Feline Frame-Up (1954)

. . . this androgynous feline becomes a dead ringer for Crooked Hillary. Of course, this is no accident, because Warner Bros.' uncannily accurate Looney Tunes prognosticators absolutely loved to churn out episodes giving blow-by-blow accounts of the (then upcoming) 2016 U.S. Presidential Election Campaign. In FELINE FRAME-UP, Claude is the feline doing the framing up. Bulldog Marc Anthony represents Rugged American He-Men, exemplified by Leader Trump. Their bone of contention here is a kitten actually named "Pussyfoot" (Believe it Or Not!--you can check the cast credits at this site). Claude fiendishly slanders, libels, and otherwise besmirches Marc again and again, and Harriet's husband--Marc's owner (representing our U.S. News Media)--falls for these crooked lies hook, line, and stinker. Media Man kicks Marc beyond the pale of his Homeland Security nearly a dozen times, before the powerful pooch is able to obtain a signed confession from Crooked Claude about all of "his" nefarious schemes to rig the election for Pet Of The Upper Stairs (POTUS) through allegations of improper Pussyfooting. Hopefully, Leader Trump can be as successful as Marc Anthony in getting the goods on Today's Crooked Feline.

I've always loved Chuck Jones and Feline Frame Up has always been one of my personal favourites of his. The animation is very colourful and fluid, while the music is full of vibrant and characterful energy. The dialogue especially Claude's final line is witty and very funny, while the gags all hit their mark, the mail-slot one kills me every time and the story while slightly routine is always moving forward and engaging. Claude is very mean and deceitful here, but he also has many priceless facial expressions so despite him being not the most likable of all characters at least he's actually funny with it. Marc Antony works very well with him and is a good contrast. As you'd expect the voice work is terrific, Mel Blanc can do no wrong in my eyes.All in all, I love Feline Frame Up, finding it irresistible and hilarious. Try not to be put off too much by Claude's meanness here, especially when the facial expressions alone make Feline Frame Up as good as it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is my favorite of the shorts starring Marc Anthony, though one of the others, Cat Feud, is a better cartoon. Claude Cat is thoroughly unlikeable in this one. He's deceitful, disgraceful and devious and those are his good qualities! Marc Anthony (clearly a dog's equivalent to Prince Valiant) wins out for the cause and for Truth, Justice and the American Way (oops, wrong hero) and the dim bulb that is the human "master" finally realizes that Claude's been playing him like a pipe organ in church. Marc Anthony's final ruse to get inside is priceless, as are Claude's facial expressions as the plot unfolds. The ending is marvelous and Claude's exit line is perfect. Well worth tracking down and watching. Most recommended.

Terrific Jones short, with the interplay between Claude and Marc Anthony being consistently funny, inventive and unpredictable. Hard to pick a favorite among the various gags, though the mailslot is a killer. The two would battle again in "Cat Feud."