The Lyin' Mouse
| The Lyin' Mouse | |
|---|---|
| Merrie Melodies series | |
 Blue Ribbon reissue card | |
| Directed by | Friz Freleng, as I. Freleng |
| Produced by | Leon Schlesinger (uncredited in reissue) |
| Story by | Tedd Pierce |
| Voices by | Mel Blanc, Billy Bletcher (both uncredited) |
| Music by | Carl Stalling |
| Animation by | Ken Harris |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Cartoons |
| Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures The Vitaphone Corporation |
| Release date(s) | October 17, 1937 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 7 minutes |
| Language | English |
The Lyin' Mouse is a 1937 Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. It is the first to give story credit, in this case, to Tedd Pierce. This is also odd as Ken Harris is animating for another director besides Chuck Jones.
The cartoon was reissued in late 1945. The current print on TV is the blue ribbon reissue with the 1995 dubbed version at the end with the 1947-49 rings as it was reissued crediting A WARNER BROS. CARTOON.
Plot
A mouse is trying to free himself from a trap when a cat arrives. The mouse, desperate to avoid being eaten, asks if the cat has heard the story of "The Lion And The Mouse." He tells a story about a ferocious lion in the jungle who scares all the animals; the mouse has a horn that imitates the lion's roar, and has some fun with it until the lion catches him. The mouse pleads for his life, and the lion, distracted by a bigger catch, agrees. The bigger catch is a trap set by the Frank Cluck expedition; the lion avoids the first trap, but falls for the second, and find himself in a circus lion-taming act (where he put his head inside the tamer's mouth). The mouse happens by, and chews a lion-shaped hole in the lion's wooden cart/cage, setting him free. Back to the cat: moved by this story, he releases the mouse. Just before entering his hole, the mouse yells one last word at the cat: "Sucker!". The cat shrugs and says "Well, can you imagine that." as the cartoon irises out.
Availability
This cartoon is only available on Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection in its Blue Ribbon reissue with the 1995 dubbed rings at the end.