Gay Purr-ee (1962)

Director:

Abe Levitow

Writers:

Dorothy Jones (written by) &
Chuck Jones (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Musical

Tagline:

Vive La Fun!... Vive La Joy!... Vive La Judy!...

Plot:

Mouser Jaone Tom and housecat Mewsette are living in the French country side, but Mewsette wants to...

Plot Keywords:

Cancan Dance | Moulin Rouge | Anthropomorphic Animal | Surrealism | Toulouse Lautrec

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Mewsette (voice)
Robert Goulet	...	Jaune-Tom (voice)
Red Buttons	...	Robespierre (voice)
Paul Frees	...	Meowrice (voice)
Hermione Gingold	...	Mme. Rubens-Chatte (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Morey Amsterdam	...	Narrator (voice)
Julie Bennett	...	(voice)
Mel Blanc	...	Bulldog (voice)
June Foray	...	(voice)
Joan Gardner	...	(voice)
Thurl Ravenscroft	...	Singer "The Money Cat" (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Abe Levitow

Writing credits
Dorothy Jones		(written by) &
Chuck Jones		(written by)
Ralph Wright		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Lee Orgel	....	associate producer
Henry G. Saperstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mort Lindsey		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Earl Bennett
Sam Horta

Production Design by
Ray Aragon
Corny Cole		(as 'Corny' Cole)
Ed Levitt		(as Edward Levitt)
Ernie Nordli		(as Ernest Nordli)
Bob Singer		(as Robert Singer)
Dick Ung		(as Richard Ung)

Art Direction by
Victor Haboush

Production Management
Paul Carlson	....	production manager
Earl Jonas	....	production manager

Camera and Electrical Department
Roy Hutchcroft	....	camera operator
Duane Keegan	....	camera operator
J. Dan Miller	....	camera operator (as Dan Miller)
Jack Stevens	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Hal Ambro	....	animator
Steve Clark	....	sequence director
Arthur Davis	....	animator (as Art Davis)
Phil Duncan	....	animator
Ken Harris	....	animator
Bob Inman	....	color stylist (as Robert Inman)
Volus Jones	....	animator
Dick Kelsey	....	color stylist (as Richard Kelsey)
Don Lusk	....	animator
Fred Madison	....	animator
Grace McCurdy	....	checking supervisor
Phill Norman	....	color stylist (as Phil Norman)
Ray Patterson	....	animator
Don Peters	....	color stylist
Grant Simmons	....	animator
Hank Smith	....	animator
Irven Spence	....	animator (as Irv Spence)
Harvey Toombs	....	animator
Ben Washam	....	animator
Gloria Wood	....	color stylist

Editorial Department
Ted Baker	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Harold Arlen	....	songs: music by
E.Y. Harburg	....	songs: lyrics by
Wayne Hughes	....	music editor
Joseph J. Lilley	....	vocal arranger
Mort Lindsey	....	conductor
Mort Lindsey	....	music arranger
George Probert	....	music editor

Other crew
John Hitesman	....	titles

Production Companies

• United Productions of America (UPA)
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #20233) | USA:G (re-rating) | Finland:S

Company:

United Productions of America (UPA)

Trivia:

Chuck Jones had been under an exclusive contract with Warner Bros., and worked on this film in violation of his contract. After Warner Bros. picked up the film from UPA for distribution, they discovered his work on the film and fired him, resulting in his departure for MGM.

Quotes:

Jeanette:[to her sister] But darling, think of Paris! Lovely, gay Paris! Have you forgotten the sidewalk cafés and how we sipped champagne?
Mewsette:Champagne? That must be what they call catnip in Paris. How nice!
Jeanette:...the button champignons sautéed in butter with tiny shreds of herbs...
Mewsette:I know what they are - mushrooms! And delicious, too!
Jeanette:And oh, my dear, the Champs-Elysées!
Mewsette:Champs-Elysées? I wonder what they taste like.

Movie Connections:

References Moulin Rouge (1952)

Soundtrack:

The Money Cat

"Roses red, violets blue, let me make this clear to you..."

There are a few excellent points about this movie. Garland's voice sounds great here. The animation is quite unique, in that most of the backgrounds and such look like something out of an Impressionist painting, and are very beautiful. Red Buttons is very cute as Jaune-Tom's (Robert Goulet) small sidekick. The Harburg/Arlen songs are excellent, and they work nearly as well with Judy here as they did in The Wizard of Oz (1939), that marvel that truly started her entire career. The story is a little low on magic, but is pretty charming, and small children will like it. All in all, a treat for fans of Garland, Goulet, Harburg and Arlen, and original animation style.