Fish Bites Cat

The little fish in the Andy Panda cartoon Fish Fry can certainly take care of him/herself from a moth-eaten looking alley cat trying to catch it. The fish’s look changes from worry to determination.



The fish knows what to do.



Then comes the best gag in the cartoon. The fish is sympathetic toward the cat’s pain (and miraculously speaks without moving its mouth). He responds with an even bigger bite which sends the cat soaring into the air (layouts by Art Heinemann). Shamus Culhane directed this Oscar-nominated short. I can’t help but think he would have picked up the tempo on the second bite if he had made this later when everyone’s cartoons gained pace.



This is all La Verne Harding’s work. She and Emery Hawkins were given animation credits; he does a terrific job in this cartoon as well.