The Hypo-Chondri-Cat

I swear that Hubie and Bertie get downright nasty when trying to expel Claude from the house that they want to inhabit (they also did in "Mouse Wreckers"). In this case, they play off of Claude's cryophobia to perform what he thinks is a lethal operation on him. I wonder why they can't just try and negotiate with him; if that cat's so afraid of the cold, couldn't he be willing to hold talks with a pair of wise guy mice? Oh well. "The Hypo-Chondri-Cat" is still a pretty funny cartoon, even if it is a little weird what Hubie and Bertie end up doing to Claude. Still, my favorite Hubie and Bertie-Claude pairing is "Cheese Chasers".

I've never heard of Claude Cat but he's another one of those Cartoon cats who likes to chase after mice/birds but never gets them. Only this time there's a twist...he's a hypochondriac. Dumb mice Bertie and Hubie break into his house (so they are in the wrong!) in order to steal some cheese. Claude doesn't like this and gives chase. Only when he runs past the open window they came in from he gets a sudden chill and believes he might have pneumonia. Trust me, I've had it, and it's a lot worse than a sudden chill.

The mice pretend that Claude is dying and ending convincing him he has died a fake death. Since I have never seen Claude since watching this cartoon today I can only assume his weak personality and unaesthetic appearance only did send him to Cat Heaven forever.

Hypo-Chondri-Cat, The (1950)

*** (out of 4)

The cat Claude is chasing mice Hubie and Bertie when he passes an open window and fears he's going to get sick. The cat, terrified of colds, soon starts to freak out when the mice make it seem like he's about to die. This is certainly middle ground Merrie Melodies but it's still got enough charm to make it worth sitting through. This is a rather mean-spirited short, which is why many people like it. I think it gives the short a certain edge that makes it worth watching but at the same time you can't help but feel sorry for this cat who is clearly terrified out of his wits. None of the three characters were all that strong. They weren't bad but they just weren't characters that I'd sit through various shorts with. Fans of animation will certainly want to check this out even though it's not the best of what's out there.

Hubie and Bertie are mice invading a cozy home. They steal cheese and relax. They are confronted by house cat Claude, but he is rather a hypochondriac. He is afraid of catching a cold from the slightest breeze. The mice take advantage and sets him on a path to cat heaven.

I don't really know these characters. These three never reached super stardom, but I do remember this short. They are good characters. The two mice work well. Maybe they aren't unique enough. All I know is that this short is effective and I remember it after these many decades later. I would like the mice to have the last words.

I've always been a big fan of black comedy so it's hardly surprising that Chuck Jones's Hubie and Bertie cartoons are amongst my favourite Warner creations. These fantastic shorts tackled such dark subjects as mental illness and attempted suicide but 'The Hypo-chondri-cat' is the grimmest of all, focusing on the big one; death itself. Pitted against their regular rival Claude Cat, a neurotic mess of a feline, the sadistic mice set about convincing him that he is fatally ill. This results in a terrific, nightmarishly surreal scene in which Claude visualizes himself being pursued by surgical equipment as he listens to Hubie and Bertie preparing to operate. When he comes round again is when the cartoon gets really cruel as the mice convince a terrified Claude that he didn't survive the operation. It's all very macabre but also hilarious in a deliciously sick way. The cartoon ends on a peaceful but troubling note with Claude still totally unaware he's not dead. With such dark subject matters, it's hardly surprising Hubie and Bertie didn't catch on with a 40s and 50s audience but these cartoons remain incredibly interesting and entertaining forgotten classics that give us a glimpse into the darker side of Warner animation. Riot!