Mice See Cat

“Will there be anything else, gentlemen?” sarcastically says Claude Cat, pretending to be a waiter after he’s caught Hubie and Bertie eating cheese.

It’s time for a Chuck Jones take. Hubie, the smart mouse, realises right away it’s a dreaded cat. Jones, if you don’t know by now, went for subtle poses. Here, Hubie becomes rigid, except for his ears, which move in two positions so the take isn’t static.



Bertie is the slow one. “No, no, thanks, he says,” turning to the cat, and keeps talking until it suddenly kicks in who he’s conversing to. Another rigid pose with two ear positions.



This is from The Hypo-Chrondri-Cat, with animation by Ben Washam, Phil Monroe, Ken Harris and Lloyd Vaughan.

Jones is never without a knowing glance to the audience somewhere in his cartoons. Here is it in this one.