Hold It!

I watched this cartoon as a child on TV. On an old Philco B&W TV. For some reason, later on in my life, I remembered it, and always wondered what is was , the name, and so on. When I found it again , over 40 years later, I was thrilled to see it in color ! The 3D backgrounds in the beginning were very impressive for the time. The story starts kind of sadly, cats thrown out on a cold night. But, these cats can swing ! And Max Fleisher ! A genius. The Popeye / Betty Boop creator. Great animation, cool music, it has become my all time favorite. I actually can sing the song . A ton of fun !

This is an unusual entry in the series since it is not a sentimental fairy tale or a moralistic fable. It is a fast-paced, high energy cartoon about a group of alley cats at night. It seems more like what a Warner's cartoon would become in the 1940s, with a catchy rythmic song that is punctuated by great poses. Song is built around the idea of the children's games of Statue and Red Light. At a certain moment in the song, the lead cat (voiced by Jack Mercer) calls for "Hold it," and all the cats stop in their tracks, striking interesting and amusing poses. Well worth seeking as this short does not get as much exposure as the others.