Mouse-Warming
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''Mouse-Warming'' is a 1952
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''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
'' short, directed by
Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He ...
. The cartoon was released on September 6, 1952 and stars
Claude Cat Claude Cat is an animated cartoon character in the ''Looney Tunes'' and '' Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons from Warner Brothers. Character biography Claude Cat had his origins in several other cat characters used by animator Chuck Jones ...
in his final solo cartoon. The title is a play on " housewarming".


Plot

In a garden, a wind-up toy truck labelled under ACME Moving Co. pulls up to a mousehole door, and two moving mice move the contents of the van into the hole. Afterwards, a young girl mouse and her parents move in. The girl mouse soon sees a boy mouse driving a motorized hot rod toy into his garage and walking up to his own mousehole. When he sees her, the boy mouse instantly falls head over heels in love. He quickly empties his sugar bowl of the one sugar cube in it, and takes the empty bowl over to the girl mouse's home. However, Claude Cat sees him and tries to eat the boy mouse, but he escapes back to his mousehole. Claude tries to grab him but ends up getting his hand caught in a mousetrap. Later on, the boy mouse tries using a pipeline to sneak past Claude but the cat takes a doll house front door, puts it over his own mouth and places himself at the end of the pipeline. The mouse, with an empty jug in hand, unknowingly enters and travels down into Claude's stomach where he lights a match. The flame causes Claude to jump in pain and the mouse to escape simultaneously. Later, Claude observes the two lovers and gets an idea to entrap the boy mouse. Claude writes a fake letter to the boy mouse that reads "''Dear Mister Mouse, I am in my teens - sixteen months - and deemed not unattractive by my friends. Can you meet me at eight tonight under the garbage disposal? yours (?) Alice (the girl across the way),''" and sprays some perfume on it for good measure. Claude sends the fake letter to the boy mouse who, upon reading it, falls over in lust. By 7:55pm, the boy mouse drives to the trash can in the kitchen where he meets what he thinks is the girl mouse but is really a puppet being used by Claude to ensnare him. Upon seeing Claude, the boy mouse escapes with the puppet and knocks Claude out with the trash can lid. As the boy mouse sighs over both his failure and being deceived with the puppet, Claude writes another fake letter, this time sending it to the girl mouse's father. The letter itself delivers a warning apparently from the boy mouse that reads, "''Look you! I saw that apartment first, so get out - because I'm moving in!! The mouse across the way - P.S. or else!!''" The father mouse promptly grabs a revolver as if to say "we'll see about that!" while outside Claude puts out a sign that reads "Boarder Wanted" and draws the boy mouse's attention to it. Upon seeing it, the boy mouse packs his things and moves in. Claude positions himself so that he catches the fleeing boy mouse in his mouth, but his plan simultaneously succeeds when the boy mouse runs into his mouth and backfires when the father mouse shoots him in the face, allowing the boy mouse to escape. Determined not to let Claude get the better of him again, the boy mouse writes a fake letter of his own and sends it to him. The letter this time reads, "''Dear Cat (Pal) I've decided to give up my evil ways and be nice to you. Yours in Friendship, The Dog - P.S. How's about coming over for a game of
Canasta Canasta (; Spanish language, Spanish for "basket") is a card game of the rummy family of games believed to be a variant of 500 rum. Although many variations exist for two, three, five or six players, it is most commonly played by four in two par ...
?''" Claude falls for it and gets a huge beating from
Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...
(here named Butcher) when he tries to go over to his kennel for a card game. Meanwhile, the two young mice, having gotten Claude out of the way, raid the fridge and sip on some soda as the cartoon ends (with a heart-shaped iris out).


Home media

''Mouse-Warming'' is available as a bonus short on '' Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection'' DVD and Blu-ray set, uncut but unrestored. In November 2024, an uncut and restored version of ''Mouse-Warming'' was released on the '' Looney Tunes Collector's Choice: Volume 4'' Blu-Ray set.


References


External links

* {{Chuck Jones 1952 films Looney Tunes shorts 1950s Warner Bros. animated short films Films scored by Carl Stalling Short films directed by Chuck Jones Animated films about cats Animated films about mice Films with screenplays by Michael Maltese Claude Cat films 1952 animated short films