Claude Cat
| Claude Cat | |
|---|---|
Pussyfoot and Marc Anthony in Feline Frame-Up (1954) | |
| First appearance | The Aristo-Cat (1943) |
| Created by | Chuck Jones |
| Voiced by | Mel Blanc (1949–1962) John Kassir (2017–2020) Eric Bauza (2021–present) David P. Smith (2023–present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Cat |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | American |
Claude Cat is an
Character biography
Claude Cat had his origins in several other
Jones redesigned the neurotic feline for the 1949 film Mouse Wreckers (perhaps to distinguish him from Friz Freleng's popular puss, Sylvester).[3] The short is another Hubie and Bertie vehicle, only this time, the antagonist they antagonize is Claude, drawn as he would appear in all future cartoons: yellow, with a red shock of hair and a white belly (his exact markings, however, would vary from cartoon to cartoon). In this, as in all future Claude Cat cartoons, Jones' careful attention to personality is easily evident. Claude is a nervous and lazy animal. His attempts to protect his home from the manipulative mice Hubie and Bertie prove futile as the rodents torment him by (among other things) putting upside down and sideways landscape paintings and an aquarium in the windows or by nailing the furniture to the ceiling. Jones set the mice on Claude once more in the 1950 film The Hypo-Chondri-Cat. This time, the miniature Machiavellis convince the neurotic Claude that he is dead. Claude would run afoul of the mice once more in 1951's Cheese Chasers and against another mouse duo in Mouse-Warming in 1952.
Jones added another idiosyncrasy to Claude's
In future cartoons, Jones recast Claude as a silent villain, still possessing his full set of neuroses. This stage of the character's evolution is best exemplified by the 1954 film Feline Frame-Up and in the 1958 film Cat Feud. In the first cartoon, Claude convinces his owner that fellow pet Marc Antony is trying to eat the precious kitten Pussyfoot. Marc Antony is tossed out, allowing Claude the run of the house; that is, until Marc Antony outwits the cat and makes him sign a confession admitting to his crimes. In the second cartoon that contains a similar, unnamed, cat character.
Claude's final cartoon was in 1962's Louvre Come Back to Me! where he is depicted as a French cat (named Pierre) that loved Penelope Pussycat, when he is insulted by Pepé Le Pew.
Claude was played by voice actor Mel Blanc using a quirky, strangulated voice similar to that of Marvin the Martian.
Later appearances
One of the versions of Claude Cat was planned to be made as a cameo in the deleted scene "Acme's Funeral" from the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He appears with other animated characters scared when Casper appears at the funeral.[4]
Claude appears in the episode "Mr. Popular's Rules of Cool" of Tiny Toon Adventures.
Claude appeared as one of the spectators in the basketball game of the 1996 film Space Jam.
In the 2006 Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas, Claude Cat has a very brief cameo as a Lucky Duck Superstore employee going home for Christmas.
Claude briefly appears in The Looney Tunes Show opening.
Claude appears in several episodes of New Looney Tunes, voiced by John Kassir.
Claude also appeared with Hubie and Bertie in the Looney Tunes Cartoons short "Frame the Feline", where he is voiced by Eric Bauza.[5]
References
- ISBN 0-13-275561-0. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ "Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Claude Cat". www.toonopedia.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Hill, Jim (8 May 2014). "Storyboards reveal what Marvin Acme's funeral in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" would have looked like". jimhillmedia.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- ^ Hein, Michael (2021-11-22). "'Looney Tunes Cartoons' Finally Bringing Back 2 More Beloved Characters". popculture. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
External links
- Claude Cat at Toonopedia
- All about Claude Cat on Chuck Jones Official Website.
