Odor-able Kitty

Odor-able Kitty is an animated short, directed by Chuck Jones and first released on January 6, 1945. It is notable as the first appearance of Pepé Le Pew. The scriptwriter was Tedd Pierce. Chuck Jones, a co-creator for the character, also credited Michael Maltese with contributing to the character concept.

Plot

After so much abuse (being thrown out of a store, shooed from a house, and attacked by dogs), an orange cat decides he has to do something about it. Thinking that it would make things easier, the cat disguises himself as a skunk using paint and smelly substances. Although he is successful in keeping his tormenters at bay, he accidentally attracts the unwanted attention of a real skunk, "Henry." The cat runs from him and hides in a tree, where the skunk then appears out of nowhere. The cat runs into town, grabs a skunk fur, then runs to a silo, from which he threatens to jump if the skunk gets any closer. The cat throws the skunk fur from the top of the silo, hoping to decoy the skunk. But as the cat sneaks down the steps, Henry realizes that the fur is just a fur and resumes pursuing the cat. Continuing to run, the cat accidentally brings a dog into the mix, then tries a Bugs Bunny costume to fool Henry. But the disguise does not work as the skunk pulls the rabbit head off to reveal the cat. Once the cat is tired and worn out, Henry cuddles with him until someone interrupts; it turns out to be the skunk's wife and two kids. Standing in disbelief, Henry claims he was only "wiping a cinder from a lady's eye," but to no use as she doesn't believe him and is convinced he is cheating on her with someone else. He is repeatedly beat on the head with his wife's umbrella as the cat crawls away and removes all of the paint and smell. He realizes that he would rather endure the abuse than be with a smelly skunk.

Analysis

The film is not part of the typical formula for the Pepe Le Pew series of cartoons, since the character is "unknowingly" attracted to a male cat. Most of the films in the series are "Picaresque stories of seduction and sexual conquest or its failure". Part of the film's twist ending is that Pepe is revealed as an American skunk who fakes his French accent. Given the theme of a married man/skunk attempting the seduction of another male, Ken Jennings suggests this film could be of interest to queer studies. Jennings sees the cat as a cross-dresser.