Conrad the Cat plays the part of a goofy deliveryman bringing a potted plant to a theater. After a series of mishaps involving the delivery of the plant, he stumbles onto a stage setting of a magician. He begins playing with the magician's props, first pulling a rabbit out of a hat, then getting in a fight with a gray bird which is about the same size as Conrad's thumb. The bird proceeds to make a fool out of Conrad. By the time the cartoon ends, the plant has wilted and died because the delivery has taken so long, and the flower pot is broken. Conrad ultimately trips and triggers a fall of seven more magician's top hats, thus releasing seven more gray birds to torment him. The character of Conrad is based on a comedian named Ben Blue, according to Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.
4 Reviews
Conrad the Cat, not the Brightest Bulb on Broadway
Eventuallyequalsalways28 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Conrad's bird trouble
TheLittleSongbird22 May 2018
Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.
Chuck Jones deserved, and still does deserve, his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special and he was responsible for some of the best cartoons ever made.
'The Bird Came C.O.D.' is not a particularly good representation of him, would even say it's one of his weaker cartoons from an on the most part solid period in his long career. It's watchable enough certainly, there's just little exceptional to it.
Starting with the positives, the animation is bright and colourful with fluid movement and beautifully detailed backgrounds. The music from the master Carl Stalling is even better, it's lushly and cleverly orchestrated, lively in energy and not only adds hugely to the action it even enhances it.
Found the bird to be a fun character, Mel Blanc's voice work to be as exuberant as ever and a few amusing moments.
However, it is not hard to see why Conrad was as short lived as he was, he is a very limited in personality character with little interesting or funny about him. As a result, the conflict doesn't properly come to life and Jones' usual wit and imagination are mostly lacking.
Story-wise, 'The Bird Came C.O.D' is paper thin and that there is not a lot of sharpness or energy makes that more noticeable and less forgivable. There are not enough laughs here, and very little wit, what there is is amusing at best but generally is stale and repetitive.
Overall, nothing special but far from a must avoid. Other Jones cartoons represent him better though. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Chuck Jones deserved, and still does deserve, his status as one of animation's most legendary, greatest and most important directors/animators. He may have lacked the outrageousness and wild wackiness of Bob Clampett and Tex Avery, but the visual imagination, wit and what he did with some of the best-known and most iconic characters ever were just as special and he was responsible for some of the best cartoons ever made.
'The Bird Came C.O.D.' is not a particularly good representation of him, would even say it's one of his weaker cartoons from an on the most part solid period in his long career. It's watchable enough certainly, there's just little exceptional to it.
Starting with the positives, the animation is bright and colourful with fluid movement and beautifully detailed backgrounds. The music from the master Carl Stalling is even better, it's lushly and cleverly orchestrated, lively in energy and not only adds hugely to the action it even enhances it.
Found the bird to be a fun character, Mel Blanc's voice work to be as exuberant as ever and a few amusing moments.
However, it is not hard to see why Conrad was as short lived as he was, he is a very limited in personality character with little interesting or funny about him. As a result, the conflict doesn't properly come to life and Jones' usual wit and imagination are mostly lacking.
Story-wise, 'The Bird Came C.O.D' is paper thin and that there is not a lot of sharpness or energy makes that more noticeable and less forgivable. There are not enough laughs here, and very little wit, what there is is amusing at best but generally is stale and repetitive.
Overall, nothing special but far from a must avoid. Other Jones cartoons represent him better though. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Maybe "Conrad" IS a cat in his other two cartoons . . .
oscaralbert8 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
. . . but the main character of THE BIRD CAME C.O.D. clearly is a male kangaroo. He makes his initial appearance hopping off an "Arctic Palms" (slogan: "Palms for all occasions") delivery truck in front of the Bijou Theater, and proceeds to hop around while making the sort of inane kangaroo noises that you'd expect from a Deplorable "Down Under" Critter. (By the by, these sounds emanate from the vocal cords of Pinto Colvig--NOT Mel Blanc, as wrongly credited on this site). The irritating 'Roo skipping around during THE BIRD CAME C.O.D. lacks any whiskers, and is totally beaten up by a gray sparrow (whom Sylvester Cat would have consumed in a New York Minute). It's hard to believe that ANYONE could take this lame palm transporter for a feline. This goes double for those who have been exposed to one or more of the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes featuring Hippety Hopper, ANOTHER kangaroo known to grate greatly upon most viewers nerves.
Only The Million Hare is worse.
rybread-235949 July 2022
This is one of only two Looney Tunes shorts I don't like. The other one is The Million Hare. This short is very boring and confusing, although it's at least funny (unfortunately, that ends once the plot starts up). Especially him falling off something. However, it's ultimately the better bad short by at least not expecting us to find the torture deserved, therefore not making it aggravating.
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