The Counterfeit Cat (1949)

The Counterfeit Cat poster

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Directed by:
 Tex Avery

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A cat is after a canary and disguises himself as a dog to get past a bulldog.

Cartoon Cat: This is one of those classically insane Tex Avery cartoons where pretty much anything goes. The basic premise is not unusual; an alley cat is hungry and wants to eat a canary he sees in a cage in a house.

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat hungry for canary bird

The cat soon learns a big bulldog also lives in the house.

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat held up by surprised bulldog

In order to fool the bulldog, the cat pulls off the top of the neighbor dog’s head and wears it like a wig, reciting, “Bow wow!”

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat wearing dog's head and ears

To sweeten the deal, the cat produces a seemingly endless supply of bones for the bulldog to bury in the backyard.

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat in dog disguise offering bulldog a bone

The bulldog allows his “dog” friend to kiss the canary but the bird ends up being sucked inside instead.

The Counterfeit Cat - canary bird trapped behind black cat's eyes

At one point the cat loses his “ears” and dons a mop by accident.

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat wearing mop on head with shocked bulldog

Eventually the bulldog figures out the cat’s trick and chases him off.

The Counterfeit Cat - bulldog confronts black cat while wearing dog ears

The cat proceeds to take back all of the bones, at which time the bulldog is happy to trade the bird for the bones.

The Counterfeit Cat - bulldog wants to trade canary for bones with black cat

In the end the bird flies away with the bones and the angry neighbor dog confronts the pair, pulling off the top of their heads and switching them.

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat and bulldog moving dog's ears from head to head animated gif

The Counterfeit Cat - black cat and bulldog wearing each other's heads

Final Mewsings: Cats will go to any lengths for birds in cartoons.


Relevant Links:

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