Directed by: Charles M. Jones

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

Synopsis: A cat (voiced by Mel Blanc) disguises himself to avoid persecution and finds himself the focus of an amorous skunk.

Cartoon Cat: The orange cat is first seen outside a butcher shop looking lovingly at the meat inside. The butcher then kicks him away.

The cat then lands on the doorstep of a woman who hits him with a broom.

After this the cat is attacked by a dog.

Fed up with all of this abuse, the cat gets the idea to paint himself as a skunk, using limburger cheese, onions and garlic to complete the effect.

This works like a charm. The dog and woman runs away and everyone rushes out of the butcher shop.

After a big meal of meat, the cat is lying on a hillside feeling content.

Moments later a real skunk happens by. Catching the cat’s foul scent, the skunk scoops up the cat and tries to woo him.

The cat runs away but the skunk finds him in a tree trunk.

The cat runs again, grabbing up a skunk fur from a store display. The skunk follows the cat to a tower. The cat then threatens to jump and throws the skin over the edge, screaming as if he is falling.

The skunk is distraught but catches the cat sneaking away.

After a run in with a dog and trying to disguise himself as Bugs Bunny, the cat makes a desperate dash for freedom. The skunk just happily hops along behind. By the time the skunk catches up, the cat is passed out.

As the skunk makes lustful advances, his wife shows up with an umbrella and his children in tow. The cat sees his chance to get away.

The cat washes off the paint and smell and happily goes back to his life of being abused.

This was the first screen appearance of Pepe Le Pew, although in this short his wife calls him Henry. It should be noted that in later shorts starring Pepe the cat is usually Penelope, a black cat who accidentally ends up with a white stripe. The tone is different in this short where the cat not only disguises himself on purpose but is a male.

Final Mewsings: Cats don’t appreciate unwanted advances.

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