Gay Purr-ee

Last updated
Gay Purr-ee
Gay Puree DVD cover.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Abe Levitow
Written byDorothy Jones
Chuck Jones
Produced by Henry G. Saperstein
Lee Orgel
Starring Judy Garland
Robert Goulet
Red Buttons
Hermione Gingold
Paul Frees
Mel Blanc
Edited byEarl Bennett
Sam Horta
Music by Harold Arlen
Production
company
UPA
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • October 24, 1962 (1962-10-24)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Gay Purr-ee is a 1962 American animated musical film produced by United Productions of America and released by Warner Bros. It features the voice of Judy Garland as Mewsette, a feline living in the French countryside wanting to go to Paris in her only animated-film role, as well as Robert Goulet in his first feature film as her love interest Jaune Tom. While the film did received positive reviews, in reality, it was a box office failure. It is also the first animated feature film to be theatrically released by Warner Bros, and the second and final animated film by UPA.

Contents

Plot

The story is predominantly set in 1895 Paris but starts on a farm on rural Provence farm. The lovely cat Mewsette and the accomplished but shy mouser Jaune Tom are in love until Mewsette becomes frustrated with Tom Juan's plebeian ways (and those of farmlife), and calls him a "clumsy country clod". Inspired by the human Jeanette's stories of the glamour and sophistication of Parisian life, Mewsette runs away to Paris. Upon arrival, she encounters the slick con-cat Meowrice. Taking advantage of Mewsette's country naivete, he puts her in the sultry Madame Henrietta Reubens-Chatte care. She promises to turn Mewsette into a dainty debutante known as "The Belle of all Paris". Unbeknownst to Mewsette, Meowrice is grooming her to be the mail-order bride of a rich American cat known as "Mr. Henry Phtt" ("The Money Cat"). Meanwhile, Jaune Tom and his sidekick, Robespierre, arrive in Paris to search for Mewsette.

Mewsette's training does not go well. Just as she about to give up and return to the farm, Meowrice takes her out to see Paris' feline side of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées, the Mewlon Rouge, and then a buggy ride back to Madame Henrietta's. Reinvigorated, she returns to her studies. Jaune Tom and Robespierre arrive in Paris but get waylaid by one of Meowrice's shadowy cat henchmen and barely escape drowning in Paris's labyrinthine sewers. By coincidence, Jaune Tom displays his incredible mouse-hunting skills in front of Meowrice, who seeing a money-making opportunity, gets them drunk, and sells them as mousers on an Alaskan-bound ship. On the ship, Robespierre consoles a depressed Jaune Tom, telling him that any problem can be broken up into manageable pieces.

Mewsette finishes her training and is now lovely enough to impress even Meowrice, who commissions a series of portraitss of her to send to Phtt. Meowrice quietly writes a check with invisible ink to pay Madame Reubens-Chatte for her services, then takes Mewsette to his hideout in Notre Dame. He reveals his plan to ship her to America and tries to coerce her into a luggage crate. After seeing a portrait of Phtt, Mewsette escapes Meowrice and his sidekicks. She leads them on a chase to a bulldog, who injures Meowrice badly enough to put him out of action for six weeks. Meanwhile, his sycophants unsuccessfully comb the city for Mewsette. Meanwhile, not long after reaching Alaska, Jaune Tom and Robespierre strike gold. Now wealthy, the two cats hurry back to Paris.

A disillusioned and homeless Mewsette wanders around Paris. She stops atop a bridge over the river, considering ending her misery. Just then, Meowrice and his cohorts ambush and capture her. She is taken to the Gare du Nord railway station, en route to a boat bound for America. All hope seems lost until Jaune Tom and Robespierre arrive. They have been aided by Madame Henrietta, who is outraged that Meoworice double-crossed her. Fighting inside the train, the three heroes defeat Meowrice and pack him into the packing crate as a surprise for Phtt. The film concludes with Mewsette, Jaune Tom, and Robespierre enjoying the high life in Paris that Mewsette was seeking when she left home.

Voice cast

Production

Gay Purr-ee was the second and final feature film, following 1001 Arabian Nights with Mr. Magoo, [2] produced by UPA (United Productions of America), a studio which had revolutionized animation during the 1950s by incorporating design and limited animation. [2]

The script for Gay Purr-ee was written by Dorothy Webster Jones and her husband, Chuck Jones, who was a veteran director for Warner Bros. Cartoons. [3] One of the former animators from his Warner Bros. unit, Abe Levitow, directed the film. [4] According to the production notes on the DVD edition, it was Garland who suggested that her Wizard of Oz songwriters, Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, should write and compose the songs for Gay Purr-ee.

A copyright entry for a song titled "Free at Last" made for the film exists, though it is not included in the final production. [5] [6]

When Warner Bros. became the film's distributor, they discovered that Chuck Jones had worked on the film. After a long debate with management over the details of Jones' exclusivity agreement, the studio fired Jones in July 1962 and laid off his staff after they had finished their next cartoon. [7] After Warner Bros. Cartoons was closed a year later, Jones hired his old unit for his first independent studio, Sib Tower 12 Productions. [7]

Reception

Gay Purr-ee was theatrically released on December 17, 1962. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 60% of 6 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10. [8]

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times felt the film's backgrounds were "good-natured tone and diverting" but felt "the characters almost pale by contrast". [9] Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "The animation, in Technicolor, is inventive enough, leaning toward the economy of motion with which UPA revolutionized the cartoon movie (to say nothing of the TV commercial) and filling in the backgrounds with charming semi-abstractions in consonance with what might be called the modern French manner." [10] Variety felt the film was "hampered by an uninspired storyline, but its otherwise slick and meticulous production values overshadow the weakness with ample artistry." [11] A Newsweek review felt that the film's subject matter was too sophisticated for an animated film, drily noting that its target audience seemed to be "the fey four-year-old of recherché taste". [12] Jerry Beck, in his 2005 book The Animated Movie Guide, felt Gay Purr-ee was "a good effort" and "unjustly underrated". Despite its "strong design sense" and voice cast, he agreed the animation quality is sometimes "on a television level or worse". [13]

Multiple analyses have noted its modernist style, called "remarkably designed" in one such review. [14]

One analysis claims the modernist aesthetic has plot implications: though both urban and pastoral landscapes are equally "highlighted", the plot praises the triumph of "pastoral nature over corrupt urban technology". [12]

Home media

Gay Pur-ee was released on VHS and LaserDisc [15] in 1991 by Warner Home Video (under the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment label). The film was reissued on VHS in 1992 and 1994, then released on DVD for the first time in 2003, and later also re-released on DVD in 2014 as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) title from the Warner Archive Collection. It has been released in HD on streaming services. [16] The film was released on Blu-ray on August 29, 2023 from Warner Archive. [17]

At the time of the film's 1962 release, a full comic book version of the film was released that pretty much copied the film scene for scene; with only minor changes.

Soundtrack

1962 LP cover Gay Puree-1962 LP cover.jpg
1962 LP cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
New Record Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]

On November 4, 2003, Rhino Handmade, a division of the Warner Music Group, released the soundtrack on CD. [19] This was identical to the 1962 LP version but contained 5 additional demo tracks. The demo tracks are performed by Harold Arlen and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg, the composers of the songs for the film. They were also the primary songwriters for the music of The Wizard of Oz , the 1939 Garland feature. Garland stated that the song "Little Drops of Rain" was one of her favorite songs. The CD track listing is as follows:

  1. Overture – Judy Garland and Chorus (3:59)
  2. Mewsette – Robert Goulet (3:09)
  3. Take My Hand, Paree – Judy Garland (2:58)
  4. Roses Red, Violets Blue – Judy Garland (2:02)
  5. The Money Cat – Paul Frees and the Mellomen (2:17)
  6. The Horse Won't Talk – Paul Frees (1:45)
  7. Bubbles – Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and the Mellomen (2:48)
  8. Little Drops of Rain – Judy Garland (3:29)
  9. Little Drops of Rain – Robert Goulet (1:30)
  10. Portrait of Mewsette – Orchestra (3:30)
  11. Paris is a Lonely Town – Judy Garland (4:15)
  12. Mewsette Finale – Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, and Chorus (2:38)
  13. Paris is a Lonely Town (variation) – Orchestra (1:58)
  14. Roses Red, Violets Blue (demo) – Harold Arlen and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg (1:43)
  15. The Money Cat (demo) – Harold Arlen and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg (2:10)
  16. The Horse Won't Talk (demo) – Harold Arlen (3:46)
  17. Little Drops of Rain (demo) – Harold Arlen (2:39)
  18. Paris is a Lonely Town (demo) – Harold Arlen (2:46)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Jones</span> American animator and filmmaker (1912–2002)

Charles Martin Jones was an American animator, painter, voice actor and filmmaker, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of shorts. He wrote, produced, and/or directed many classic animated cartoon shorts starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, Pepé Le Pew, Marvin the Martian, and Porky Pig, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Productions of America</span> American film production company (1941–2000)

United Productions of America, better known as UPA, was an American animation studio and later distribution company founded in 1941 as Industrial Film and Poster Service by former Walt Disney Productions employees. Beginning with industrial and World War II training films, UPA eventually produced theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures such as the Mr. Magoo series. In 1956, UPA produced a television series for CBS, The Boing-Boing Show, hosted by Gerald McBoing Boing. In the 1960s, UPA produced syndicated Mr. Magoo and Dick Tracy television series and other series and specials, including Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol. UPA also produced two animated features, 1001 Arabian Nights and Gay Purr-ee, and distributed Japanese films from Toho Studios in the 1970s and 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden age of American animation</span> Period of animation where theatrical sound cartoons were common and popular

The golden age of American animation was a period in the history of U.S. animation that began with the popularization of sound synchronized cartoons in 1928 and gradually ended in the 1960s when theatrical animated shorts started to lose popularity to the newer medium of television. Animated media from after the golden age, especially on television, were produced on cheaper budgets and with more limited techniques between the late 1950s and 1980s.

Animation in the United States in the television era was a period in the history of American animation that gradually started in the late 1950s with the decline of theatrical animated shorts and popularization of television animation, reached its peak during the 1970s, and ended around the late 1980s. This era is characterized by low budgets, limited animation, an emphasis on television over the theater, and the general perception of cartoons being primarily for children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yip Harburg</span> American lyricist (1896–1981)

Edgar Yipsel Harburg was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?", "April in Paris", and "It's Only a Paper Moon", as well as all of the songs for the film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow". He was known for the social commentary of his lyrics, as well as his leftist leanings. He championed racial, sexual and gender equality and union politics. He also was an ardent critic of high society and religion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harold Arlen</span> American composer of popular music (1905–1986)

Harold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, including "Over the Rainbow", which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, he was nominated as composer for 8 other Oscar awards. Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.

<i>The Dover Boys at Pimento University</i> 1942 animated short film by Chuck Jones

The Dover Boys at Pimento University; or, The Rivals of Roquefort Hall is a 1942 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on September 19, 1942. The cartoon is a parody of the Rover Boys, a popular juvenile fiction book series of the early 20th century.

Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc. was an American animation studio, serving as the in-house animation division of Warner Bros. during the Golden Age of American animation. One of the most successful animation studios in American media history, it was primarily responsible for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated short films. The characters featured in these cartoons, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, are among the most famous and recognizable characters in the world. Many of the creative staff members at the studio, including directors and animators such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Robert McKimson, Tex Avery, Robert Clampett, Arthur Davis, and Frank Tashlin, are considered major figures in the art and history of traditional animation.

"We're Off to See the Wizard" is one of the classic songs from the Academy Award-winning 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Composer Harold Arlen described it, along with "The Merry Old Land of Oz" and "Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead", as one of the "lemon drop" songs of the film. The lyrics are by E.Y. "Yip" Harburg.

<i>For Scent-imental Reasons</i> 1949 film by Chuck Jones

For Scent-imental Reasons is a 1949 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes short directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on November 12, 1949, and featured the debut of Penelope Pussycat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM Animation/Visual Arts</span>

MGM Animation/Visual Arts was an American animation studio established in 1962 by animation director/producer Chuck Jones, producer Les Goldman and executive Walter Bien as Sib Tower 12 Productions. Its productions include the last series of Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts, the TV specials Horton Hears a Who! and How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and the feature film The Phantom Tollbooth, all released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penelope Pussycat</span> Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character

Penelope Pussycat is an animated cartoon character, featured in the Warner Bros. classic Looney Tunes animated shorts. Although she is typically a non-speaker, her "meows" and "purrs" were most often provided by Mel Blanc using a feminine voice. The character did not originally have a permanent name; she was alternately referred to as "Penelope", "Fifi", "Pussycat Purr", and "Fabrette", and animator Chuck Jones' 1960 model sheet simply calls her "Le Cat". The name Penelope Pussycat was created retroactively for Warner Bros. marketing.

Abraham Levitow was an American animator who worked at Warner Bros. Cartoons, UPA and MGM Animation/Visual Arts. He is best known for his work under Chuck Jones' direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Wright</span> American writer and animator (1908–1983)

Ralph Waldo Wright was a Disney animator and story/storyboard writer who provided the gloomy, sullen voice of Eeyore from the popular Winnie the Pooh franchise.

The Mellomen were a popular singing quartet active from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s. The group was founded by Thurl Ravenscroft and Max Smith in 1948. They recorded under a variety of names, including Big John and the Buzzards, the Crackerjacks, the Lee Brothers, and the Ravenscroft Quartet. They were sometimes credited as the Mellowmen, the Mello Men, or the Mellow Men. They sang backup to some of the best-known artists of the day, including Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Arlo Guthrie, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, Elvis Presley, and Jo Stafford.

Louvre Come Back to Me! is a 1962 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on August 18, 1962, and stars Pepé Le Pew in his last cartoon of the "classic" Warner Bros. animation age.

<i>Now Hear This</i> (film) 1963 American film

Now Hear This is a 1963 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble, and written by Jones and John Dunn. The short was released on April 27, 1963. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film the following year.

"Get Happy" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was the first song they wrote together, and was introduced by Ruth Etting in The Nine-Fifteen Revue in 1930. The song expresses the gospel music theme of getting happy, an expression of religious ecstasy for salvation.

<i>Gold Diggers of 1937</i> 1936 film by Busby Berkeley, Lloyd Bacon

Gold Diggers of 1937 is a Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley. The film stars Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, with Glenda Farrell and Victor Moore.

The following is the filmography of American animator Chuck Jones.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lenburg, Jeff (2009). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons Third Edition. Infobase Publishing. ISBN   978-0-8160-6599-8.
  2. 1 2 Maltin 1987, pp. 341–342.
  3. Jones 1999, p. 277.
  4. Barrier 1999, pp. 562–563.
  5. Catalog of Copyright Entries 1961 Music July-Dec 3D Ser Vol 15 Pt 5
  6. WebVoyage Record View 1
  7. 1 2 Barrier 1999, p. 563.
  8. "Gay Purr-ee (1962)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  9. Crowther, Bosley (December 6, 1962). "Screen: Sartre's 'No Exit' in Premiere at Sutton". The New York Times. p. 55. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  10. Scheuer, Philip K. (December 6, 1962). "'Gay Purr-ee' Blend of Punning, Funning". Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 21. Retrieved January 28, 2024 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. Tube. (October 17, 1962). "Film Reviews: Gay Purr-ee". Variety. p. 17. Retrieved January 28, 2024 via Internet Archive.
  12. 1 2 Murray, Robin L. (2011). That's all folks?: ecocritical readings of American animated features. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. pp. 85–89. ISBN   9780803235120.
  13. Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press. p. 92. ISBN   978-1-556-52591-9.
  14. Sollors, Werner (2008). Ethnic modernism (First Harvard University Press paperback ed.). Cambridge, Mass. p. 8. ISBN   9780674030916.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  15. "Gay Purr-ee". LaserDisc Database.
  16. "JustWatch". JustWatch. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  17. Blu-ray.com
  18. Watson, Jimmy (26 January 1963). "Judy Garland: Gay Purr-ee" (PDF). New Record Mirror . No. 98. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  19. Ehrbar, Greg (October 24, 2017). "UPA's "Gay Purr-ee" on Records". Cartoon Research.

Bibliography