Tweety's Circus

Tweety's Circus is a 1955 Merrie Melodies short directed by I. Freleng. 
== Plot ==
A carefree Sylvester walks into the circus singing his theme "Meow!" He visits the various animal exhibits. There, upon seeing the lion exhibit, the unimpressed puddy tat immediately expresses his displeasure over the large feline's billing. However, Sylvester is far more interested in Tweety, and a chase begins.
Tweety runs into the big top, where the lion, now uncaged, is waiting to maul Sylvester for his earlier remarks. 
Sylvester tries beating what he thinks is a fire hose to free Tweety, unknowing that the "hose" is an elephant's trunk. The elephant grabs Sylvester with his trunk and, after crushing his chest, throws the battered puss into the lion's cage, where the lion finishes the job.
Other run-ins with the lion, elephant, and other animals, all end with Sylvester getting the worst of things, and all involve him exploiting his abilities. First, as a high diver, Tweety directs the elephant to drink all the water before Sylvester lands. Next, as a fire eater, the lion makes Sylvester eat the fire. Then, as a high-wire walker.
Sylvester finally gets rid of the lion, only to unwittingly lock himself in a cage with even more lions. Tweety immediately takes a hat and cane and becomes a carnival barker. "Huwwy! Huwwy! Huwwy! Step wight up for da gweatest show on Eawth! Fifty wions and one puddy tat!" A loud roar erupts, and with Sylvester presumably having met his fate, Tweety changes his spiel: "Step wight up! Fifty wions, count 'em, fifty wions!"
== Availability ==
LOONEY TUNES CURTAIN CALLS.jpg|(1993) LaserDisc Looney Tunes Curtain Calls
TweetAndLovelyVHS.jpg|(1998) VHS Looney Tunes Presents Tweety: Tweet and Lovely
Bumper2000.jpg|(2000) VHS Mil-Looney-Um 2000 - Bumper Collection
I Love Tweety - Volume 1.jpg|(2001) DVD I Love Tweety: Volume 1 (restored with DVNR)
=== Streaming ===
lt hbo max.jpg|HBO Max (2020 - 2022) (restored without DVNR)
Lt max.jpg|Max (2024 - ) (restored without DVNR)
== Censorship ==
* The ABC version of this cartoon edits two scenes:http://www.intanibase.com/gac/looneytunes/censored-t.aspx
** The part where Sylvester beats the lion with a mallet had the beatings cut from six to one, much like in the ABC version of the 1955 Freleng cartoon "Roman Legion-Hare".
** The part where Sylvester hides from the lion by impersonating Flamo the fire-eater by swallowing a flaming stick was cut.
* The CBS version edited out the same scenes as ABC, only the CBS version cut the scene of Sylvester beating the lion more severely; instead of reducing the hits, CBS just cut the part entirely.
* The syndicated Merrie Melodies Show leaves in the fire-eating part, but, like ABC, reduces the part where Sylvester beats the lion. Unlike ABC, The Merrie Melodies Show version halved the beatings from six times to three.
== Notes ==
* This was the last Merrie Melodies short to use the 1945-55 opening rendition of Merrily We Roll Along, as well as the 1941-55 ending rendition.
* The high dive scene features Tweety in a twist on the Canyon Fall Gag (landing into a water-filled tub at the bottom of the ladder). It is one of the few intentional executions of such a descent. 
* The cartoon's restored ending card from HBO Max uses the 1959-64 ending card, rather than the original 1954-56 ending card. This error would also be present for the newly restored versions of "Hare Brush" and "Tugboat Granny" as well.
== Gallery ==
Snapshot 101.png
Snapshot 102.png
Screenshot 2021-01-20 at 9.51.29 PM.png|Storyboard
TweetysCircusRestored.jpeg|Cropped screenshot of 2020 restoration
== References ==
== External links ==
* "Tweety's Circus" at the SFX Resoruce
Category:Merrie Melodies Shorts
Category:Tweety Cartoons
Category:Sylvester Cartoons
Category:Shorts
Category:Cartoons directed by Friz Freleng
Category:1955
Category:Cartoons written by Warren Foster
Category:Cartoons animated by Ted Bonnicksen
Category:Cartoons with layouts by Hawley Pratt
Category:Cartoons with backgrounds by Irv Wyner
Category:Cartoons with characters voiced by Mel Blanc
Category:Cartoons with orchestrations by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with music by Milt Franklyn
Category:Cartoons with film editing by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons with sound effects edited by Treg Brown
Category:Cartoons produced by Eddie Selzer