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Heir-Conditioned is a 1955 Looney Tunes short directed by Friz Freleng.

Title[]

The title is a pun on "air-conditioned"

Plot[]

In an urban neighborhood, an alley cat, whilst looking for food, comes across a discarded newspaper that reads: "Pet Cat Inherits Fortune. Mrs. Sarah Van Schmoot Leaves Pet Cat Entire Estate." Further reading reveals that Sylvester is the heir to his mistress' fortune, whilst Elmer Fudd has been assigned as his financial advisor. The cat promptly decides to spread word to the other alley cats, each stating increasingly speculative amounts about how much Sylvester had inherited (including a cameo by Tweety).

The next day, Sylvester revels in his newly-acquired wealth, briefly thanking a portrait of his mistress for the inheritence. Elmer, however, is more concerned that he should be using it responsibly. When the alley cats arrive at the house to try and visit Sylvester, a paranoid Elmer kicks the cats out. As the cats stake out the house, Elmer, while putting the money into a Gladstone bag, tells Sylvester off on how his idle cash should be put to work for him and that his street cat friends are possibly plotting to take it for themselves. Believing that Elmer is simply not allowing Sylvester to even spend a dime on himself, the alley cats decide that they should help Sylvester out. Sure enough, the cats try to take the money out by cutting a hole in the floor beneath the bag. Noticing this, Elmer quickly substitutes it with an identical bag, into which he puts a lit stick of dynamite as it is being lowered beneath the floor. After the explosion, the bag's charred frames are lifted back up and nails are hammerd in from underneath.

Elmer then suggests to Sylvester that he should invest his money in good companies that would pay him a good return. The paranoid cat however is frightened he will simply lose his fortune of he does that and tries to run off it with, only to have it ripped from his hands by Elmer. The doorbell then rings and Elmer goes to answer it; he is met with two cats, each disguised as a poor widow and her underprivileged baby seeking help, complete with soap flakes being poured from above by another cat to emulate snow. Elmer very nearly falls for it, asking them if a few dollars would help, until the "baby" suddenly speaks and suggests that $50,000 would tide them over. Elmer, realising the trick, slams the door on them. The "widow" cat gives the "baby" cat a thrashing as they walk away, as the latter was specifically instructed not to talk. With this distraction, Sylvester runs up the stairs with the money in a different bag until Elmer follows him and drags him back down again, bag and all.

Afterwards, Elmer tries to make a point on how putting Sylvester's fortune to work would benefit both the cat and everyone else, using the telephone as an example of how people benefitted from investing in an idea. The doorbell is heard again, being rung by another disguised cat, this time posing as a salesman in the hope that Elmer will buy something from him with the money. The cat, named Charlie, introduces himself as a representative of the "Hi-Ho Silver Cleaner Company of Walla Walla, Washington" (while quietly telling Sylvester that his cat friends will get him out of his situation) and explains that he is offering "silver cleaner" at $135 a bottle, along with being authorized to allow Elmer to buy a half interest in the company for $50,000. Borrowing Elmer's pocket watch (and quietly telling Sylvester to be patient), he tries to demonstrate the "silver cleaner" by dipping the watch into it, but it ends up destroying the watch instead. Realizing he won't get the money now, the cat decides to take his leave claiming he has several more house calls to make, reminding Elmer to get in touch with the Silver Cleaner Company if he ever wants to buy an interest in them (also quietly telling Sylvester "better luck next time"). Elmer expresses his annoyance that he was almost tricked again.

Finally, Elmer manages an extensive lecture on the benefits of good investment on the economy with an educational film to illustrate the point. While Sylvester is not convinced, the cats outside see the film themselves and are persuaded to the point when Sylvester manages to get the money to them, they demand he doesn't "upset their economic structure" and give it over to Elmer to invest. Defeated, Sylvester gives in and angrily growls to the portrait of his mistress that she would have "saved him a lot of headaches if she found a way to take it with her".

Availability[]

Streaming[]

Quotes[]

  • Tweety: Ooh, three million dollars? (Tweety's only remark here in this cartoon)
  • Salescat: How do you do, friend? I represent the Hi-Ho Silver Cleaner Company of Walla Walla, Washington. (to Sylvester) Don't worry, kid, we'll get you out of this. This cleaner sells for the small sum of $135 a bottle and for $50,000, I am authorized to allow you to buy a half interest in the company. It performs miracles on precious metals such as gold and silver. I'll just borrow your watch for a moment. Thank you, sir. (to Sylvester) Be patient, kid. And now, observe. I pour a little of this miracle liquid into the bowl. Now I dip the article to be cleaned into the solution and presto, a brand new... (realizes he just destroyed the watch) Well, since I have several more calls to make, I must be moving along. But if you ever want to buy an interest in the Silver Cleaner Company- (to Sylvester) Sorry, kid. Better luck next time. -just get in touch with the Hi-Ho Silver Cleaner Company of Walla Walla, Washington, friend.

Censorship[]

  • The version of this cartoon that aired as part of ABC's The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show cut the part where an alley cat comes out of a trash can to announce the news of Sylvester's inheritance, but gets stopped when someone offscreen hurls a clothes iron in the cat's face.
  • When this short aired on WKBD in the 1980s, the first 2 minutes were cut due to time constraints, so the short now begins with Sylvester's cat friends singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fella".[2]
  • When this short aired on WSAZ in the 1980s, the first minute and 15 seconds were cut due to time constraints, so the short now begins in the middle of the scene where the bell that one of Sylvester's friends is ringing travels to another one of Sylvester friends through a water pipe in order to tell him about Sylvester's inheritance.[3]

Notes[]

  • It is the second of three Looney Tunes shorts underwritten by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, along with "By Word of Mouse" and "Yankee Dood It".
  • This is one of many 1955-56 cartoons to end with the red Color Rings instead of the green rings.
  • This plays in PAL audio in Turner channels like Cartoon Network.
  • Tweety also made a cameo here, but just a five-second cameo, as another cat had him and nearly ate him, until hearing of Sylvester's inheritance, and Tweety marked his only remark here. It's the only cartoon to co-star Elmer Fudd and Tweety during the Golden Age of American Animation.
  • This cartoon was reissued in September 1964, making it the first cartoon to be reissued in the 1964-65 season under DePatie-Freleng Enterprises. However, due to extremely low budgets from the studio, the opening/closing rings were not altered. All shorts reissued starting from this season will retain their original titles.

Gallery[]

References[]

Elmer Fudd Cartoons
1937 Little Red Walking Hood
1938 The Isle of Pingo PongoCinderella Meets FellaA Feud There WasJohnny Smith and Poker-Huntas
1939 Hamateur NightA Day at the ZooBelieve It or Else
1940 Elmer's Candid CameraConfederate HoneyThe Hardship of Miles StandishA Wild HareGood Night Elmer
1941 Elmer's Pet RabbitWabbit Twouble
1942 The Wabbit Who Came to SupperAny Bonds Today?The Wacky WabbitNutty NewsFresh HareThe Hare-Brained Hypnotist
1943 To Duck .... or Not to DuckA Corny ConcertoAn Itch in Time
1944 The Old Grey HareThe Stupid CupidStage Door Cartoon
1945 The Unruly HareHare Tonic
1946 Hare RemoverThe Big Snooze
1947 Easter YeggsA Pest in the HouseSlick Hare
1948 What Makes Daffy DuckBack Alley Op-RoarKit for Cat
1949 Wise QuackersHare DoEach Dawn I Crow
1950 What's Up Doc?The Scarlet PumpernickelRabbit of Seville
1951 Rabbit Fire
1952 Rabbit Seasoning
1953 Upswept HareAnt PastedDuck! Rabbit, Duck!Robot Rabbit
1954 Design for LeavingQuack Shot
1955 Pests for GuestsBeanstalk BunnyHare BrushRabbit RampageThis Is a Life?Heir-Conditioned
1956 Bugs' BonnetsA Star Is BoredYankee Dood ItWideo Wabbit
1957 What's Opera, Doc?Rabbit Romeo
1958 Don't Axe MePre-Hysterical Hare
1959 A Mutt in a Rut
1960 Person to BunnyDog Gone People
1961 What's My Lion?
1962 Crows' Feat
1980 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bunny
1990 Box Office Bunny
1991 (Blooper) Bunny
1992 Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers
2012 Daffy's Rhapsody
Tweety Cartoons
1942 A Tale of Two Kitties
1944 Birdy and the Beast
1945 A Gruesome Twosome
1947 Tweetie Pie
1948 I Taw a Putty Tat
1949 Bad Ol' Putty Tat
1950 Home, Tweet HomeAll a Bir-r-r-dCanary Row
1951 Putty Tat TroubleRoom and BirdTweety's S.O.S.Tweet Tweet Tweety
1952 Gift WrappedAin't She TweetA Bird in a Guilty Cage
1953 Snow BusinessFowl WeatherTom Tom TomcatA Street Cat Named SylvesterCatty Cornered
1954 Dog PoundedMuzzle ToughSatan's Waitin'
1955 Sandy ClawsTweety's CircusRed Riding HoodwinkedHeir-Conditioned
1956 Tweet and SourTree Cornered TweetyTugboat Granny
1957 Tweet ZooTweety and the BeanstalkBirds AnonymousGreedy for Tweety
1958 A Pizza Tweety-PieA Bird in a Bonnet
1959 Trick or TweetTweet and LovelyTweet Dreams
1960 Hyde and Go TweetTrip for Tat
1961 The Rebel Without ClawsThe Last Hungry Cat
1962 The Jet Cage
1964 Hawaiian Aye Aye
2011 I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat
Sylvester Cartoons
1945 Life with FeathersPeck Up Your Troubles
1946 Kitty Kornered
1947 Tweetie PieCrowing PainsDoggone CatsCatch as Cats Can
1948 Back Alley OproarI Taw a Putty TatHop, Look and ListenKit for CatScaredy Cat
1949 Mouse MazurkaBad Ol' Putty TatHippety Hopper
1950 Home, Tweet HomeThe Scarlet PumpernickelAll a Bir-r-r-dCanary RowStooge for a MousePop 'Im Pop!
1951 Canned FeudPutty Tat TroubleRoom and BirdTweety's S.O.S.Tweet Tweet Tweety
1952 Who's Kitten Who?Gift WrappedLittle Red Rodent HoodAin't She TweetHoppy Go LuckyA Bird in a Guilty CageTree for Two
1953 Snow BusinessA Mouse DividedFowl WeatherTom Tom TomcatA Street Cat Named SylvesterCatty CorneredCats A-weigh!
1954 Dog PoundedBell HoppyDr. Jerkyl's HideClaws for AlarmMuzzle ToughSatan's Waitin'By Word of Mouse
1955 Lighthouse MouseSandy ClawsTweety's CircusJumpin' JupiterA Kiddies KittySpeedy GonzalesRed Riding HoodwinkedHeir-ConditionedPappy's Puppy
1956 Too Hop to HandleTweet and SourTree Cornered TweetyThe Unexpected PestTugboat GrannyThe Slap-Hoppy MouseYankee Dood It
1957 Tweet ZooTweety and the BeanstalkBirds AnonymousGreedy for TweetyMouse-Taken IdentityGonzales' Tamales
1958 A Pizza Tweety-PieA Bird in a Bonnet
1959 Trick or TweetTweet and LovelyCat's PawHere Today, Gone TamaleTweet Dreams
1960 West of the PesosGoldimouse and the Three CatsHyde and Go TweetMouse and GardenTrip for Tat
1961 Cannery WoeHoppy DazeBirds of a FatherD' Fightin' OnesThe Rebel Without ClawsThe Pied Piper of GuadalupeThe Last Hungry Cat
1962 Fish and SlipsMexican BoardersThe Jet Cage
1963 Mexican Cat DanceChili WeatherClaws in the Lease
1964 A Message to GraciasFreudy CatNuts and VoltsHawaiian Aye AyeRoad to Andalay
1965 It's Nice to Have a Mouse Around the HouseCats and BruisesThe Wild Chase
1966 A Taste of Catnip
1980 The Yolks on You
1995 Carrotblanca
1997 Father of the Bird
2011 I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat
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