Odor-able Kitty
Odor-able Kitty is an animated short, directed by Chuck Jones and first released on 6 January 1945. It is notable as the first appearance of Pepé Le Pew.[1][2] The scriptwriter was Tedd Pierce. Chuck Jones, a co-creator for the character, also credited Michael Maltese with contributing to the character concept.[3]
Plot
The short opens to the tale of a stray tomcat who is constantly abused and attacked by both humans and dogs. With the initial intention of driving away his tormentors, the unnamed cat disguises himself as a skunk. He uses paint to achieve the coloration, and a mix of garlic, Limburger, and onions to emulate the odor of a skunk. In his new guise, he slyly achieves revenge over his foes.[1][2]
At this point, a real skunk with a French accent notices him and starts pursuing him with amorous intent. A farcical tale of romance follows, and the cat learns to appreciate his previous life. The final scenes reveal that the male skunk who served as his unwanted suitor already has a wife and kids and is not French at all. The unfaithful husband is violently confronted by his spouse.[1][2]
Analysis
The film is not part of the typical formula for the Pepe Le Pew series of cartoons, since the character is "unknowingly" attracted to a male cat. Most of the films in the series are "Picaresque stories of seduction and sexual conquest or its failure".[3] Part of the film's twist ending is that Pepe is revealed as an American skunk who fakes his French accent. Given the theme of a married man/skunk attempting the seduction of another male, Ken Jennings suggests this film could be of interest to queer studies. Jennings sees the cat as a cross-dresser.[4]
Sources
- Jennings, Ken (2008), Ken Jennings's Trivia Almanac: 7,777 Questions in 365 Days , Random House, ISBN 978-0345504722
- Thompson, Kirsten Moana (1998), "Notes", in Sandler, Kevin S., Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation, Rutgers University Press, ISBN 978-0813525389