Speedy Gonzales (1955)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Friz Freleng

Writer:

Warren Foster (story)

Release Date:

17 September 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Short | Comedy

Plot:

Starving Mexican mice want access to a cheese factory guarded by Sylvester Cat and send for Speedy Gonzales...

Plot Keywords:

Cheese | Sylvester | Speedy Gonzales | Cat Versus Mouse | Merrie Melodies

Awards:

Won Oscar.

Cast

Mel Blanc	...	Speedy Gonzales / Sylvester / Various Mice (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stan Freberg	...	Mice (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Friz Freleng		(as I. Freleng)

Writing credits
Warren Foster		(story)

Produced by
Edward Selzer	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carl W. Stalling		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Treg Brown		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Treg Brown	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Animation Department
Ted Bonnicksen	....	animator
Gerry Chiniquy	....	animator
Arthur Davis	....	animator
Hawley Pratt	....	layout artist
Irv Wyner	....	background artist

Music Department
Carl W. Stalling	....	musical director (as Carl Stalling)
Milt Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

7 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (video release) | USA:Approved (certificate #16888)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Although this is the second appearance of Speedy Gonzales (his first outing was in Cat-Tails for Two (1953)), he was re-designed after his debut and this is the first appearance of Speedy as we know him today.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Looney Tunes 50th Anniversary (1986) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mexican Hat Dance (El jarabe tapatío)

A thoroughly undeserving star is born

Friz Freleng's 'Speedy Gonzalez' was the second cartoon to feature the title character after Robert McKimson's 'Cat-tails for Two'. In that cartoon, Speedy has been an ugly little creature with a big gold tooth but by his second appearance the famous design had already been adopted. Despite looking significantly more handsome, Speedy never developed into much of a character. A big hat, tremendous speed and a bad Mexican accent do not a classic character make and that's pretty much all Speedy ever had going for him. Nevertheless, the cocky little mouse proved enormously popular and went on to star in many shorts including some truly abysmal films from the studio's latter days. While these early Speedy shorts are better than those later atrocities in which he was frequently (rather oddly) paired up with Daffy Duck, they still leave much to be desired, relying on predictable gags usually based around a similar chase formula. In this self-titled episode, Speedy is recruited by some other mice to steal cheese for them from the local factory which happens to be guarded by Sylvester the cat. Although he brings the extra weight of a star turn to the cartoon, Sylvester's role here could just as easily been filled by any other generic cartoon cat. His personality is sapped by his being forced into the predictable. undemanding role of pursuer. This was always a problem in the Tweety cartoons too but Speedy makes an even duller adversary thanks to his detestable cockiness and the blatant impossibility of his capture. Poor old Sylvester would be forced to appear alongside Speedy for many years to come. Despite it following a pretty basic formula and featuring minimal laughs, 'Speedy Gonzalez' won an Oscar and a thoroughly undeserving star was born.