by Ted Davis

Directed by: Chuck Jones

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Unusually cynical WWII era cartoon from Warner Brothers about a mean-spirited, greedy, two-faced, backstabbing dog named Shep (voiced by Mel Blanc), who fools his owner (voiced by Frank Masters), the media and the public into believing that he’s loyal, selfless and brave, thereby demonstrating that there is no justice in this world.

Cartoon Cat: The reprehensible owner also has an unnamed tuxedo cat (voiced by Mel Blanc) who embodies all the positive traits which Shep lacks so conspicuously, and whom the owner treats shamefully, tossing the cat a measly helping of old fish bones while lavishing the unworthy dog with a hefty turkey leg. Nevertheless, the appreciative cat mews his thanks for his portion.

But the luscious turkey joint is not enough for Shep, and he devours his owner’s steak. The compassionate cat places his paltry bit of fish bones on his owner’s plate to compensate for the loss of the steak, hoping for a kind word, but the contemptible owner misunderstands the generous gesture and blames the cat for stealing his meal, then literally kicks him out of the house.

Shep is rewarded with a thick ham slice, but is gorged and unable to eat it, so he tosses the meat out of the window, hitting the unselfish cat, who returns the ham to the front porch, where the owner misunderstands yet again and prepares to boot the cat.

Shep steps between the dunderhead owner and the cat to prevent the kick, but reveals his true colors when he and the kitty are alone together, kicking the cat himself.

Next, Shep teams up with a sneak thief, providing entry into the house, in reward for a tasty bone. The thief refers to the dog as a quisling, a contemporary term designating traitor and turncoat. The amazingly loyal cat attacks the thief and prevents the robbery, but, as usual, Shep gets all the the credit and the cat gets zilch.

The newspapers publish front page stories about Shep’s bogus heroism, infuriating the cat.

Shep is incensed when Champ, a Scottish Terrier modeled after Fala, FDR’s popular dog, is named the #1 Dog in the nation, and hops a train then a car to travel to Philadelphia, PA, where Champ resides, trailed closely by the vigilant cat.

Shep attempts to murder Champ, but is foiled by the resourceful kitty, who uses a handy club to smack the evil dog into a nearby pond. Champ saves Shep from drowning, but, as usual in this cartoon, Shep gets the credit and the rewards, which include newspaper headlines, radio interviews and a celebratory parade rivaling that of Lindbergh.

The luckless cat is a bystander at Shep’s parade and gets splashed by road mud, at which point he pounds a nearby monument in frustration, and the literal scales of justice fall and bonk the poor cat on the head.

Final Mewsings: Even when cats are the good guys in cartoons they still get no justice.

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