The Lyin' Mouse

The Lyin' Mouse
Blue Ribbon reissue title card
Directed byIsadore Freleng
Story byTedd Pierce
Produced byLeon Schlesinger
StarringMel Blanc
Billy Bletcher
Bernice Hansen
Music byCarl W. Stalling
Animation byKen Harris
Color processTechnicolor
Production
company
Distributed byWarner Bros. Productions
The Vitaphone Corporation
Release date
  • October 16, 1937 (1937-10-16)
Running time
7 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Lyin' Mouse is a 1937 American animated comedy short film directed by Isadore Freleng.[1] The short was released on October 16, 1937. It is the 84th film in the Merrie Melodies series. It is the first film in the series with a story credit. It was re-released as a "Blue Ribbon" reissue in 1945, rendering the original film and credits lost.[2][3]

Plot

A mouse is trying to free his tail from a mousetrap when a cat arrives. Desperate to avoid getting eaten, the rodent asks if the feline has ever heard the story of The Lion and the Mouse. The cat notes that he is unfamiliar with the tale, but nevertheless stops in his tracks to listen.

A lion comes upon a mouse who uses a horn to imitates the lion’s roar and causes every nearby animal to escape to his amusement. The mouse pleads for his life, and the lion agrees not to eat him due to his small size and unintended disrespect. As the mouse recommends that he can be of help before leaving, the lion falls for traps set up by Frank Cluck, including a fake roast chicken and a lamb that insists to be eaten and convinces the lion of the benefits of eating mutton. The lion is swiftly captured by Frank and taken to a circus, where he is forced against his will to perform circus tricks. The mouse bites a lion-sized hole on the back and frees him as they make a mad dash to the wild.

The cat is moved and apologetically releases the mouse, giving him the cheese on the mousetrap. Upon release, just before entering his hole, the mouse yells one last word: "Sucker!" To which the cat responds by lunging at the rodent, but he misses and bumps into the wall. As the cartoon ends, the feline shrugs and tells the audience: "Well, can you imagine that?"

Home media

References

  1. ↑ Beck, Jerry; Friedwald, Will (1989). Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons. Henry Holt and Co. p. 63. ISBN 0-8050-0894-2.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ Parten, James (March 31, 2020). "Merrie Melodies 1937-38: More Old Friends |". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on July 4, 2026. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Mouse Chronicles coming to DVD and Blu-ray". May 9, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Looney Tunes Collector's Vault: Volume 3 Blu-ray". Blu-Ray.com. July 9, 2026. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
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