A Tale of Two Kitties is a 1942 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and features music by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on November 21, 1942, and features Tweety in his debut, who deliv…
A Tale of Two Kitties is a 1942 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and features music by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on November 21, 1942, and features Tweety in his debut, who delivers the line that would become his catchphrase: "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!"
Voice cast:
Mel Blanc as Tweety and Catstello
Tedd Pierce as Babbit
Production notes:
This short subject is notable for being Tweety's debut, although the bird was known as Orson in this short, according to the staff. The cartoon was also the first appearance of Babbit and Catstello, based on the popular comedy duo Abbott and Costello. The title is an obvious pun on the Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities.
Even in this initial appearance, Tweety reveals early on that his cute appearance masks a willingness to be merciless, even sadistic, towards anyone who threatens him. After slipping one of the cats a bomb which explodes (offscreen), the bird remarks, "Aw, da poor putty tat — he cwushed his widdow head!" Followed by a big grin. (This line was patterned after a catchphrase from a Red Skelton character, and would be used in other Warner cartoons, such as Easter Yeggs.) This is one of the few Tweety shorts that did not feature his main antagonist Sylvester, who would make his official debut in Life with Feathers (1945).
A Tale of Two Kitties is remarkable for a clearly adult reference in 1942. Catstello, breaking the fourth wall, takes a direct shot at the Hays Office, making a thinly-veiled reference to giving the middle finger.
The short was reissued as a Blue Ribbon cartoon on July 31, 1948. Associated Artists Productions acquired the short's distribution rights for television. United Artists, the successor of A.A.P.'s ownership, failed to renew the copyright in time in 1970, so the short is now in the public domain in the United States. As such, it can be found on bootleg home video VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray sets.
