A Tale of Two Kitties is a 1942 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodiescartoon directed by Bob Clampett, written by Warren Foster, and features music by Carl W. Stalling. The short was released on November 21, 1942, and stars Tweety, who delivers the line that would become his catchphrase: "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" This short subject is notable for being Tweety Bird's debut, although the bird was known as Orson in this short, according to the staff. The cartoon was also the first appearance of Babbit and Catstello, based on the popular comedy duo Abbott and Costello. The title is an obvious pun on the Charles Dickens classic, A Tale of Two Cities. Even in this initial appearance, Tweety reveals early on that his cute appearance masks a willingness to be merciless, even sadistic, towards anyone who threatens him. After slipping one of the cats a bomb which explodes, the bird remarks, "Aw, da poor putty tat—he cwushed his widdow head!" Followed by a big grin. This is one of the few Tweety shorts that did not feature his main antagonistSylvester, who would make his official debut in Life with Feathers. A Tale of Two Kitties is remarkable due to a clearly adult reference in 1942. Catstello broke the fourth wall, took a direct shot at the Hays Office, and made a thinly-veiled reference to giving the middle finger. The short was reissued as a Blue Ribbon cartoon on July 31, 1948. Associated Artists Productions acquired the short's distribution rights for television. United Artists, the successor of a.a.p.'s ownership, failed to renew the copyright in time in 1970, so the short is now in the public domain in the United States. As such, it can also be found on bootleg home video VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray sets.
Plot
Two cats, Babbit and Catstello, are looking for food to alleviate their hunger. Babbit gets a ladder when they see a bird. Catstello is at first reluctant, but manages to go up the ladder. After several failed attempts, Babbit and Catstello construct a makeshift glider and try to swoop down and catch the bird, but the bird reports and air raid, followed by a blackout, and Catstello is shut down. The bird walks by, and just as Babbit and Catstello are about to catch him, the bird screams at the cats to "TURN OUT THOSE LIGHTS!"
