Too Hop to Handle (1956)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Robert McKimson

Writer:

Warren Foster (story)

Release Date:

28 January 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Sylvester Cat scoffs at his son's idea that a pipe like that of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" could lure mice into their home to catch...

Plot Keywords:

Sylvester | Pied Piper | Hippety Hopper | Sylvester And Son | Looney Tunes

Cast

Mel Blanc

...

Sylvester / Sylvester Jr. / Zoo Official / Man in Park (voice)

Runtime:

7 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Soundtrack:

Animal Fair

Pied Piper of Kangaroos

This is probably the best of the standard Sylvester vs. Hoppity cartoons. Although I am no particular fan of this series, or, indeed, its director, Robert McKimson (a very competent cartoon director, but compared with his fellow Looney Tunes director, last among equals), the writing on this one is sharp, the gags are good, including the closing one, and the dialogue is funnier than usual.

McKimson, although a fine draftsman -- he did the style sheet for Bugs Bunny -- had begun to shift his cartoon direction towards a sketchier, UPA-style of visuals -- doubtless a largely financial choice as the costs of cartoon production continued to skyrocket while the money available remained flat and demand continued to decline in the face of television's competition.