Fifth columnists were traitors who supported the enemy from inside their homeland. In this cartoon, mice are persuaded by the Fifth Column Mouse that a cat invading their home won’t hurt them.
If there’s any doubt the cat is a stand-in for the Axis, even before hearing the patriotic war song “We Did It Before” by marching soldier-mice, the cat scrapes ice off a window, with the clear spot forming what suspiciously looks like Hitler’s hair. The cat doesn’t need a German accent; the “hair” and the attitude that a cat is an enemy of mice is enough. (When the cat whispers his plot to the gullible mouse, Carl Stalling plays “Ach Du Lieber Augustine” in the background).
A good portion of the short is a chase, which adds to the energy of the cartoon. A fun freeze-frame scene is when one mouse takes an electric shaver to the cat. Here are some of the frames of multiples characters.
This is another cartoon featuring a “Buy Bonds” poster in the background. And it includes the Beethoven’s Fifth notes that signify Morse Code for the letter “V” for “Victory” as the cat looks at its shaved body.
The cartoon has been Blue Ribboned, so there are no credits.
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