Changes: Trick or Tweet

Latest revision as of 13:59, 25 March 2024

Trick or Tweet

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Hare-abian Nights	The Mouse That Jack Built

Airdate:	Runtime:
21 March 1959	6 min. 35 sec.

Series:

Merrie Melodies

MPAA Number:	Production Number:
18941	1494

Copyright Renewed:

18 February 1986

Starring:

Tweety
Sylvester
Sam Cat

Crew

Video A
B

Trick or Tweet is a 1959 Merrie Melodies short directed by Friz Freleng.

Title

The title is a play on the phrase "trick or treat," which is often said by children on Halloween asking for candy.

Plot

As Tweety is sweeping the dust around his nest high atop a wooden pole, Sylvester and Sam Cat each tiptoe up to the pole to sneak up on him. Neither cat sees the other as they both climb the pole to the nest. Sylvester peers over Tweety's nest as Tweety sweeps the dust in Sylvester's face and remark, "Ooooh! I tawt I taw a puddytat!" Ditto with Sam, and Tweety says, "I tawt I taw anudda puddytat!" Both cats grab the nest simultaneously and rush down the pole. A tussle ensues with the two felines attempting to knock each other out and playing tug-of-war until Sylvester calls time out, convincing Sam that Tweety is too small to fight over. After debating which one should put Tweety back up on the pole, they agree to put him back there together, which they do. However, it immediately becomes apparent that they still do not trust each other, as they get into a prolonged goodbye and just stand and stare at each other before finally walking away.

Sylvester sneaks up on Tweety hiding under a garbage can, but Sam has the same idea and beats him to the bird, and after both come down from the pole, Sylvester pounds Sam's can with a mallet. Sam, embarrassed at being caught in the act, tries to save face by explaining that he was "just seeing if he was okay, y'know." Sylvester yells "Put it back!" to which Sam replies "Sheesh! You think I-I was not gonna put him back or sump'm! Shoot! That would be unethical."

Tweety nails a stretch of barbed wire around the pole because "I just don't twust puddytats' honor". Sam, catnapping in his box, hears Sylvester shouting "Ow! Ooh! Ow!" and stomps over to the pole as Sylvester picks up his torn fur. Seeing Sam's dirty look, Sylvester exclaims, "Aaaaaaaah, shaddap!"

As Sylvester, patched up with tape, is resting in his box, he hears a loud "Boing...boing...boing". Surely enough, it's Sam, bouncing on a trampoline in another effort to catch Tweety. Sylvester cuts the trampoline with a pair of scissors and Sam hits the ground with a loud thud, nearly knocking Tweety off his perch.

Sam sneaks out again and looks in Sylvester's window to find him gone, then looks up to discover Sylvester walking on the wire overhead with an umbrella. Sam cuts the wire with a pair of scissors, sending Sylvester crashing through two windows in a building nearby. Sylvester closes his now bare-wire umbrella as he descends to the ground, and Sam giggles gleefully.

Next, Sylvester dons a Batman costume and soars through the air in an attempt to swoop in on Tweety, but again Sam has thought along the same lines. The two bang heads in mid-air and both plummet back to earth, landing in the garbage dump.

Sylvester paces the floor trying to think of what to do next, then peeks out the door to see Sam tiptoeing his way over. Sylvester places a coonskin cap in his box and covers it with a blanket, and when Sam sees it he "knocks him out" with a club. Sam sneaks over to the pole, not realizing that Sylvester is following right behind him. Sam has a balloon on a string held down by a rock already set. He ties the string around his waist and Sylvester's, pushes the rock away to release the balloon, and grabs Tweety on the way up, but Sylvester slaps his paw, and again Sam hands him the "just seeing if he was OK" alibi as the two continue to float upward. Sylvester stabs the balloon with a pin so that Sam can't try it again, before realizing what he just did as he and Sam plunge back to the ground together. The impact of their fall almost causes Tweety to fall off of his nest, but he manages to get back up and ends the cartoon by saying, "Y'know, I never reawized just being an itty bitty bird could be so compwicated."

Availability

Streaming

Notes

In the Sega Mega Drive game Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers, some of the content of this cartoon is in Level 4.
Sam Cat would later reappear in "Mouse and Garden" as Sylvester's frenemy once again, this time fighting with him over a mouse.
Although all other Cartoon Network and Boomerang stations (including the USA) air very faded copies of the cartoon, a better quality, but still unrestored, copy of the cartoon was shown on Boomerang Italy, the Italian TV station Mediaset Italia 1, the Italian VHS release Silvestro e Gonzales in orbita! and the French TV station Canal+ Family.^{[citation needed]}
Before 2020, this short, along with "Tweet and Sour", "Tweet Dreams", "Tom Tom Tomcat", "Tugboat Granny", "Trip for Tat", "Hyde and Go Tweet" and "I Taw a Putty Tat" were the only Tweety and Sylvester cartoons not restored. In 2020, this cartoon was restored for the HBO Max streaming service.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Template:Infobox Shorts
+{{Shorts
 |name = Trick or Tweet
+|previous = [[Hare-abian Nights]]
-|image = Trick_or_Tweet.jpg
-|Director = [[Friz Freleng]]
-|producer = [[John W. Burton]]
-|airdate = March 21, 1959
-|series = [[Merrie Melodies]]
-|Voice = [[Mel Blanc]]<br>[[Daws Butler]]
-|Starring = [[Tweety]]<br>[[Sylvester]]<br>[[Sam Cat]]
-|previous = [[Hare-Abian Nights]]
 |next = [[The Mouse That Jack Built]]
+|image = Screenshot 2021-01-16 at 2.53.31 PM.png
-|video =
+|airdate = 21 March 1959
-|Writer = [[Warren Foster]]
+|renewed = 18 February 1986
-|Animators = [[Gerry Chiniquy]]<br>[[Arthur Davis|Art Davis]]<br>[[Virgil Ross]]
+|runtime = 6 min. 35 sec.
-|Layout-artist = [[Hawley Pratt]]
+|series = [[Merrie Melodies]]
-|Background-artist = Tom O'Loughlin
+|mpaa = 18941
-|Sound effects =
+|prodno = 1494
-|Musician = [[Milt Franklyn]]
+|starring = [[Tweety]]<br>[[Sylvester]]<br>[[Sam Cat]]
-}}[[File:5.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
+|voice = [[Mel Blanc]]<br>[[Daws Butler]]
-'''Trick or Tweet''' is a [[Warner Brothers]] [[Merrie Melodies]] animated cartoon first released in 1959. Written by [[Warren Foster]] and directed by [[Friz Freleng]], with voice characterizations by [[Mel Blanc]], the cartoon stars [[Tweety Bird|Tweety]], [[Sylvester]] and a rival orange-red cat named Sam (voiced by [[Daws Butler]] who is uncredited).
+|director = [[Friz Freleng]]
+|producer = [[John W. Burton]]
+|writer = [[Warren Foster]]
+|animators = [[Gerry Chiniquy]]<br>[[Arthur Davis|Art Davis]]<br>[[Virgil Ross]]
+|layout = [[Hawley Pratt]]
+|background = [[Tom O'Loughlin]]
+|editor = [[Treg Brown]]
+|musician = [[Milt Franklyn]]
+|video = <gallery>
+Trick or Tweet - Sylvester and Tweety (1959)|Video A
+Looney Tunes - Trick or Tweet 1959|B
+</gallery>
+}}
+'''Trick or Tweet''' is a [[1959]] ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' short directed by [[Friz Freleng]].
-==Synopsis==
+== Title ==
+The title is a play on the phrase "trick or treat," which is often said by children on Halloween asking for candy.
+== Plot ==
-As Tweety is sweeping the dust around his nest high atop a wooden pole, Sylvester and Sam both tiptoe up to the pole to sneak up on him. Neither cat sees the other as they both climb the pole to the nest. Sylvester peers over Tweety’s nest as Tweety sweeps the dust in Sylvester’s face, prompting Tweety to remark, “Ooooh! I tawt I taw a puddytat!” Ditto with Sam, and Tweety says, “I tawt I taw anudda puddytat!” Both cats grab the nest simultaneously and rush down the pole. A tussle ensues with the two felines attempting to knock each other out and playing tug-of-war until Sylvester calls time out, convincing Sam that Tweety is too small to fight over. After debating which one should put Tweety back up on the pole, they agree to put him back there together, which they do. However, it immediately becomes apparent that they still do not trust each other, as they get into a prolonged goodbye and just stand and stare at each other before finally walking away.
+As [[Tweety]] is sweeping the dust around his nest high atop a wooden pole, [[Sylvester]] and [[Sam Cat]] each tiptoe up to the pole to sneak up on him. Neither cat sees the other as they both climb the pole to the nest. Sylvester peers over Tweety's nest as Tweety sweeps the dust in Sylvester's face and remark, "Ooooh! I tawt I taw a puddytat!" Ditto with Sam, and Tweety says, "I tawt I taw anudda puddytat!" Both cats grab the nest simultaneously and rush down the pole. A tussle ensues with the two felines attempting to knock each other out and playing tug-of-war until Sylvester calls time out, convincing Sam that Tweety is too small to fight over. After debating which one should put Tweety back up on the pole, they agree to put him back there together, which they do. However, it immediately becomes apparent that they still do not trust each other, as they get into a prolonged goodbye and just stand and stare at each other before finally walking away.
-Sylvester then sneaks up on Tweety hiding under a garbage can, but Sam has the same idea and beats him to the bird, and after both come down from the pole, Sylvester pounds Sam’s can with a mallet. Sam, embarrassed at being caught in the act, tries to save face by explaining that he was “just seeing if he was OK, y’know”. Sylvester yells “Put it back!” and Sam does so, retorting that to not do so would be “unethical”.
+Sylvester sneaks up on Tweety hiding under a garbage can, but Sam has the same idea and beats him to the bird, and after both come down from the pole, Sylvester pounds Sam's can with a mallet. Sam, embarrassed at being caught in the act, tries to save face by explaining that he was "just seeing if he was okay, y'know." Sylvester yells "Put it back!" to which Sam replies "Sheesh! You think I-I was not gonna put him back or sump'm! Shoot! That would be unethical."
-Tweety then nails a stretch of barbed wire around the pole (because “I just don’t twust puddytats’ honor”). Sam, catnapping in his box, then hears Sylvester shouting “Ow! Ooh! Ow!” and stomps over to the pole as Sylvester picks up his torn fur. Seeing Sam’s dirty look, Sylvester exclaims, “Aaaaaaaah, shaddap!”
+Tweety nails a stretch of barbed wire around the pole because "I just don't twust puddytats' honor". Sam, catnapping in his box, hears Sylvester shouting "Ow! Ooh! Ow!" and stomps over to the pole as Sylvester picks up his torn fur. Seeing Sam's dirty look, Sylvester exclaims, "Aaaaaaaah, shaddap!"
-As Sylvester, patched up with tape, is resting in his box, he hears a loud “Boing...boing...boing”. Surely enough, it’s Sam, bouncing on a trampoline in another effort to catch Tweety. Sylvester cuts the trampoline with a pair of scissors and Sam hits the ground with a loud thud, nearly knocking Tweety off his perch.
+As Sylvester, patched up with tape, is resting in his box, he hears a loud "Boing...boing...boing". Surely enough, it's Sam, bouncing on a trampoline in another effort to catch Tweety. Sylvester cuts the trampoline with a pair of scissors and Sam hits the ground with a loud thud, nearly knocking Tweety off his perch.
-Sam then sneaks out again and looks in Sylvester’s window to find him gone, then looks up to discover Sylvester walking on the wire overhead with an umbrella. Sam cuts the wire with a pair of scissors, sending Sylvester crashing through two windows in a building nearby. Sylvester then closes his now bare-wire umbrella as he descends to the ground, and Sam giggles gleefully.
+Sam sneaks out again and looks in Sylvester's window to find him gone, then looks up to discover Sylvester walking on the wire overhead with an umbrella. Sam cuts the wire with a pair of scissors, sending Sylvester crashing through two windows in a building nearby. Sylvester closes his now bare-wire umbrella as he descends to the ground, and Sam giggles gleefully.
 Next, Sylvester dons a Batman costume and soars through the air in an attempt to swoop in on Tweety, but again Sam has thought along the same lines. The two bang heads in mid-air and both plummet back to earth, landing in the garbage dump.
-Sylvester paces the floor trying to think of what to do next, then peeks out the door to see Sam tiptoeing his way over. Sylvester places a coonskin cap in his box and covers it with a blanket, and when Sam sees it he “knocks him out” with a club. Sam then sneaks over to the pole, not realizing that Sylvester is following right behind him. Sam has a balloon on a string held down by a rock already set. He ties the string around his waist (and Sylvester’s), pushes the rock away to release the balloon, and grabs Tweety on the way up, but Sylvester slaps his paw, and again Sam hands him the “just seeing if he was OK” alibi as the two continue to float upward. Sylvester then stabs the balloon with a pin (so that Sam can’t try it again) and the two plunge back to the ground together, to which Tweety responds, “Y’know, I never reawized just being an itty bitty bird could be so compwicated.”
+Sylvester paces the floor trying to think of what to do next, then peeks out the door to see Sam tiptoeing his way over. Sylvester places a coonskin cap in his box and covers it with a blanket, and when Sam sees it he "knocks him out" with a club. Sam sneaks over to the pole, not realizing that Sylvester is following right behind him. Sam has a balloon on a string held down by a rock already set. He ties the string around his waist and Sylvester's, pushes the rock away to release the balloon, and grabs Tweety on the way up, but Sylvester slaps his paw, and again Sam hands him the "just seeing if he was OK" alibi as the two continue to float upward. Sylvester stabs the balloon with a pin so that Sam can't try it again, before realizing what he just did as he and Sam plunge back to the ground together. The impact of their fall almost causes Tweety to fall off of his nest, but he manages to get back up and ends the cartoon by saying, "Y'know, I never reawized just being an itty bitty bird could be so compwicated."
+== Availability ==
+=== Streaming ===
+<gallery>
+lt boomerang.jpg|[[Boomerang]] App (2018 - )
+lt hbo max.jpg|[[HBO Max]] (2020 - 2022)<!--Was available 18 November 2020--> (restored)
+</gallery>
+== Notes ==
+* In the Sega Mega Drive game ''[[Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers]]'', some of the content of this cartoon is in Level 4.
+* Sam Cat would later reappear in "[[Mouse and Garden]]" as Sylvester's frenemy once again, this time fighting with him over a mouse.
+* Although all other [[Cartoon Network]] and [[Boomerang]] stations (including the USA) air very faded copies of the cartoon, a better quality, but still unrestored, copy of the cartoon was shown on Boomerang Italy, the Italian TV station Mediaset Italia 1, the Italian VHS release ''Silvestro e Gonzales in orbita!'' and the French TV station Canal+ Family.{{Citation needed}}
+* Before [[2020]], this short, along with "[[Tweet and Sour]]", "[[Tweet Dreams]]", "[[Tom Tom Tomcat]]", "[[Tugboat Granny]]", "[[Trip for Tat]]", "[[Hyde and Go Tweet]]" and "[[I Taw a Putty Tat]]" were the only Tweety and Sylvester cartoons not restored. In 2020, this cartoon was restored for the HBO Max streaming service.
+== Gallery ==
+<gallery>
+Trick or Tweet.jpg|Title card (faded)
+wb.png|Title card (unrestored)
+File:Screenshot 2021-01-16 at 2.53.31 PM.png|Title card (restored)
+.jpg
+Vlcsnap-2018-09-22-11h20m24s415.png
+TrickorTweetRestored.jpeg|Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration
+</gallery>
+=== TV Title Cards ===
+<gallery>
+Lt trick or tweet sylvester and tweety show.jpg|''[[Sylvester and Tweety]]''
+Screenshot 20191026-115755.jpg|''The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show''
+</gallery>
-== Video ==
+== References ==
+{{reflist}}
-[[File:Tweety & Sylvester - Trick or Tweet (1959) (in another language, HQ)|centre|thumb|480x480px]]
-== Clips ==
+== External Links ==
+* "[https://sfx-resource.fandom.com/wiki/Trick_or_Tweet_(1959) Trick or Tweet]" at the SFX Resource
-[[File:Trick Or Tweet Clip 1|left|thumb]]
-[[File:Trick Or Tweet Clip 3|thumb]]
-[[File:Trick Or Tweet Clip 2|centre|thumb]]
-==Trivia==
+{{-}}
-*In the Sega Mega Drive game [[Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers]], some of the content of this cartoon is in level 4.
-*Similar plot to ''[[Putty Tat Trouble]]''.
 [[Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng]]
 [[Category:Sylvester Cartoons]]
@@ Line 54: / Line 90: @@
 [[Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts]]
 [[Category:Cartoons written by Warren Foster]]
-[[Category:Cartoons animated by Virgil Ross]]
-[[Category:Cartoons animated by Gerry Chiniquy]]
 [[Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn]]
-[[Category:Cartoons animated by Arthur Davis]]
 [[Category:Cartoons with layouts by Hawley Pratt]]
 [[Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Tom O'Loughlin]]