Ventriloquist Cat
Encyclopedia
Ventriloquist Cat is an MGM
animated film
, directed by Hollywood director Tex Avery
. The film was released in the US on 27 May 1950.
is being chased by a dim-witted bulldog
. In order to escape, the cat jumps into a box full of magicians props and discovers a ventriloquists device for throwing his voice. With his newly acquired powers of ventriloquism
, the cat plays a series of practical jokes on the bulldog. Ultimately the jokes backfire on the cat.
as Cat's Meow, which was released in 1957. It was one of two Avery MGM cartoons to have been reworked in the widescreen
format (the other was the 1949 Droopy cartoon Wags to Riches, which was redone as Millionaire Droopy); as Avery himself was long gone from MGM at the time of these remakes, the new versions were worked on by the Hanna
-Barbera
unit.
There were numerous differences in the designs of the two main characters. Spike the bulldog
is two shades of tan in the 1950 original and white in the 1957 remake, while the cat had dark grey fur in the earlier version and red fur in the later version.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
animated film
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, directed by Hollywood director Tex Avery
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
. The film was released in the US on 27 May 1950.
Plot
An alley catCat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
is being chased by a dim-witted bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
. In order to escape, the cat jumps into a box full of magicians props and discovers a ventriloquists device for throwing his voice. With his newly acquired powers of ventriloquism
Ventriloquism
Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is an act of stagecraft in which a person manipulates his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy"...
, the cat plays a series of practical jokes on the bulldog. Ultimately the jokes backfire on the cat.
Remake
Ventriloquist Cat was later remade in CinemaScopeCinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
as Cat's Meow, which was released in 1957. It was one of two Avery MGM cartoons to have been reworked in the widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
format (the other was the 1949 Droopy cartoon Wags to Riches, which was redone as Millionaire Droopy); as Avery himself was long gone from MGM at the time of these remakes, the new versions were worked on by the Hanna
William Hanna
William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...
-Barbera
Joseph Barbera
Joseph Roland Barbera was an influential American animator, director, producer, storyboard artist, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of fans worldwide for much of the twentieth century....
unit.
There were numerous differences in the designs of the two main characters. Spike the bulldog
Spike (MGM)
Spike and Tyke are fictional characters from the Tom and Jerry series, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Spike is a stern but occasionally dumb British bulldog who is particularly disapproving of cats, but a softie when it comes to mice, and later, his son Tyke...
is two shades of tan in the 1950 original and white in the 1957 remake, while the cat had dark grey fur in the earlier version and red fur in the later version.
External links
- Original 1950 Ventriloquist Cat on YouTube
- 1957 remake Cat's Meow on YouTube