Claws in the Lease (1963)

Claws in the Lease Review

Claws in the Lease is a 1963 animated short film from the Merry Melodies series. It is a very good entry.

The story revolves around Sylvester and his son leaving the city dump where they live, and attempting to find local home owners to take them in. After numerous attempts to trick a fat hillbilly woman into letting them both stay with her, their plan backfires and all three wind up living at the dump. This was a departure for this cat duo as there is no Hippety Hopper to be found anywhere. I did miss him, but eventually I’d come to appreciate the new character introduced here.

This redneck lady is hilarious and she functions pretty much as the old woman from the Tom and Jerry shorts. The comedy is repetitive here, but ultimately most of the gags worked with the TV one being the best and most creative of the bunch. Sylvester Jr. is just as memorable in his one-liners as ever while Sylvester himself is quite proactive here. The ending where all three end up together in a dump was so funny and a perfect way to conclude this short.

Claws in the Lease has a memorable female character introduced to the plot that is overall pretty solid itself. It’s a very entertaining Merry Melodies short.

My Rating – 4