Favourite Porky/Sylvester

[oceansoul]

I'm personally a very big fan of the Chuck Jones Porky/Sylvester trilogy, and also think that these cartoons heavily influenced the making of the Courage the cowardly dog series (which is my personal fav from the modern era).

The biggest fav. of mine is Claws for Alarm. This has inferior animation compared to Scaredy cat (more like a Chuck Jones-type world), but the plot and the gags are spooky and hilarious at the same time. Jumpin' Jupiter is also a sweet cartoon, I love the addition of the martian.

[Matt the Y]

"Scaredy Cat", being one of the all-time greatest cartoons ever made, easily gets my vote. Still, I can also easily say I like all three.

[Thad]

"Kitty Kornered".

[Tom G]

Youch! That's a tough one. Scaredy Cat wins by one claw.

[oceansoul]

"Kitty Kornered".

Well, yeah, but it's different, not the part of the trilogy.

Btw. is Kitty kornered the maiden Sylvester cartoon from Clampett?

[Sogturtle]

Well, yeah, but it's different, not the part of the trilogy.

Btw. is Kitty kornered the maiden Sylvester cartoon from Clampett?

Oceansoul~

"Kitty Kornered" is the ONLY Sylvester cartoon by Bob Clampett. [One other was started but abandoned with his exit].

[Marty26]

Oceansoul~

"Kitty Kornered" is the ONLY Sylvester cartoon by Bob Clampett. [One other was started but abandoned with his exit].

Clampett was planning another Sylvester short before his departure? Could you please explain?

Anyway, all three are great cartoons. But I ultimately had to go with Claws For Alarm. Sure, Scaredy Cat had better animation and Jumpin' Jupiter had some cool background designs. But Claws For Alarm ultimately had the best gags and funniest use of Sylvester.

And who could forget:

Oh, Give Me A Home
Where The Buffalo Roam
And The Dear And The Antilope Pl -
And The Dear And The Antilope Pl-
And The Dear And The Antilope Pl-
And The Dear And The Antilope Pl-
...
:ham:

[Daffysleftfoot]

"Kitty Kornered" is the ONLY Sylvester cartoon by Bob Clampett. [One other was started but abandoned with his exit].

Did Friz Freleng finish it perchance? :)

[Sogturtle]

Clampett was planning another Sylvester short before his departure? Could you please explain?
Did Friz Freleng finish it perchance? :)

Marty26 and Daffysleftfoot~

Yes it's very true... Bob Clampett was indeed planning another cartoon using Freleng's Sylvester, when Bob abruply (ahem) "left" (so much for his tales of leaving voluntarily;)). A number of members of his former unit stated that it was already in an early stage of production. And what's more, he was pairing Sylvester and Tweety in it:sylvester:eek:. Thus with Bob fired, the fate of his several unfinished cartoons hung in the balance. Warners immediately appointed Artie Davis to replace him and pressured him to finish the TWO cartoons that were in actual production. The Clampett-ian Sylvester cartoon was thus abandoned totally.

BUT as a caveat to it all, Friz Freleng admitted that he had been wanting Tweety. In point of fact, Tweety was probably what Friz was referring to when he said that he "liked SOME of the things Bobby did". Sooooo since Clampett had TEMPORARILY borrowed his Sylvester, then Friz just reciprocated and borrowed Tweety...for the next eighteen years!:D

[Since Clampett had STARTED his cartoon with Sylvester and Tweety, and then Friz created one also pairing the two, which then won Warner's first Oscar, then Clampett did his best to CLAIM it. Such is not the case! Take one look at "Tweetie Pie" and tell me if you see one whit of Clampett anywhere in its design, story, humor or direction... Clampett it "ain't", Freleng it is!:tweety:].

[Daffysleftfoot]

Well, in the commentary for Tweetie Pie on Vol. 2, Greg Ford makes the comment "Ah, this is more like a Clampett Tweety" at the point when l'il Orson is carrying all those logs to the fireplace. That's certainly not enough for Clampett to claim ownership, it moreso just shows that Tweety is indeed a Clampett creation.

[Sogturtle]

Well, in the commentary for Tweetie Pie on Vol. 2, Greg Ford makes the comment "Ah, this is more like a Clampett Tweety" at the point when l'il Orson is carrying all those logs to the fireplace. That's certainly not enough for Clampett to claim ownership, it moreso just shows that Tweety is indeed a Clampett creation.

Daffysleftfoot~

Yeah I agree... And Friz would have had to use the Clampett version of Tweety as a "template" of how the character should/would act, until he got his own full bearings with the little yeller critter. :)

[Chow Hound]

I like Claws for Alarm best, but Jumpin' Jupiter is a close second (and Scaredy Cat a very close third). I can't wait until this trilogy is complete on the LTGCs.

[Leviathan]

My Favorite Porky/Sylvester Cartoon: The Scarlet Pumpernickel, with Kitty Kornered in Second and Scaredy Cat in Third.

[oceansoul]

Btw. I always wondered why Jones used Sylvester in this series, instead of his own golden boy Claude? The personalities are same, the animation also similar except the colors of course (Sylvester has the same bushy tale for example).

If Claude cat had played in these cartoons, he could have bigger fame now IMO.

[oceansoul]

Daffysleftfoot~

Yeah I agree... And Friz would have had to use the Clampett version of Tweety as a "template" of how the character should/would act, until he got his own full bearings with the little yeller critter. :)

I think before Canary Row, the Freleng Tweety was not much different from the Clampett Tweety. The addition of Granny ruined the character a lot.:(

[The Spectre]

Btw. I always wondered why Jones used Sylvester in this series, instead of his own golden boy Claude? The personalities are same, the animation also similar except the colors of course (Sylvester has the same bushy tale for example).

If Claude cat had played in these cartoons, he could have bigger fame now IMO.

When did Claude first appear in all his yellow glory? I don't think it was until some time after "Scaredy Cat" was made.

[oceansoul]

When did Claude first appear in all his yellow glory? I don't think it was until some time after "Scaredy Cat" was made.

Mmmm, I don't know exactly, Mouse wreckers maybe.

[Matthew Hunter]

Really hard to choose, I love all three of these, but "Scaredy Cat" (at least the unedited version!) is probably the best of them.

As for Claude, "Mouse Wreckers" (1949) is regarded as the first appearance of Claude, but Jones had been fooling around with the character for about 5 years before that cartoon. "The Aristo-Cat" (1943), "Fin N' Catty" (1943) Roughly Squeaking" (1946) all have virtually the same character, he's just black rather than yellow. There's also a cat in Bob Clampett's "An Itch in Time" ('43) who shares the eventual Claude's voice and neurotic personality...but at least Claude never shot himself!

"Scaredy Cat" was, I believe, released the same year as "Mouse Wreckers", and Sylvester was a pretty strong pre-existing character. Jones clearly intended to use Sylvester. Even more fascinating, it's the first cartoon to give Sylvester his name. (Most likely because Freleng's choice, "Thomas", was already being used by a certain gray cat over at MGM.)

[Douglas E.]

My favorite is Scaredy Cat, although I like Claws for Alarm too. Jumpin' Jupiter is good but my least favorite.

-Doug :sylvester:ham:

[HannaBarberaFan]

BOB McKIMSON's "BOOBS IN THE WOODS" hands down.

[Saranczuk]

I'm not really a big fan of the Porky/Sylvester pairing. I find the cartoons to be rather boring compared to Daffy/Porky.

[oceansoul]

I'm not really a big fan of the Porky/Sylvester pairing. I find the cartoons to be rather boring compared to Daffy/Porky.

Calling the Porky/Sylvester cartoons boring is much like calling the Indy 500 race slow paced. :D

BOB McKIMSON's "BOOBS IN THE WOODS" hands down.

The Sylvester part of the toon might have been edited out... ;)

[HannaBarberaFan]

The Sylvester part of the toon might have been edited out... ;)

Ah, VERY swift & observant you are....it was, in fact, a TRICK ANSWER!:D

Plus I was conversing with a friend about DAFFY/PORKY vignettes whilst typing that, and the McKimson vignette was what was on my mind at the time....

\MY **ACTUAL FACTUAL ENTRY** is, in fact, The SCARLET PUMPERNICKEL!

[Comicfan]

I like "Claws", if only for the ending with all the mean little eyes peaking out from underneath the car's dashboard.

[coyote]

I think all three ("Scaredy Cat", "Claws For Alarm" and "Jumpin' Jupiter" ) are terrific: Great premise, great gags, and a great team (a very different Sylvester from the one who pursues Tweety, and a very different Porky from the one who is Daffy's sidekick).

But I'd take Jumpin Jupiter as my favorite because of the western setting, the martian character, the single funniest moment of any of the trilogy (where sylvester pulls his nose out to look like the martian) and the ending, which is one of the great iris outs of all time.

[oceansoul]

Btw don't you guys think this series was a big inspiration for Couarge the cowardly dog? The premise (especially in the first episodes like Katz motel) is very much like the Porky/Sylvesters.

[scewy]

Marty26 and Daffysleftfoot~

Yes it's very true... Bob Clampett was indeed planning another cartoon using Freleng's Sylvester, when Bob abruply (ahem) "left" (so much for his tales of leaving voluntarily;)). A number of members of his former unit stated that it was already in an early stage of production. And what's more, he was pairing Sylvester and Tweety in it:sylvester:eek:. Thus with Bob fired, the fate of his several unfinished cartoons hung in the balance. Warners immediately appointed Artie Davis to replace him and pressured him to finish the TWO cartoons that were in actual production. The Clampett-ian Sylvester cartoon was thus abandoned totally.

BUT as a caveat to it all, Friz Freleng admitted that he had been wanting Tweety. In point of fact, Tweety was probably what Friz was referring to when he said that he "liked SOME of the things Bobby did". Sooooo since Clampett had TEMPORARILY borrowed his Sylvester, then Friz just reciprocated and borrowed Tweety...for the next eighteen years!:D

[Since Clampett had STARTED his cartoon with Sylvester and Tweety, and then Friz created one also pairing the two, which then won Warner's first Oscar, then Clampett did his best to CLAIM it. Such is not the case! Take one look at "Tweetie Pie" and tell me if you see one whit of Clampett anywhere in its design, story, humor or direction... Clampett it "ain't", Freleng it is!:tweety:].






Is the first Freleng :sylvester and :tweety: cartoon the one where :sylvester is called Thomas.

[Matt the Y]

Is the first Freleng :sylvester and :tweety: cartoon the one where :sylvester is called Thomas.

Yes... yes, it is. That cartoon is the Oscar-winning "Tweetie Pie" [1947] and Sylvester is, in fact, named "Thomas" in that cartoon (makes one wonder how serious the staff was at the time for finding a solid name for this unnamed but soon to become star character).