Chuck Jones has been accused in his career for being too cutesy, too Disneyesque, lacking the flamboyance and loonyness for Looney Tunes. His earliest directorial efforts gave these critics some credence. And, I suppose, you could judge this cartoon the same way. It is cute, certainly. Loony? Not too much. But it is one of those shorts that have added to the legacy of the Warner Bros. cartoons from this era, combining richness, artistry and humor like no one has ever been able to equal.
In Feed the Kitty, we have Marc Anthony, a big hulking bull of a dog, who falls head over heals for this adorable little kitty. This situation, in anyone else's hands, would have us either grabbing the hankies, or hugging the nearest toilet bowl. But Jones and his most frequent collaborator, writer Michael Maltese, have managed to integrate slapstick into this situation that gives more depth to the love this dog feels for this cat than any seven minute short should have a right to do.
In Feed the Kitty, we have Marc Anthony, a big hulking bull of a dog, who falls head over heals for this adorable little kitty. This situation, in anyone else's hands, would have us either grabbing the hankies, or hugging the nearest toilet bowl. But Jones and his most frequent collaborator, writer Michael Maltese, have managed to integrate slapstick into this situation that gives more depth to the love this dog feels for this cat than any seven minute short should have a right to do.