Claws for Alarm

Claws for Alarm is a 1954 Merrie Melodies short directed by Charles M. Jones.
== Plot ==
Porky Pig and Sylvester are driving to Dry Gulch, a ghost town, when Porky decides to stop for the night at the local hotel, a fact that makes Sylvester tremble and to which Porky seems oblivious. Sylvester alone is alert to the danger from murderous mice that have taken up residence in the hotel. The mice remain mostly unseen, except for tiny, malevolent pairs of eyes in dark corners and the moose heads over the main desk and Porky's bed. No matter; Porky declares it to be "a perfectly splendid place to spend the night" and checks in.
Meanwhile, the mice do everything they can to kill or scare Porky and Sylvester. The mice are seen in silhouette beneath a sheet, standing on each other's shoulders as they appear to the frightened cat to be a ghost. As always, Porky does not see the danger until Sylvester has chased the mice away, leaving him holding the bag, or, in one case, the noose the mice have dropped around Porky's neck, out of the way of which the cat has just pushed Porky. Porky demands to know why Sylvester shoved him. Sylvester pantomimes the moose head and the noose dropping from it. Porky then asks the cat if he is "schizoph-phre-eh-schizoph-phre-eh-manic depressive or something?" (later asking, "Is th-there any, uh, in-eh-insanity in your family?"). Sylvester soldiers on all night, guarding his master with a shotgun he had earlier wrested away from the mice.
Dawn finally breaks, driving the ghosts out of the hotel, ending the bleary-eyed cat's vigil as Porky awakes: "Eh, this really is a restful place. Y-you know, I think we'll just stay here for a week or ten days and get really r-rested up." Sylvester gets upset and clubs Porky over the head with the shotgun butt while he is freshening up and singing "Home on the Range," leaving him repeating the first verse many times. Sylvester, meanwhile, loads the car with the luggage and Porky and speeds away from the hotel. After a last look back, Sylvester breathes heavily, thinking he is safe, unaware of the pairs of eyes blinking from the speedometer.
== Reception ==
Some cartoon buffs view "Claws for Alarm" as the creepiest and darkest of the trio of cartoons centered on Porky and Sylvester's weird vacations, noting the simpler drawings and the almost never-seen mice. Emru Townsend, writing for the online animation magazine Frames Per Second, lists "Claws" as one of his favorites for Halloween and comments, "'Claws for Alarm' makes the cut for Halloween because, unlike in the other two cartoons, the sense of fear and dread comes in from the very first frame." Townsend also cites the "true horror-movie fashion" of the ending, where the "monsters" are not completely vanquished.Frames Per Second, Oct. 27 2007
== Availability ==
Gdsfhfdasghgfasgdhbbcxv.jpg|(1993) LaserDisc Ham on Wry
Golden Collection box 3.jpg|(2005) DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 3, Disc Three (with optional audio commentary by John Kricfalusi and Eddie Fitzgerald)
lt cbopp2.jpg|(2007) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Best of Porky Volume 2
LooneyTunesSpotlightVol8-210x300.jpg|(2014) DVD Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Volume 8 Disc 2
lt cv3.jpg|(2018) DVD Looney Tunes Collection Volume 3
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - ) (restored)
== Censorship ==
Much like "Scaredy Cat" and (to a lesser extent) "Jumpin' Jupiter", "Claws for Alarm" has been shown edited on American television:http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-c.aspx
* On CBS and ABC, the scene where Sylvester plugs a gun with his finger and the gun fires, causing the bullet to go through his finger and out via his tail (with Porky sleepily commenting "Mice") was cut.
* On Cartoon Network's pre-2002 airings (CN now airs this cartoon uncut), ABC, Nickelodeon, and the syndicated Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends, the following parts were cut:
** The scene where Sylvester uses a noose to demonstrate to Porky what could have happened to him had Sylvester not saved him was cut on ABC, Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends, and Cartoon Network before 2002, but was left uncut on Nickelodeon (and later on post-2002 CN). This scene was also cut on Cartoon Network (pre-2002) whenever Daffy Duck's Quackbusters aired.
** The scene where a noose lowers on Porky while Porky is sleeping, Sylvester cuts the noose with a razor, and Porky accuses Sylvester of attempted murder was cut on ABC, Merrie Melodies Starring Bugs Bunny & Friends, pre-2002 Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
** The scene where a moosehead has a rifle emerging from its mouth to try and kill Porky, and Sylvester beating it up was cut on pre-2002 Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon.
== Notes ==
* This cartoon was used in the movie Daffy Duck's Quackbusters and the Halloween TV special Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special.
* This is the second of three cartoons teaming Porky Pig and Sylvester (continuing his non-speaking role as Porky's pet) in a spooky setting where only Sylvester is aware of the danger the pair are in. The other two films in the series are "Scaredy Cat" (1948) and "Jumpin' Jupiter" (1955).
* At about four minutes into the cartoon, a mouse resembling a miniature Wile E. Coyote appears with a knife, about to swing down at Porky.
* Sylvester's tail is much more animal-like and bushy, looking similar to the Chuck Jones-created Pepé Le Pew and fellow feline Penelope Pussycat.
* It is likely that, much like "Lumber Jack-Rabbit" (1953), this cartoon was going to be released in 3D. However, due to the brief shutdown of Warner Bros. Cartoons in 1954, it was released in 2D only.
* This cartoon was used in both the 1988 opening for Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon and Looney Tunes on Nick at Nite.
== Gallery ==
Porky and Sylvester in.png
711-Credits1.png
711-Credits2.png
711-LD1.png|Layout drawing
711-BL1.png|Background layout
711-CD1.png|Concept drawing
711-CD2.png|Concept drawing
711-CD3.png|Concept drawings
=== TV Title Cards===
TBBRRS Claws.png|The Bugs Bunny Show
== References ==
Category:Porky Pig Cartoons
Category:Sylvester Cartoons
Category:Cartoons directed by Chuck Jones
Category:Shorts
Category:1954
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons written by Michael Maltese
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer
Category:Cartoons animated by Abe Levitow
Category:Cartoons animated by Richard Thompson
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Philip DeGuard
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with music by Carl W. Stalling
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn