Here Today, Gone Tamale (1959)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Michael Maltese (story)

Release Date:

29 August 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Animation | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Sylvester Cat won't allow starving Mexican mice access to a cache of cheeses on a ship and prompts a challenge by Speedy Gonzales...

Plot Keywords:

Sylvester | Ship | Guillotine | Speedy Gonzales | Starvation

Cast

Mel Blanc

...

Speedy Gonzales / Sylvester / Mice (voice)

Runtime:

USA:6 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

not gone tamale (or ever)

Once again, Mexico's rodents call upon Speedy Gonzales to fetch them cheese from Sylvester. In this case, the cheese arrives on a ship that Sylvester is guarding. And of course, no matter what kind of trap Sylvester sets, Speedy uses it against Sylvester (including something involving Limburger cheese). What makes "Here Today, Gone Tamale" particularly interesting is what Sylvester does at the end.

One thing about these cartoons is that I actually find them funnier nowadays than when I was younger, as I not only understand the characters' personalities (Bugs Bunny is an acerbic New Yorker, Daffy Duck is a blow-hard, etc) and what the cartoons were spoofing ("Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century" was spoofing sci-fi flicks), but also what the titles were spoofing; it speaks for itself in this case. But that's just a side note. It's a really funny cartoon.