Credits:
Supervision by - Rudolf Ising
Drawn by - Isadore Freleng, Thomas McKimson
Musical Score by - Frank Marsales
Summary:
When the cat's away,
the mice will play. When the cat returns, the mice go beserk in their
unified offensive against the cat.
Description:
It's nearly 3 a.m.
in a music store as a mouse sneaks out of his hole and past a baited mouse
trap. When the nearby grandfather clock strikes, the startled mouse hurries
back to his hole but gets his tail caught in the trap. After freeing himself
and realizing that there is no danger, the mouse lifts the cheese from
the trap and makes his way across the room. He skips across a xylophone,
gets on a table top through a tuba, slides down from the table via cello,
then bounces off a drum and lands on the crank of a phonograph. The record
starts playing, and the mouse yells "Okay fellas, on with the dance!".
Dozens of mice emerge from holes, including one referred to as "grandpappy",
whose crutches enable him to spin around when a smaller mouse runs under
him. Several mice dance around the spinning record (which is playing the
title tune, naturally), and a few even try to dance on it. One
of those mice is spun off the record and onto the floor, but then uses
a metronome to fling himself back on. That mouse is flung off again, and
this time lands in a clarinet, where a miniature of himself falls out
of each hole and onto a drum below. The mice dance on the drum, while
nearby another mouse plays the flute with the help of five other mice
sitting on the holes. Next, the chorus line of mice from Hold Anything return
to do their bit. One of those mice falls into a vase of water, prompting
the other mice to laugh at him. The drenched mouse razzes them then blows
a sour note on a tuba before dancing by the window. Unbeknownst to the
mouse, a large cat is watching through the window and licking his chops.
Two mice dance on the piano as the cat watches from the skylight. The
cat slides down the chimney and tries to sneak across the room, but a
nearby cuckoo clock almost gives him away before the cat swallows the
bird inside. The cat continues his approach, though an occasional "cuckoo!"
emanates from his insides. One of the mice hears the cuckoo just before
the cat pounces on him, but the cat manages to chase him into a corner.
The mouse reprises the title tune (throwing in a few "Mammy!"s),
and begs the other mice to "give this cat the works". The other
mice begin their offensive strike, shooting drum sticks at him using a
violin bow and harp strings, and burning the cat's bottom with a blow
torch. The cat nearly knocks himself out on a bass drum, while another
mouse takes advantage of the cat's daze by blowing a party favor in his
rear. Other mice use the phonograph to shoot needles at the poor cat,
who finally escapes his torment by leaping through the window and out
into the distance. The mice cheer their victory.
Notes:
- The animation of
the mouse chorus line is reused from Hold Anything.
Memorable
Scenes:
Video
Availability:
VHS: Inside
Termite Terrace, Vol. 3
Laserdisc: Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 5
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