The Silly Little Mouse (1940)

Original Title: Skazka O Glupom Myshonke

Directed by: Mikhail Tsekhanovsky

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

Synopsis: This animated operetta, based on the poem by S. Marshak with music by Dmitri Shostakovich, finds a mouse child who cannot fall asleep to his mother’s, or any other animal mothers’, songs except for a beautiful but dangerous cat.

Cartoon Cat: After seeking help from a duck, a pig, a frog, a horse, and even a pike, the animals ask for the help of a female cat who lives away from the others. The black and white cat has a lovely voice and agrees to help.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon animals seeking help from black and white cat

A dog sits guard near the mouse’s home and the cat uses trickery to hide herself from him when passing.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat hiding herself from guard dog

Inside the mouse child’s room the cat seems more concerned with primping herself at first, applying rouge and lipstick.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat preening with mouse mother and mouse child

When the cat sings to the mouse child, it is finally calmed into sleeping.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat singing to mouse child

The cat slyly licks and sniffs at the mouse child, then licks her lips.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat licking mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat licking lips with mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat sings to and licks mouse child animated gif

After everyone else has fallen asleep, things turn sinister as the beautiful cat’s expression becomes wicked and she blows out the candle.

The Silly Little Mouse - sweet cartoon black and white cat cradling mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - sneaky cartoon black and white cat hiding mouse child

It is then the cat’s true nature is revealed.

The Silly Little Mouse - extreme close up of evil looking cartoon black and white cat
The Silly Little Mouse - sweet looking cartoon black and white cat turns evil and blows out candle while hiding mouse child animated gif

The cat spirits the mouse child away, once again sneaking past the dog.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat sneaking mouse child past guard dog

When the mouse realizes her child is gone, she calls for the other animals and they hurry to the cat’s home. The cat is playing with the mouse child, going from sweet-looking to primal.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat playing with mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - scary cartoon black and white cat with mouse child in mouth
The Silly Little Mouse - sweet looking cartoon black and white cat playing with mouse child turns primal animated gif

The cat sharpens her claws and prepares to place the mouse child into a pot of boiling water.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat sharpening claws with mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat preparing to boil mouse child

Startled by the entrance of the dog, the cat tries to play innocent and sings to the baby as the dog joins in.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat interrupted before boiling mouse child
The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat singing to mouse child with dog

When the dog finds the boiling pot with the mouse child’s clothes inside, he turns on the cat and the pair fight until the cat is chased away and the mouse child is rescued.

The Silly Little Mouse - cartoon black and white cat hissing and ready to fight guard dog over mouse child
https://youtu.be/YuBzdLF2Yho

Final Mewsings: Cats will be cats.

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