This film is featured as bonus material on the special-edition of THE ARISTOCATS.
PINOCCHIO's Figaro the cat gets his moment in the spotlight in this 1946 Walt Disney short cartoon. It's bath day and Figaro doesn't want to take one. Making matters worse, his owner primps him out with a big red bow. Adding insult to injury, when he heads outside afterward, he is picked on as a sissy by the mangy alley cats.
The premise is simple. One of the funniest touches was making Minnie Mouse Figaro's owner. There's something strange about a giant rodent trying to bathe a kitten. While director Charles A. Nichols and writer Eric Gurney fit in some nice gags, this 7-minute short lacks the energy that was signature to Looney Tunes shorts from the same era. The timing even feels slow at times. While the gags aren't the best, the premise contains enough overall irony that is doesn't lack all charms. Even though Figaro gets treated like a wimp that's not the impression he leaves in the end.
Definitely not one of the best shorts from the classic era of short cartoons, it's still worth a watch for fans of animation or for the little ones. Others interested in seeing a great Disney short from the same year should check out CASEY AT THE BAT instead.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
