The Aristo-Cat (1943)

. . . for the 2005 live-action feature film, THE ARISTOCRATS. Someone close to me has called THE ARISTOCRATS "the most vulgar flick ever" (though that was BEFORE she saw HUMAN CENTIPEDE). But with THE ARISTO-CAT, Warner Bros. predicts Marlon Brando's fun-things-to-do-with-fingernail-clippers coming down the pike with LAST TANGO IN PAR!S. ARISTO-CAT begins with One Per Center sadism, as even the Rich Lady's pet lords it over working class stiff "Meadows." Claude Cat intentionally squirts grapefruit juice into Meadows' eyes, illustrating Warner's post-Depression tenet that The Rich--symbolized here by Fat Cat Claude--have replaced the John Dillingers and grapefruit-wielding Jimmy Cagneys as America's PUBLIC ENEMY. Next, the little guys--in this case, mice Hubie and Bertie--expose One Per Centers such as Claude for the cowardly, cannibalistic fakes that they are. (Just as a Sociopath Rich Person doesn't know the first thing about being Human, Claude must resort to a book to glean his initial smattering of feline facts.) Warner's final ARISTO-CAT warning is to beware of the bulldog Rover, drawn as a dead ringer for Donald Trump.

Well, after reading a couple of the other reviews here, I feel a little better. I thought maybe I missed something, thinking this animated short was pretty weak. Apparently, others agree.It might have been a landmark of sorts with the introduction of Claude The Cat and the two mice, Hubie (his name wasn't mentioned in this cartoon) and Bertie, but that doesn't mean it was entertaining. It wasn't, except for some of the artwork. This was the first of seven "Hubie and Bertie" cartoons.Claude was just not-funny stupid, and sadistic. Forced to fend for himself after "Meadows" the butler quits after being abused by the cat, Claude finds himself clueless. He has no idea how to do anything for himself. Apparently he doesn't even know what a mouse or a dog looks like, despite the fact there is a dog in the house.When he encounters the mice, he is scared out of his mind and runs for the hills. Finally, he winds up talking to them and they take advantage of the situation. Overall, this offers almost nothing in the way of laughs except one quick scene when Claude first meets the bulldog, face-to-face.

"The Aristo-Cat" is the first in an extensive, Oscar-nominated series by Chuck Jones. The series is one of my favorites, but this short is one of the lesser ones. The only reason I say it is a landmark is because it marks the debut of three great characters. The premise is good, but the following action is run-of-the-mill funny stuff.A butler is left to look after a pampered cat (Claude) who continuously humiliates him. After having had enough of it, the butler quits. Claude is petrified, but finds a book that informs him that cats eat mice, the only problem being that he doesn't know what a mouse looks like; therefore, he is perfect prey for a couple of wise-ass mice (Hubie & Bertie), who deceive him into thinking the large bulldog outside (why is it always a bulldog?) is a source of food. You can guess what follows, and if you can't, I don't think you can read either.It's also interesting to note that in post-1948 shorts, Hubie and Bertie swapped coat colors. Worth a watch any time, but the later cartoons were much improved.

A pampered cat is left in the care of the butler by his wealthy owner. After a few final humiliations by the cat, the butler quits and leaves the cat by himself. Unable to feed himself the cat looks up a book which tells him cats eat mice. He isn't sure what he is looking for and is unaware when two mice convince him that the local bulldog is a mouse and that he should easily catch and eat it.The set up to this short is quite interesting and should have led to a better cartoon, but, once the mice point out the dog then the cartoon seems to just die on it's feet. The action is standard and shows no imagination and not a great deal to laugh about. The film has a total lack of substance which, in something 4 minutes long, is a problem.The cat and dog characters are pretty weak but the mice are wise-asses and pretty amusing. Again it was just a shame that nothing of great value was done with them.