Sylvester and his son, Sylvester Jr., live in the city dump eating out of garbage cans and barely getting by. Junior decides enough's enough so he sets out to find them a real home. The first house he comes to, a fat lady happily takes the cute little kitten in. But she has no interest in taking in Sylvester. So she beats the daylights out of him with a broom and chases him off. Sylvester tries one thing after another to get into the house with each attempt ending in painful failure. The animation is crude but works better than a lot of '60s Looney Tunes shorts. Mel Blanc's terrific as usual. Nancy Wible is very funny as the loud fat lady. There's a hysterical bit where Sylvester climbs into the lady's TV and sings a cat food commercial. Also love Super Puss. Of course, the abuse Sylvester suffers is great fun to watch. One of the better Looney Tunes shorts from the '60s and a good one for Sylvester, in particular.
7 Reviews
Fighting for a home
TheLittleSongbird4 February 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.
'Claws in the Lease', as was said with 'Fish and Slips' from the previous year, is not one of Robert McKimson's best overall and there are better Sylvester and Junior cartoons. To me though, it is somewhere in the top middle of his later efforts. His late period saw some pretty weak cartoons (though nowhere near as bad-faring as the worst of Alex Lovy and Rudy Larriva), in what was in all fairness a patchy decade, particularly the latter part, generally for Looney Tunes. So seeing a cartoon that was pretty decent for that decade was pleasing.
Again, like 'Fish and Slips', which has the same strengths and faults on the whole, 'Claws in the League' is imperfect. The story is pretty simplistic and predictable and budget limitations and time constraints is sometimes evident in some roughness here and there in the animation. The second has a little more momentum and funnier material than the first half, due to the main plot properly kicking in.
There is a lot to enjoy though. The plot is fairly standard but has tremendous energy and enough freshness and amusement to keep one interested.
Gags are never less than amusing and lots of fun, the chemistry between Sylvester and the Hillbilly woman actually seeing some hilarious moments even, while the dialogue has a good amount of sharpness and wit. Have always liked Sylvester and Junior together, they are a funny pair and there is also heart to their relationship. That can be seen in 'Claws in the Lease' even if it has been stronger in their earlier cartoons.
Junior is amusing and avoids being too cutesy. The more interesting and funnier character is Sylvester, he takes the laughs to very funny effect and is suitably cunning but one roots for him too. The hillbilly woman steals the show though, her interaction with Sylvester is so much fun to watch and Nancy Wible seems to be having a ball voicing her.
While not perfect, the animation could have been so much worse considering the period. It is very colourful and there is fluidity and detail here, though there clearly wasn't the budget or time to be more imaginative or elaborate.
Bill Lava was no Milt Franklyn or especially Carl Stalling, but this is actually a pretty lively and appealing music score for him that doesn't sound cheap or discordant. He did far worse in the cartoons from 1965 onwards, especially for the Daffy and Speedy series and that for Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.
Mel Blanc very rarely put a foot wrong, he was an unequalled master at giving individuality to more than one (often multiple) character, always sounded like he was having fun and never phoned it in when his material was weak. As ever he is outstanding and clearly was enjoying himself a lot, helped by that his dialogue allowed him to do so. Wible though is even better as said already.
In summary, pretty good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
'Claws in the Lease', as was said with 'Fish and Slips' from the previous year, is not one of Robert McKimson's best overall and there are better Sylvester and Junior cartoons. To me though, it is somewhere in the top middle of his later efforts. His late period saw some pretty weak cartoons (though nowhere near as bad-faring as the worst of Alex Lovy and Rudy Larriva), in what was in all fairness a patchy decade, particularly the latter part, generally for Looney Tunes. So seeing a cartoon that was pretty decent for that decade was pleasing.
Again, like 'Fish and Slips', which has the same strengths and faults on the whole, 'Claws in the League' is imperfect. The story is pretty simplistic and predictable and budget limitations and time constraints is sometimes evident in some roughness here and there in the animation. The second has a little more momentum and funnier material than the first half, due to the main plot properly kicking in.
There is a lot to enjoy though. The plot is fairly standard but has tremendous energy and enough freshness and amusement to keep one interested.
Gags are never less than amusing and lots of fun, the chemistry between Sylvester and the Hillbilly woman actually seeing some hilarious moments even, while the dialogue has a good amount of sharpness and wit. Have always liked Sylvester and Junior together, they are a funny pair and there is also heart to their relationship. That can be seen in 'Claws in the Lease' even if it has been stronger in their earlier cartoons.
Junior is amusing and avoids being too cutesy. The more interesting and funnier character is Sylvester, he takes the laughs to very funny effect and is suitably cunning but one roots for him too. The hillbilly woman steals the show though, her interaction with Sylvester is so much fun to watch and Nancy Wible seems to be having a ball voicing her.
While not perfect, the animation could have been so much worse considering the period. It is very colourful and there is fluidity and detail here, though there clearly wasn't the budget or time to be more imaginative or elaborate.
Bill Lava was no Milt Franklyn or especially Carl Stalling, but this is actually a pretty lively and appealing music score for him that doesn't sound cheap or discordant. He did far worse in the cartoons from 1965 onwards, especially for the Daffy and Speedy series and that for Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.
Mel Blanc very rarely put a foot wrong, he was an unequalled master at giving individuality to more than one (often multiple) character, always sounded like he was having fun and never phoned it in when his material was weak. As ever he is outstanding and clearly was enjoying himself a lot, helped by that his dialogue allowed him to do so. Wible though is even better as said already.
In summary, pretty good. 7/10 Bethany Cox
Warner Bros.' crack team of investigative animators . . .
oscaralbert10 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
. . . dig up the dirt on America's Soily Secret then and today: the USA's rodent infestation. When a caped "Sylvester: SuperPuss" decides to confront CLAWS IN THE LEASE's stout naked lady (representing ALL American homemakers) with the Truth about our Homeland harboring 10,000 rodents per human being, the mouse hordes show the pair (along with Sylvester, Junior) where to go, and it isn't a pleasant place. CLAWS IN THE LEASE juxtaposes a typical American residential neighborhood cheek by jowl with an open-air city dump, to which the trio of non-rodent characters are evicted by the mouse masses. This is the animators' way of warning the USA that our homes are infested with more rodents per square foot than our landfills. Our food production facilities, such as the "Acme Cheese Plant" (think a Chipotle supplier of Today), are even worse. It will take a religious fervor to eradicate this Mouse Menace, CLAWS IN THE LEASE suggests. America's leading worship outfit obviously is not up to this task, as one of its most famous verses--"'Twas the Night Before Christmas"--assumes and accepts mice as part of an everyday household (even after a holiday clean-up!). And the new kid on the block, religiously speaking, hates dogs--NOT rodents! Warner asks, "America, Whence Comes Thy Relief?" (Hint: Certainly NOT from the "House of Mouse"!)
Funny little short
bob the moo3 January 2004
Sylvester and his son live in the city dump, barely scraping a living off the bones and dregs that others throw away. Eager to get them both a better live, his son sets out to find a home - something that is easy for a cute little kitten like him but not so easy as mangy old Sylvester.
The basic plot offers no great potential, and the film just stutter until Jnr gets up to go and find a home, although there are some good moments in this setting up stage. Once in the home Sylvester finds himself on the losing end of a battle to get into the home with his son when the owner clearly only wants a little cute kitten and not a big cat. While it isn't hilarious, it is different enough and has enough imagination to do a good job.
Sylvester and son are both good characters and do good work here. The woman in the house is unpleasant both to listen to and look at, but I think that was the point! The three work well together, although it is hard not to feel sorry for Sylvester - I'd rather take in the cute kitten as well! But what sort of a son is Jnr who doesn't just accept that this home won't have them and try the next door (having tried all of one so far!)
Overall a different little cartoon that is enjoyable without being hilarious and has a good punchline at the end.
The basic plot offers no great potential, and the film just stutter until Jnr gets up to go and find a home, although there are some good moments in this setting up stage. Once in the home Sylvester finds himself on the losing end of a battle to get into the home with his son when the owner clearly only wants a little cute kitten and not a big cat. While it isn't hilarious, it is different enough and has enough imagination to do a good job.
Sylvester and son are both good characters and do good work here. The woman in the house is unpleasant both to listen to and look at, but I think that was the point! The three work well together, although it is hard not to feel sorry for Sylvester - I'd rather take in the cute kitten as well! But what sort of a son is Jnr who doesn't just accept that this home won't have them and try the next door (having tried all of one so far!)
Overall a different little cartoon that is enjoyable without being hilarious and has a good punchline at the end.
Sure to stir the prurient interest of younger boys . . .
pixrox131 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
. . . role model Sylvester gets abused in the bathroom by a stranger lady. "Sitophilia" is the term for having intimate relations with food, but it's hard to find the appropriate verb for a bare-brass broad who uses a gent for her bath towel and\or mat. If you're a young adult with tastes on the kinky side, CLAWS IN THE LEASE may be just the ticket to funky town for you. However, you may want to think twice before exposing an impressionable young urchin to this somewhat sordid film.
Cat Food Commercial
Guitar-84 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This happens to the the best Sylvester/Sylvester Jr. cartoon short of them all! Myy favorite part was when Sylvester sneaked into the house & hid behind the television. Then he broke into song, singing this silly jingle.
"{{issykins Cat Food tastes real good. Satisfies cats like a cat food should. Hardens their muscles, soften their fur, Pussykins Cat Food makes them purr!" The woman threw Sylvester out in the window!
My other favorite part was when Sylvester loads up the house with mice to earn his keep. Then he wears a superhero outfit as Super Puss to get rid of the mice.. But the mice gets rid of him, his son & the fat woman!
"{{issykins Cat Food tastes real good. Satisfies cats like a cat food should. Hardens their muscles, soften their fur, Pussykins Cat Food makes them purr!" The woman threw Sylvester out in the window!
My other favorite part was when Sylvester loads up the house with mice to earn his keep. Then he wears a superhero outfit as Super Puss to get rid of the mice.. But the mice gets rid of him, his son & the fat woman!
Very Funny!
jfm31 September 2001
The thing that makes this Sylvester & Junior cartoon so funny is the mean-spirited,hillbilly lady that takes Junior in but makes it clear that Sylvester is NOT welcome. Hitting him with brooms, throwing him out the window,(I guess she didn't like his cat food commercial imitation.) and pounding him on the head after his mouse infestation plan backfires(after she pounds him in the head,it made a funny sound.....was that a guitar?).....Her singing of "Home on the Range" is hilarious. ...Is she supposed to be like a Marjorie Main or something.
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