Go Fly a Kit

Mild spoilers

A love of cats appears to be the driving force behind many of Chuck Jones' greatest cartoons, and here Jones and Michael Maltese give a strong aerial angle that once again proves their mastery of compelling story-telling.

An airport coffee vendor (Daws Butler) explains to a waiting passenger (Mel Blanc) the relationship between a red-furred female cat and a mysterious feline known as a flying cat. In flashback we learn of the gestation of the flying cat, an orphan cat adopted by an elderly female eagle whose own chicks have grown and left the nest. The cat and the eagle love each other like true mother and son, and the cat tries to fly - leading to one of Jones' funniest/tenderest scenes; the cat falling down the thousand-foot precipice trying to fly and the horrified eagle rushing to save him, until he uses his tail to make him fly. The cat POV shot of the mother eagle plunging earthward upon seeing her adopted son now flying, and then flattening out of the dive and soaring back upward, is a triumph not only of humorous and believable charm, but of realistic animation. The eagle claps at her adopted son's triumph, and beams to the audience in typical Jones fashion.

Eventually, however, the flying cat must leave the nest - this brief scene, the cat and the eagle waving goodbye amid a magnificent sunset, reaches to the heart as well as to the discerning eye approving the artistic power of the background. The short's mood then shifts as the cat lands on a wire and drives three surprised crows to bang each other's heads, before spotting a female cat (the red cat) being pursued by a ferocious bulldog. The flying cat thus bears his claws and the real struggle of the film is on, highlighted by Jones' use of backgrounds and effects animation.

Facial expressions, a Jones trademark, also come through, best shown when the bulldog attacks the flying cat and winds up chewing on his own leg - you'll die laughing upon the dog's realization of what he is chewing on.

The film's climax neatly wraps up the story, but there is a surprise element in the short - given the ending, I am surprised the female cat's relationship with the flying cat is alluded to as it is.

Odd little cartoon, even for Chuck Jones, about a cat, raised by eagles, who flies by whirling his tail around. Sort of like a reversed Pepe Le Pew, full of cute little bits and a large bulldog to torment. A treat for cat lovers.

Adorable story, told through flashback, about a kitten raised by an eagle who grows up with the ability to fly. One day while flying around he spots a female cat being chased by a bulldog and rescues her. The two fall in love and, well, just watch and see. It's charming in every way. Not the funniest Looney Tunes short but it is smart and endearing. One of the many classics from the great Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. The animation is excellent with well-drawn characters, backgrounds, and action. The colors are bright and lush. Milt Franklyn's evocative, lively score is among his best work. It's a real gem for fans of Chuck Jones; a heartwarmer if there ever was one.

Along with Max Fleischer, former Disney animator David Hand, and Japan's Hayao Miyazaki, Chuck Jones is one of my favorite animators, and this short is one of my favorite shorts from the late 1950s. An elderly mother eagle, in my opinion, raised a sweet-tempered kitten with maternal instincts. He flys by using his tail like a propeller. When he leaves the nest to explore the outside world, he falls in love with a lovely little girl kitten after rescuing her from a vicious bulldog.

I just love the backgrounds with their vivid colors. My favorite scenes are when our hero (The Flying Kitten) wants to join a chorus of blackbirds (tweet, tweet, tweet, meow). But when they see him, they are so frightened that they bump right into each other, even when they fly away. And also, when our canine nemesis tries to pounce on our hero but our hero is too quick for him, during the struggle he uses his propeller-like tail to get away, and the dog finds himself biting his own leg!

All in all, I love every bit of it. It has got tenderness, the love he shares with his adopted mother and his sweetie, and sorrow when he says goodbye when he leaves his first home and when he flies south every fall (being part bird). But every spring, he returns, and his girlfriend awaits him at the airport, as in the myth of Persephone and the origin of the seasons.

A cat who can fly -- can't get more original than that premise. While a lot could be done with the theme, this cartoon tells a story that gets better and better as the story is told, until, at the end, the most satisfying ending imaginable is provided.

Endearing doesn't begin to sum it up.