The Fifth-Column Mouse (Fifth Column Mouse) (1943) - Merrie Melodies Theatrical Cartoon Series

Probably the best, most entertaining war related, "propaganda" cartoon of all time. First viewed in the late 1950s, when I was a budding film fan; reviewed again last month (on an old VHS tape purchased years back) to find not of the magic had been lost. This should have achieved cult status by now, or at least been restored & reissued on DVD.

he did it before, he did it again!

For some reason in Looney Tunes, black cats really DO mean bad luck. For the cats, that is. Whether chasing birds, mice, or even worms, black cats (especially Sylvester) can't seem to catch a break. The cat in this cartoon almost did, however. At one point, he had a whole bunch of mice serving him. But, then it all collasped, thanks to a dog machine. This cartoon was based on WWII. As a kid, I watched this with my grandpa, who fought in WWII. As we watched the cartoon, he told me what everything represented. My favorite part was watching the mice army prepare their dog machine.

Superficially, it's a typical cat and mouse cartoon. Actually, it is an extended metaphor (or analogy) of the events leading up to World War II. A certifiable masterpiece by Freleng.