Sandy Claws (Looney Tunes)
Encyclopedia
Sandy Claws' is a 1955
animated Warner Bros.
Looney Tunes
cartoon directed by Friz Freleng
starring Sylvester
and Tweety
. The voices are performed by Mel Blanc
and Bea Benaderet
.
"Sandy Claws" marks the final time Benaderet would voice the character of Granny; hereafter, Granny would be voiced by June Foray
. In addition, after the release of this short, the character of Granny would be overhauled. Her appearance and dress would be updated (starting with "Red Riding Hoodwinked
"), and while her cheerful demeanour would be retained (with a few exceptions), her old-fashioned characteristics and mannerisms—such as her dress and inability to relate to present-day trends—would be de-emphasized.
has taken Tweety to the beach for the day. Granny tells Tweety she can't wait to try on her new "bikini bathing suit
" and promises to return right away. Meanwhile, Sylvester is fishing on the pier and, after pointing a gun at a worm, is immediately swallowed by a huge fish. After expressing his disgust about his lack of success, the cat spots Tweety in his cage, sitting on a rock across the pier and unguarded. Sylvester thinks he's in for a free meal ... until the tide comes in and washes Sylvester away. The high waters surround Tweety's cage, leaving the bird to yell for help.
Sylvester then devises a variety of tricks to stay dry and ferry himself across the flooded beach to get at his meal:
Eventually, Granny (who emerges from the bathhouse in an old-fashioned, turn-of-the-20th century one-piece bathing suit and shower cap) sees the flooded beach and Sylvster attempting to get at Tweety. Unaware of Sylvester's true motives, Granny believes the cat is attempting to rescue the bird and—in a change of her usual attitude toward him—offers to help Sylvester. At one point, both are washed away when the tide comes in again; this happens after Sylvester gets knocked silly after hitting his head against the dock, and Granny tries to help him come to by splashing water on him (Sylvester: "Sufferin' succotash! You didn't have to overdo it!").
Later, Granny gives Sylvester a diving suit and keeps watch over the air pressure. Just then, a frustrated Tweety realizes that the only way he'll be rescued is if he rows his cage ashore himself ... which he does successfully. Granny sees Tweety come ashore and joyously runs to reunite with her beloved canary. She then forgets about the "heroic pussycat," who in Granny's diverted attention has allowed the air pressure machine to shut off, leaving Sylvester without any oxygen. Granny over-compensates by hastily pumping the machine, dangerously over-inflating the suit. Sylvester manages to free himself, just as Granny is talking with Tweety about her appreciation of the cat's rescue efforts; she tells the bird, "He certainly deserves a just reward!" Which Sylvester does, but a very nasty one: a safe landing in the city dog pound!
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
animated Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
Looney Tunes
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 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....
starring Sylvester
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 Tweety
Tweety
Tweety Bird is a fictional Yellow Canary in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated cartoons. The name "Tweety" is a play on words, as it originally meant "sweetie", along with "tweet" being a typical English onomatopoeia for the sounds of birds...
. The voices are performed by 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...
and Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet
Bea Benaderet was an American actress born in New York City and raised in San Francisco, California. She is best remembered for her wide variety of television work, which included a starring role in the 1960s television series Petticoat Junction and Green Acres as Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate...
.
"Sandy Claws" marks the final time Benaderet would voice the character of Granny; hereafter, Granny would be voiced by June Foray
June Foray
June Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
. In addition, after the release of this short, the character of Granny would be overhauled. Her appearance and dress would be updated (starting with "Red Riding Hoodwinked
Red Riding Hoodwinked
Red Riding Hoodwinked is a "Looney Tunes" cartoon animated short starring Tweety and Sylvester. Released October 29, 1955, the cartoon is directed by Friz Freleng...
"), and while her cheerful demeanour would be retained (with a few exceptions), her old-fashioned characteristics and mannerisms—such as her dress and inability to relate to present-day trends—would be de-emphasized.
Synopsis
GrannyGranny (Looney Tunes)
Granny is a co-star of many Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird animated shorts throughout the 1950s and 1960s, is a Looney Tunes character that was created by Tex Avery. She is the owner of Tweety . Granny's voice was first provided by Bea Benaderet from 1937 through 1953...
has taken Tweety to the beach for the day. Granny tells Tweety she can't wait to try on her new "bikini bathing suit
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
" and promises to return right away. Meanwhile, Sylvester is fishing on the pier and, after pointing a gun at a worm, is immediately swallowed by a huge fish. After expressing his disgust about his lack of success, the cat spots Tweety in his cage, sitting on a rock across the pier and unguarded. Sylvester thinks he's in for a free meal ... until the tide comes in and washes Sylvester away. The high waters surround Tweety's cage, leaving the bird to yell for help.
Sylvester then devises a variety of tricks to stay dry and ferry himself across the flooded beach to get at his meal:
- Lowering himself toward the bird's cage by tying his fishing line around his chest; however, the line comes out of the reel, sending the cat into the river.
- Driving a motorboat to the perch, but failing to notice the boat is still tied to the dock.
- Powering himself with an outboard motor and a pair of waterskiis. However, he crashes into the rock.
- Inflating a pair of balloons to use as water wings; he is immedaitely surrounded by a half dozen hungry sharks, who bite at the cat. Sylvester gets away, de-furred to the point where it appears he's wearing a Tarzan-like loincloth. After doing Tarzan's trademark chest-beating and howl, he collapses on the sandbar.
Eventually, Granny (who emerges from the bathhouse in an old-fashioned, turn-of-the-20th century one-piece bathing suit and shower cap) sees the flooded beach and Sylvster attempting to get at Tweety. Unaware of Sylvester's true motives, Granny believes the cat is attempting to rescue the bird and—in a change of her usual attitude toward him—offers to help Sylvester. At one point, both are washed away when the tide comes in again; this happens after Sylvester gets knocked silly after hitting his head against the dock, and Granny tries to help him come to by splashing water on him (Sylvester: "Sufferin' succotash! You didn't have to overdo it!").
Later, Granny gives Sylvester a diving suit and keeps watch over the air pressure. Just then, a frustrated Tweety realizes that the only way he'll be rescued is if he rows his cage ashore himself ... which he does successfully. Granny sees Tweety come ashore and joyously runs to reunite with her beloved canary. She then forgets about the "heroic pussycat," who in Granny's diverted attention has allowed the air pressure machine to shut off, leaving Sylvester without any oxygen. Granny over-compensates by hastily pumping the machine, dangerously over-inflating the suit. Sylvester manages to free himself, just as Granny is talking with Tweety about her appreciation of the cat's rescue efforts; she tells the bird, "He certainly deserves a just reward!" Which Sylvester does, but a very nasty one: a safe landing in the city dog pound!