voiced by John Goodman) watches what he believes to be the baby, Boo, travel through a garbage-cube machine.This is one of the best examples of personality animation that I've seen; the sheer raw emotion shown by Marc Antony, as he carries a kitten-shaped cookie on his back, is simply unforgettable, and his elation upon discovering that Pussyfoot is alive and well is equally memorable. This is a highly recommended animated short that will touch you surprisingly deeply.

Jones' trademark humor was definitely present during this cartoon, and watching it can produce great belly laughs. But the reason I got so attached to it, both as a little girl watching with my dad, and as an adult, was the charming story of bulldog Marc Anthony (which, I recently discovered, means "warlike alpha-male") melting into tears at the idea of his beloved kitten getting into trouble, or worse, being gone forever. Perhaps it was just my girlhood sentimentality, but I always find my heart breaking at Marc Anthony's instant and unconditional love for Pussyfoot. And of course it makes me smile to hear those timeless lines, "But remember, you have to take care of it! ...He's YOUR responsibility, now you hear me?"