The Night Watchman

The Night Watchman is a 1938 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles Jones.
== Plot ==
The watchman gets sick, so his son Tommy Cat is enlisted to watch the kitchen. When the gangland-style mice find out that he's the one on duty, they try to take over.
== Availability ==
Golden Age LT Vol 1.jpg|(1991) LaserDisc The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 1, Side 5: Chuck Jones
The golden age of looney tunes vhs 5.jpg|(1991) VHS The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, Volume 5
lt slight case.jpg|(2006) DVD A Slight Case of Murder (USA 1995 Turner print)
LTGC Vol.4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc Four (Original opening, credits and ending; restored)
LTSC4.jpg|(2006) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 4, Disc 2
lt cas5.jpg|(2007) DVD Looney Tunes Collection All Stars Volume 5
lt spotlight df2.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection Volumes 4-5 Repack
=== Streaming ===
Lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2023)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2023 - 2024)
== Censorship ==
On the now-defunct WB channel, the sequence near the end of the short where Tommy Cat punches the mice was shortened.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-n-o.aspx
== Notes ==
* This cartoon was the first short to be directed by Chuck Jones.
** When Frank Tashlin left Termite Terrace after producing "You're an Education", Leon Schlesinger had to find a new animation director to take Tashlin's spot. Schlesinger approached Robert McKimson, but McKimson declined the offer, allowing the offer to go to Chuck Jones.
* This was the first known short to make use of the 1938-39 green and yellow Color Rings with a black background and the shield was reverted to red, which would be used until September 1939.
* For both American and European "dubbed versions" created by Turner Entertainment, recreated Blue Ribbon title cards were made for this short and "Daffy Duck & Egghead", as their AAP prints they were sourced from had their titles excised.http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/blueribbon3.aspx The recreated blue ribbon card had the opening rings from "Count Me Out".
* This was Margaret Talbot's (née Peggy Hill) first short for Chuck Jones, later to do the voice of Sniffles the Mouse. Coincidentally, Tommy Cat bears some facial resemblance to Sniffles, as he served as a prototype for the character.
** A Looney Tunes promotional book from 1939 features both Tommy and Sniffles as separate characters, however.https://www.cartoonbrew.com/classic/rare-1938-looney-tunes-book-found-5389.html
*Much like "Ain't We Got Fun", this short features mice in villain roles rather than the cats. Jones would use similar role reversals in cat-and-mouse in "Scaredy Cat", "Kiss Me Cat" and "Claws for Alarm", but with Sylvester & Pussyfoot having the roles of the victims respectively.
* The scene where the lead gangland mouse pulls of the button from Tommy Cat's suspenders (and Tommy Cat doing the same thing to the lead gangland mouse at the end) is a partial reference to the Mickey Mouse short "Mickey's Rival" by rival studio Disney, where Mortimer Mouse pulls off the buttons from Mickey's shorts.
==Gallery==
NIGHT-WATCHMAN-model-sheet-TOMMY-CAT.jpg
Night-watchman-lobby 555.jpg|Lobby card
Il 570xN.762738278 c7bj.jpg
NIGHT-WATCHMAN-drawing-HOODLUM-300x235.jpg
Night-watchman-draft1-600.jpg
Night-watchman-draft2-600.jpg
NIGHT WATCHMAN.png
Night-watchman.jpg|Comparison of the "original" Blue Ribbon reissue titles and the recreated ones
Oddnightwatchman.jpg|Recreated Blue Ribbon reissue titles
==References==
==External links==
*Animation breakdown
es:The Night Watchman
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Shorts
Category:1938
Category:Blue Ribbon reissues
Category:Cartoons written by Tedd Pierce
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons animated by Keith Darling
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Art Loomer
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown‏
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons produced by Leon Schlesinger
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons in a.a.p. package
Category:Re-released cartoons whose original titles are known to exist
Category:One-Shot Cartoons
Category:Mice