Naughty but Mice is a 1939 Merrie Melodies short directed by Chuck Jones.
Title[]
The title is a play on the 1939 film Naughty but Nice.
Plot[]
Sniffles is walking down a street, carrying a piece of paper. He seems to have a common cold and, after looking at the name of the drug store outside which he is standing, he looks at the paper in his hands, which is ripped, but gives details what to do about the cold virus. Satisfied that he is outside the right store, Sniffles creeps in through the letter box in the door. He looks around and eventually spots the cold and flu remedies and makes his way to the shelf. He finds a bottle that claims to be a cold remedy but also has in small writing the moniker "Alcohol 125% proof", which he either doesn't read or chooses to ignore. He opens the bottle, pours some of the mixture onto a handy spoon, and drinks it.
Now getting slightly tipsy, Sniffles makes his way along the shelf and bumps into a box containing an electric razor. The razor comes out of its' box and, using a buzzing noise which can still be understood, the razor greets Sniffles. Sniffles advises the razor that he has a cold, before promptly sneezing. Moments later, the razor also begins to show symptoms of the common cold. Sniffles informs the razor that he has a cold and promises to get a cold remedy. After telling the razor several times not to move anywhere he leaves and comes back with the spoon filled with the same cold remedy he had taken some minutes before. Now both Sniffles and the razor are feeling drunk and partake in a rendition of "How Dry I Am". The razor then seems to get tired and Sniffles walks away. As he does so, a heretofore hidden black cat begins to follow him. Sniffles finds a claw vending machine and makes his way inside as something has grabbed his attention. The cat finds coins in a pocket and tries to grab Sniffles. Eventually he succeeds and Sniffles, who had been oblivious to the existence of the cat, begins to get very scared. Fortunately for Sniffles, the razor wakes up and begins to attack the cat, shaving off the cats fur. The cat runs away. Sniffles thanks the razor, sneezes again and is blown backwards, and into the claw of the vending machine. Sniffles smiles, hanging from the claw by his trousers.
Availability[]
The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Vol. 4, Side 9: Sniffles
Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection, Disc 1 (restored)
Looney Tunes Mouse Chronicles: The Chuck Jones Collection, Disc 1 (restored)
Gallery[]
_-_City.jpg "Naughty but Mice (1939) - City.jpg (596 KB)")
_-_Drugstore.jpg "Naughty but Mice (1939) - Drugstore.jpg (369 KB)")
Notes[]
- This cartoon marks the debut of Sniffles.
- This is the only Sniffles cartoon not to be reissued in the Blue Ribbon program, and therefore keeps its original titles.
- Vitaphone release number: 8861
References[]