Director: Chuck Jones
Release Date: January 5, 1945
Stars: Pepe le Pew
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
‘Odor-able Kitty’, marks the debut of that French-speaking, amorous skunk Pepe le Pew.
In his book ‘Chuck Amuck’ Jones reveals that this character was based on story man Tedd Pierce. In any case, Pierce wrote the story, but how much of himself he had put self-knowingly into this smelly Don Juan remains a mystery.
Oddly enough, in his first cartoon Pepe turns out to be a fraud, being married and having two children. Even his voice changes in the end of the cartoon. But before this surprising finale he’s genuinely Pepe, complete with quasi-French accent, strange hop (including Stalling’s typical theme music), and a love for cats that look like skunks.
Only, in ‘Odor-able Kitty’ this is a male cat, who deliberately disguises himself as a skunk to get a happier life. He has one, until Pepe hops along. In the end, the cat washes himself and returns to his former life as victim of maltreatment, exclaiming “this is the life!”.
Pepe le Pew’s character didn’t really develop after this film, and all his films have more or less the same story as his debut film. Nevertheless Pepe would be one of the most successful of the characters conceived by Chuck Jones, second to the Road Runner and the Coyote, only. He lasted until 1962, starring fourteen more cartoons.
Watch ‘Odor-able Kitty’ yourself and tell me what you think:
http://www.220.ro/desene-animate/12-Odor-Able-Kitty/GcMYA69rME/
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March 24, 2022 at 06:29
Sebastian
Do you have an opinion on the controversy now surrounding pepe Lepew’s character? I think he’s basically just a stereotypical french male romance novel interest and not offensive at all but people now scream r over him and he was banned from new space jam and inexplicably replaced with the characters from Clockwork Orange.
March 28, 2022 at 00:29
Gijs Grob
Dear Sebastian, I’m a little surprised over Pepe le Pew’s controversy, as he’s such an absurd character, and his forceful lovemaking is made ludicrous, not presented as something to aspire to. To me the world of #metoo is far remote from his antics, but then again, I’m a white male myself, and perhaps insensitive to other experiences of the same thing. On the other hand, Speedy Gonzales is considered controversial being a Mexican stereotype, while the Mexicans themselves just love the character…