#49 -- The Last Hungry Cat

Title - The Last Hungry Cat

Director - Friz Freleng

Released - 1961

Interesting Fact -- The only Warner Bros. short released to make reference to Alfred Hitchcock

Reason for Placement --

Ever wondered what would happen if Sylvester ever caught Tweety?  In The Last Hungry Cat, Sylvester finds himself in a parody of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".  While trying to grab Tweety from his cage, Sylvester trips and falls down, allowing Tweety to escape.  However, one of his yellow feathers lands on the cat's lips, making him think he swallowed the bird.  As he makes his way back home, the narrator fills Sylvester's head with guilt, causing the poor cat to pretty much suffer from a nervous breakdown.  

This was a real unique approach to the Sylvester/Tweety shorts.  Instead of the usual chases and traps, we get a bit more of a mature style and story that, honestly, I don't think a lot of younger kids would get.  To them, it would be hard to understand why Sylvester would feel guilty over killing the canary that he spent years chasing.  Speaking of that, it's also interesting that Tweety is hardly in this piece, it's mostly a vehicle for Sylvester to star.  Regardless, this is a clever idea, and a great caricature of one of the most brilliant filmmakers in the history of cinema.