My Mouth's Bigger Than Your Mouth

Chuck Jones was influenced by silent films and that seems evident considering how often he made cartoons that either lacked dialogue or had scenes without it. Of course, the cartoons weren’t altogether silent. Carl Stalling provided appropriate background music and Treg Brown included sounds when needed.

In The Aristo-Cat (1943), Hubie and Bertie convince the ignorant spoiled housecat that a dog is actually a mouse, the kind cats eat. There’s a scene where the bulldog realises the annoying cat wants to eat him. These are consecutive frames.



A contest follows where each animal opens its mouth wider and wider. No dialogue. Just Stalling’s building music.



A smear drawing.



The cat gets confirmation, then slowly closes the dog’s mouth. Some fine expressive work.



This cartoon is mainly known for the patterned backgrounds (zigzags, mosaics and so on) but there are good gags and expressions like you’ll find in the best of Jones’ work at Warners.