The Cagey Canary

The Cagey Canary is a 1941 Merrie Melodies short planned by Tex Avery and finished by Bob Clampett.
== Title ==
The title is a play on a "caged canary," "cagey" meaning one who is cautious when it comes to revealing information.
== Plot ==
A cat tries to catch a canary, but he is stopped by Granny and she threatens to throw him out in the rain. The cat tries some devious tricks to get the bird, but he is always interrupted by the canary's whistle. The canary even gets the cat to whistle by showing him a picture of a pretty girl. The canary taunts the cat while flying to and from his cage, but the cat is waiting for him, and the canary escapes. In desperation, the cat puts ear muffs on Granny while she is sleeping. The canary tries whistling but to no avail, so he makes all sorts of noises before hitting the cat with a wall ironing board, allowing the canary to remove the earmuffs from Granny. Finally, the cat has had enough, so he lets himself out in the rain. The canary is victorious, but his victory doesn't last as Granny wakes and is angry. The frightened canary flies out in the rain too. Left all alone in a barrel with the cat, the canary asks if anyone is interested in a homeless cat and canary.
== Availability ==
Gafgsg.jpg|8mm (Associated Artists Productions print)
Golden-Age-of-Looney-Tunes-3-F.jpg|(1992) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes Volume 3, Side 5: Early Avery
LTCE VOL 8 TEX-BOOK LOONEY.jpg|(2000) VHS Looney Tunes: The Collectors Edition Volume 8: Tex-Book Looney (1995 Turner dubbed version)
Lt tg retro.jpg|(2008) DVDTiti et Grosminet Rétrospective 1941-2003 (with French subtitles)
Hs5e4je6rk7gyu.jpg|(2008) DVDTweety and Sylvester (with French subtitles)
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023) (restored)
lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - 2024) (restored)
== Notes ==
* This cartoon features a cat and bird pairing, predating the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons. 
** Incidentally, Bob Clampett, who finished the cartoon when Tex Avery had left the studio, would direct the first Tweety cartoon, released a year later; further when Clampett was the original director for the short "Tweetie Pie" where Sylvester and Tweety finally meet, he would leave the studio for television leading to that short to be taken up by Friz Freleng who would be the main director for the iconic duo from then on.
** Tex Avery would direct a cartoon with a similar plot in his MGM years titled "King-Size Canary", released in 1947.
* This was one of the three cartoons that Tex Avery planned to make in 1941, but were completed by Bob Clampett due to Avery's departure. The other two cartoons are "Aloha Hooey" and "Crazy Cruise".
** This is the first cartoon Bob Clampett directed using Tex Avery's unit.
* The cartoon's original opening and ending titles were cut when reissued in 1947. However, a cel of the original titles are known to exist.
** A film element of the original titles is presumed lost, as the restored version on HBO Max instead uses the Blue Ribbon reissue titles.
== Gallery ==
Proto-Sylvester.png|The cat
Proto-Tweety.png|The canary
Proto-Sylvester3.png
Crackers for cat.png
Granny1.png|Proto-Granny in bed
Proto-Sylvester2.png
CageyRESTOREDBIG.jpeg|Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration
CageyMODEL1.png|Model sheet 1
CageyMODEL2.png|Model sheet 2
Cagey Cat.jpg|Model sheet 3
File:The Cagey Canary (1941) - Chase.jpg
File:Production Canary.jpg|Animation drawing
File:Tex Avery and Bob Clampet.jpg|Background painting
== References ==
 
Category:1941
Category:Granny Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Cartoons directed by Tex Avery
Category:Cartoons directed by Bob Clampett
Category:Cartoons animated by Charles McKimson
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by John Didrik Johnsen
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package
Category:One-Shot Cartoons
Category:Cartoons with missing Leon Schlesinger credits
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist
Category:Cartoons with uncredited directors