Mexican Boarders
Encyclopedia
Mexican Boarders is a 1962 Looney Tunes
cartoon
short directed by Friz Freleng
. Voice actors are Mel Blanc
(doing the voices of Sylvester the Cat
and Speedy Gonzales
), Daws Butler
as the narrator, and an uncredited Tom Holland as the voice of Slowpoke Rodriguez.
The cartoon has Sylvester trying to catch Speedy in a house they share in Mexico
. Sylvester switches targets when Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy's cousin, comes to visit. This is the second and final classic Looney Tunes short (after Mexicali Shmoes
) to feature Slowpoke Rodriguez.
, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico", is living in the "fine hacienda
of José Álvaro Meléndez" in an unnamed "big city" in Mexico where fellow resident Sylvester the Cat (dubbed "Sylvero Gato" here) is "the most pooped cat in all Mexico" from his futile attempts to catch Speedy. The cat is shown trying pep pills to get the energy needed to catch the mouse, to no effect. Their pursuit is interrupted when Speedy's country cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, knocks on the door.
Taller, thinner, and slower talking than Speedy, Slowpoke arrives carrying a bindle stick and singing "La Cucaracha
". The cat, seeing easier prey, lets Slowpoke into the hacienda where he is quickly rescued by Speedy. Complaining of hunger, Slowpoke sets out for the kitchen to get food only to be rescued again by Speedy. Speedy successfully raids the kitchen for cheese but Slowpoke complains that his cousin forgot the Tabasco sauce
. During this second raid, the cat paints the floor with glue and actually catches Speedy but winds up swallowing the hot sauce, not the mouse, and Speedy escapes.
After a very large meal, Slowpoke announces that he's ready for dessert. An incredulous Speedy makes another raid on the pantry where the cat has put up a wire mesh to stop the mice. Speedy runs right through the large holes with Sylvero right behind, stretching the mesh but passing through apparently unharmed. As the chase continues, the cat falls to pieces one cube at a time.
That night, as Slowpoke and Speedy go to sleep in bunk bed
s made from match boxes, Slowpoke protests that he's still hungry and gets up to stage his own kitchen raid over Speedy's objections. Slowpoke reassures him, "maybe Slowpoke is pretty slow downstairs in the feet, but he is pretty fast upstairs in the cabeza
." The cat does swiftly capture Slowpoke but the mouse instantly mesmerize
s the cat, making him am unwilling servant to bring them food and cool them with a fan.
". ("La cucaracha, la cucaracha, Ya no puede caminar, Porque no tiene, porque le falta, Marijuana que fumar." This translates as "The cockroach
, the cockroach, Now he can't go traveling, Because he doesn't have, because he lacks, Marijuana to smoke.") Mexican Boarders was one of several "Speedy Gonzales" shorts edited by Cartoon Network
to avoid offending modern sensibilities then dropped from its lineup for several years.
. The unedited cartoon was released on DVD
in November 2006 on the third disc of Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Four. This DVD release includes a commentary track by animator Greg Ford
.
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
short directed by Friz Freleng
Friz Freleng
Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....
. Voice actors are Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
(doing the voices of Sylvester the Cat
Sylvester (Looney Tunes)
Sylvester J. Pussycat, Sr., Sylvester the Cat or simply Sylvester, is a fictional character, a three-time Academy Award-winning anthropomorphic Tuxedo cat in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies repertory, often chasing Tweety Bird, Speedy Gonzales, or Hippety Hopper...
and Speedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales is an animated caricature of a mouse in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fast and speaking with an exaggerated Mexican accent...
), Daws Butler
Daws Butler
Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors...
as the narrator, and an uncredited Tom Holland as the voice of Slowpoke Rodriguez.
The cartoon has Sylvester trying to catch Speedy in a house they share in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Sylvester switches targets when Slowpoke Rodriguez, Speedy's cousin, comes to visit. This is the second and final classic Looney Tunes short (after Mexicali Shmoes
Mexicali Shmoes
Mexicali Shmoes is a 1959 Looney Tunes cartoon short directed by Friz Freleng. Voice actors are Mel Blanc as the voices of cats Jose and Manuel and Speedy Gonzales plus an uncredited Tom Holland as the voice of Slowpoke Rodriguez....
) to feature Slowpoke Rodriguez.
Plot
Speedy GonzalesSpeedy Gonzales
Speedy Gonzales is an animated caricature of a mouse in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons. He is portrayed as "The Fastest Mouse in all Mexico" with his major traits being the ability to run extremely fast and speaking with an exaggerated Mexican accent...
, "the fastest mouse in all Mexico", is living in the "fine hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
of José Álvaro Meléndez" in an unnamed "big city" in Mexico where fellow resident Sylvester the Cat (dubbed "Sylvero Gato" here) is "the most pooped cat in all Mexico" from his futile attempts to catch Speedy. The cat is shown trying pep pills to get the energy needed to catch the mouse, to no effect. Their pursuit is interrupted when Speedy's country cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez, knocks on the door.
Taller, thinner, and slower talking than Speedy, Slowpoke arrives carrying a bindle stick and singing "La Cucaracha
La Cucaracha
"La Cucaracha" is a traditional Spanish folk corrido that became popular in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. It has additionally become a verse played on car horns.-Origins:...
". The cat, seeing easier prey, lets Slowpoke into the hacienda where he is quickly rescued by Speedy. Complaining of hunger, Slowpoke sets out for the kitchen to get food only to be rescued again by Speedy. Speedy successfully raids the kitchen for cheese but Slowpoke complains that his cousin forgot the Tabasco sauce
Tabasco sauce
Tabasco sauce is the brand name for a hot sauce produced by US-based McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, Louisiana. Tabasco sauce is made from tabasco peppers , vinegar, and salt, and aged in white oak barrels for three years. It has a hot, spicy flavor...
. During this second raid, the cat paints the floor with glue and actually catches Speedy but winds up swallowing the hot sauce, not the mouse, and Speedy escapes.
After a very large meal, Slowpoke announces that he's ready for dessert. An incredulous Speedy makes another raid on the pantry where the cat has put up a wire mesh to stop the mice. Speedy runs right through the large holes with Sylvero right behind, stretching the mesh but passing through apparently unharmed. As the chase continues, the cat falls to pieces one cube at a time.
That night, as Slowpoke and Speedy go to sleep in bunk bed
Bunk bed
A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another. The nature of bunk beds allows two people to sleep in the same room while maximizing available floor space...
s made from match boxes, Slowpoke protests that he's still hungry and gets up to stage his own kitchen raid over Speedy's objections. Slowpoke reassures him, "maybe Slowpoke is pretty slow downstairs in the feet, but he is pretty fast upstairs in the cabeza
Cabeza
Cabeza, sometimes cabeça, is a Spanish word meaning "head". In Mexican cuisine, it is used to describe the meat from a roasted head of a cow, served as a taco or burrito filling....
." The cat does swiftly capture Slowpoke but the mouse instantly mesmerize
Animal magnetism
Animal magnetism , in modern usage, refers to a person's sexual attractiveness or raw charisma. As postulated by Franz Mesmer in the 18th century, the term referred to a supposed magnetic fluid or ethereal medium believed to reside in the bodies of animate beings...
s the cat, making him am unwilling servant to bring them food and cool them with a fan.
Censorship
On his arrival, Slowpoke sings the traditional first verse of "La CucarachaLa Cucaracha
"La Cucaracha" is a traditional Spanish folk corrido that became popular in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. It has additionally become a verse played on car horns.-Origins:...
". ("La cucaracha, la cucaracha, Ya no puede caminar, Porque no tiene, porque le falta, Marijuana que fumar." This translates as "The cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
, the cockroach, Now he can't go traveling, Because he doesn't have, because he lacks, Marijuana to smoke.") Mexican Boarders was one of several "Speedy Gonzales" shorts edited by Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
to avoid offending modern sensibilities then dropped from its lineup for several years.
Other media
Portions of this short were edited into the 1964 short Road to Andalay and the 1982 feature film Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit TalesBugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales
Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales is a 1982 Looney Tunes film with a compilation of classic Warner Bros. cartoon shorts and animated bridging sequences, hosted by Bugs Bunny...
. The unedited cartoon was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in November 2006 on the third disc of Looney Tunes Golden Collection, Volume Four. This DVD release includes a commentary track by animator Greg Ford
Greg Ford
Greg Ford is an animator, director, historian and consultant to Warner Bros. Animation. He is perhaps best known for directing the films Daffy Duck's Quackbusters and Bunny .-Biography:...
.